There was a letter to the editor of the Victoria Times-Colonist on November 3 which irked me (see immediately below), so I submitted a letter to the editor responding to it (further below). I thought this might be of interest to CACOR members interested in climatic change issues.
Cheers,
Les
A quick question on government contracts
- Times Colonist
- 3 Nov 2022
Can anyone tell me if, in the short history of our nation, there has ever been a government contract that has ended up being on time and on budget?
I suspect I already know the answer, but would be interested to know the details if such a “unicorn” exists.
Len Dafoe Nanoose Bay
- ——— Forwarded message ———
From: Leslie Welsh <[email protected]>
Date: Fri, 4 Nov 2022 at 12:50
Subject: Re: “A quick question on government contacts” 3 Nov 2022
To: <[email protected]>
Date: Fri, 4 Nov 2022 at 12:50
Subject: Re: “A quick question on government contacts” 3 Nov 2022
To: <[email protected]>
The writer from Nanoose Bay repeats a tired old trope by asking “has ever been a government contract that has ended up being on time and on budget?” and “is there such a ‘unicorn’?”
As a physicist in Environment Canada for 33 years, I managed hundreds of contracts which were on budget and on time.
One contract stands out: Canada’s first green power purchase, for Environment Canada’s buildings in Alberta in 1997. Alberta’s new competitive electricity market provided a means to tender for green electricity. The contract-for-differences from Power Pool prices was won by Vision Quest Windelectric (“VQ”), providing wind power from Alberta’s first large wind turbine (see picture).
In 2000, price volatility saw Pool prices rising exorbitantly for two years. During that time, VQ paid Environment Canada to receive the green power–an amazing deal! To boot, Environment Canada gained ownership of emissions reductions from the project, in Canada’s first national greenhouse gas emissions trade.
In 2001, TransAlta bought VQ and over time became a major renewable energy producer. It also repowered its coal-fired plants with natural gas–ahead of regulatory deadlines. Canada now has thousands of wind turbines; the original three owners of VQ became millionaires; and I retired to Victoria.
Cynicism based on falsehoods has never gotten anything done in this world, and I urge the letter-writer to change his mind and believe in “unicorns” instead.
Leslie Welsh
Victoria
![](https://canadiancor.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/hotir-baloon-and-widmill-in-alberta-300x104.png)
caption: Leslie Welsh flies his hot-air balloon near the first utility-scale wind turbine in Alberta