Does B.C. really need Site C electricity?

A rendering of BC Hydro’s $9-billion Site C dam on the Peace River in Northeastern B.C.

A weekly roundup of news and views on energy, mining, forests (and more)

BC Hydro’s Site C dam will leave ratepayers a $7-billion bill for power that it doesn’t need, says Harry Swain, who chaired the joint federal-provincial review of the mega-project. (Vancouver Sun)

As coal mines close in Wyoming and thousands of workers are laid off, wind farms thrive. But the clean energy sector does not have the economic impact of the fossil fuel industry. (New York Times)

Portugal has recently faced strikes, failing banks, corruption scandals, double-digit unemployment and hung parliaments. One bright spot? Renewable energy. (Globe and Mail)

The Kinder Morgan pipeline twinning project will neither greatly benefit nor hurt the general public, says economist Marvin Shaffer. But the debate over whether it should go ahead has prevented a more productive discussion of how any new pipeline can significantly enhance the public interest. (Vancouver Sun)

Gold has risen in value since last week’s shocking Brexit vote. David Garofalo, CEO of Vancouver-based Goldcorp, says the industry has learned its lesson when it comes to handling a price rebound. (Globe and Mail)