There's something missing here

I just re-read the government's news release announcing the "sweeping energy policy review" and it seems to me there's something missing. Shouldn't a review of energy policy include an independent examination of how much additional energy--if any--BC needs?

You'd think that--even if only for political cover--the Liberals would have tried to justify radical shifts in energy policy like kneecapping the BC Utilities Commission with at least a token examination of BC's energy requirements.

The problem of any Potemkin review, though, is that it would have to contend with the reality of energy requirement forecasts as described by the independent BCUC here, BC Hydro's own internal projections, and reams of independent analysis that all put the lie to the government's claims.

The Liberals say we have a looming energy shortage that will hurt our economy, while opponents say that with aggressive conservation measures (as championed by now-sidelined BC Hydro CEO Bob Elton) coupled with upgrades to existing BC Hydro generating facilities, BC is self-sufficient in electricity.

Does BC need more energy, or not? Without a thorough--and independent--examination of this fundamental question, the Liberals' "sweeping" review will have no credibility as anything other than political spin, and pretty lame spin at that.