The best way to create jobs in B.C.
Dear Editor,
What is the best, most cost-effective way to create jobs in British Columbia and Canada?
Let’s compare pipeline building, Site C dam and energy efficiency/clean energy.
The Kinder Morgan pipeline is an investment of $7.4 billion and would create 15,000 jobs during construction, with about 50 full-time jobs after completion.
Site C dam, 1,100 Mega Watts, is an investment of $9-10 billion and job creation is about 10,000 during construction, with 25-75 permanent jobs.
Property Assessment Clean Energy (PACE) is a program started in the U.S. in 2008. That program uses no tax dollars, investment has been almost $6 billion and has created 47,000 new jobs. PACE programs create at least 15 new jobs for every $1 million spent and produce $2.5 million of economic activity.
Quebec has large hydro resources, just like B.C., but has also embraced wind energy and the 5,000 people working in that industry make about 30 per cent more than the average wage earner.
Georgetown, Texas (oil country) is now 100 per cent renewable energy for electricity and their electricity cost has fallen from 11.4 c/kWh in 2008 to 8.5 c/kWh in 2017, saving their citizens and businesses millions of dollars per year.
In Australia, 800 Mega Watts of wind farms, a $1.6 billion investment, create about 6,000 jobs during construction and benefit the economy to $10.5 billion over 25 years.
More jobs, lower emissions and cleaner air, resulting in lower health care costs, better living, and saving us money.
A report to the Government of Canada states that investing and embracing energy efficiency would create around 300,000 new jobs.
Martin Holzbauer
Thornhill, B.C.