This month’s map update brings numerous license additions and 3 new map layers.

Private Power Licenses are now viewable in the following layers:  By License Status.  By License holder, sorted by license count. This layer shows the significance of each of the players in the private power industry. By Electoral district, sorted by license count.  The header for each electoral district contains contact information for the MLA in each riding. By Regional District, sorted by license count. The header for each regional district also contains RD contact information. Only one license layer may be active at a time.  To select another license layer click the appropriate radio button in the Google Earth Places tree view.  To hide the legend simply remove the check mark from the legend item.

In June 2007, when the map was first published, it contained all non-residential power licenses, which included public and private interests.  The current map now contains only private power licenses and applications.
At present there are 128 approved licenses on 115 watercourses.  More importantly there are 435 license applications for 513 points of diversion on 466 water courses. (Point of Diversion: "the place on the natural channel of a stream where an applicant proposes, or a licensee is authorized, to divert water from the stream." Water Regulation)

Without any historical context, these numbers mean little. The following graph depicts the points of diversion that have been licensed and applied for from 1980 to 2008.

Clearly, 2001 marks the end of public power in BC and with it will go the 'BC Advantage' of low cost electrical power.

Understandably BC Hydro had to change their slogan.

Accompanying each private power project there are numerous applications for land use.  The following table summarizes the current land use applications for private hydro power projects.