The Editor,

Re: "Energy debate just getting started," Letters, June 30.

Letter writer Ramblin' Ryan Lake presents a highly distorted and misleading picture of B.C.'s energy sector.

For starters, BC Hydro is not being privatized as Mr. Lake claims. In fact, the crown utility is stronger than ever and growing rapidly.

As Richmond News columnist Keith Baldrey wrote a couple of months ago, "total capital spending by BC Hydro will hit more than $15 billion over the next decade," part of a multi-billion dollar reinvestment in the province's core hydroelectric generating infrastructure built in the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.

As Baldrey went on to say, "This is a staggering amount of money, and is proof the Ccrown corporation is not being mothballed or even downgraded by the provincial government, as the ideologically driven opponents of private power projects insist."

Mr. Lake's letter leads us to believe that Mr. Lake is among "the ideologically driven opponents of private power projects," which is truly unfortunate given the enormous need for renewable clean energy here in B.C. and beyond.

However, the ideological viewpoint exhibited by Mr. Lake is not all that surprising considering the massive misinformation campaign that has been waged against independent green energy producers for the past several years by groups and individuals closely associated with the COPE 378 union that represents BC Hydro's thousands of public sector employees.

Rather than falling victim to misinformation and narrow ideology on this important subject, I would encourage readers of the Richmond News to arm themselves with accurate information and seek out the facts for themselves.

For anyone wishing to explore the question of green energy in B.C. further, information is available on our BCCGE website (www.greenenergybc.ca ) and on our BCCGE Livewire Blog.

David Field

Co-spokesperson

B.C. Citizens for Green Energy