News of big rate hikes at BC Hydro aren’t a surprise to those of us who have followed this file. A few quick thoughts:

• A lot of chickens are finally coming home to roost – deferred debt, bloated staffing levels, overpaying executives, bad IPP deals, and, of course, government getting its beak wet by taking BC Hydro dividends.
• This rate increase is part of righting the ship – of that, there can be no doubt.
• Staff reductions are promised, but we’ve been hearing that for two years with little change.
• Government is also waiting too long to reduce its dividend take – this reinforces the idea of BC Hydro rates as a hidden tax.
• British Columbians deserve concrete assurances that are increased rates will actually go to improving and renewing infrastructure – not raises or other nonsense. We’ve been dinged for too many increases over the years and yet Hydro seems to be further behind than ever.
• I think most of us are reluctantly okay with paying a little more to improve Hydro infrastructure – but we need to go back and learn why it’s come to this – and how that will pattern can be broken.