Keith Baldrey has an article looking at potential rifts between the NDP and the Greens over energy issues. It’s an interesting read and I recommend you check it out. It looks at the state of Site C and Kinder Morgan under the NDP government, and Baldrey concludes that on one the NDP can’t stop it and on the other they don’t want to stop it.
The latter would corroborate fears expressed by many Greens during the election (especially Green supporters on social media) that the NDP were “soft” on cancelling Site C, a boondoggle that Greens argue ought not be built no matter how much has already been spent on it under the “don’t throw good money after bad” axiom. Andrew Weaver has also pointed out that Site C will not only produce power that we’ll have to sell at a loss for decades, but that it will make other green energy projects un-economical for generations to come.
As for Kinder Morgan, shortly they signed their agreement with the Greens, the language the NDP used regarding Site Kinder Morgan started softening. I feared this is what would happen with Site C, but this is a surprise for me when it comes to Kinder Morgan. Not only is Kinder Morgan expansion unpopular in several NDP-held ridings that border the pipeline, but the NDP also holds the majority of ridings that would be directly affected if there was a spill from a tanker carrying raw bitumen from the Kinder Morgan pipeline. Fighting Kinder Morgan was also a non-negotiable in the agreement between the NDP and the Greens, an agreement that Horgan needs to remain premier.
Time will tell how it all plays out, but it’s not promising at this point.
The Grass Is Greener.ca 