Story from Canadian Press:

VANCOUVER, B.C. - The Supreme Court of Canada will hear an appeal from mining giant Rio Tinto Alcan over a multibillion-dollar power deal that's been stalled because of objections by First Nations.

The Carrier Sekani Tribal Council, which is made up of eight British Columbia bands, has opposed the $2-billion project and complained that it wasn't properly consulted.

The B.C. Court of Appeal agreed in February and ruled that Rio Tinto Alcan, BC Hydro, the B.C. Utilities Commission and the province had a duty to consult the First Nations before signing off on the 2007 deal.

But Canada's highest court on Thursday agreed to hear Rio Tinto Alcan's appeal. As usual, the Supreme Court gave no reasons for its decision.

The power project would give BC Hydro long-term access to electricity produced at Rio Tinto Alcan's Kemano generating station near Kitimat in northwest B.C.

Chief David Luggi, spokesman for the Carrier Sekani Tribal Council, said Thursday's decision is in no way a defeat.

In fact, Luggi said, the council is glad the issue is receiving such national prominence.

"The way I'm looking at it is I'm delighted the highest court in the land will hear our issues," he said.

Luggi said the tribal council is concerned about the impact the deal might have on fish in the Nechako River.

He added that the council was not consulted when the Kemano station was built five decades ago.

"We have the right to be heard before these decisions are made," he said.

"We don't intend to accept that these impacts are permanent without turning over every stone available to us."

A Rio Tinto Alcan spokeswoman did not return calls seeking comment.

The May, 2009 issue of Common Ground contains a special supplement, Take Back Your Power. It contains four articles, a map, and a list of rivers threatened by river privatization projects. It's very worthwhile material, but one article that is particularly valuable is Key BC Liberal insiders hired by private power developers (PDF).

It's a long list. Here are some of the more prominent names on it:

Patrick Kinsella, Co-chair of 2001 and 2005 BC Liberal provincial campaigns - has consulted for Alcan, Accenture and now Plutonic Power. Alleged to have worked for both CN and BC Rail as BC Rail was being sold to CN.

Tom Syer, former deputy chief of staff to Gordon Campbell, now a director at Plutonic Power/GE.

Mark Grant, former executive director of the BC Liberal Party, now with Rupert Peace Power.

Michael J. O’Conner, former President and CEO of Crown Corporation BC Transit, now holds senior positions at Naikun.

Geoff Plant, former BC Liberal Attorney General, now chair of Renaissance Power.

You can go directly to the YouTube page: http://www.youtube.com/user/saveourrivers.

Article by By Malcolm Baxter in the Kitimat Northern Sentinel: Court orders do-over on Alcan-BC Hydro power purchase agreement

Excerpt: "The re-opening of the BCUC hearing on the power deal was ordered last week by the BC Court of Appeal as it found in favour of appellant the Carrier Sekani Tribal Council.

"However, it won’t be the terms of the EPA that will be on the table.

"Rather, the court ordered the re-opening 'for the sole purpose of hearing evidence and argument on whether a duty to consult and, if necessary accommodate the appellant exists and, if so, whether the duty has been met in respect of the filing of the 2007 EPA.'”

The history of Alcan and the city of Kitimat it spawned has been, to put it mildly, spotted. The idea behind the original massive environmental disaster was to allow Alcan to reverse rivers, build lakes, install pipes and generators, construct dams, and run roughshod over the rights of First Nations in order to supply electricity to its new aluminum smelter and the “vicinity of the works” (if they had any left over after their aluminum smelting needs were met). The original agreement as enshrined in legislation was for an aluminum smelter, not a power company.

Over the years, in cahoots with the provincial government, Alcan did in fact become a power company - a big one - and its interest in smelting faded as the power dollars rolled in.

When I was part of the large group fighting Kemano II back in the 90s Alcan promised that this power was going to fuel a new smelter as well as the one in Kitimat … or was it two new smelters? Or perhaps four? It was difficult to keep count. As the struggle continued I was under considerable pressure from Kitimat and elsewhere to butt out - that Alcan was their buddy and would always keep its workers and their families close to their warm heart. The City Council of Terrace, which would have supplied much of the labour and equipment for Kemano II, passed a resolution declaring Terrace to be a “Rafe Mair free zone.”

One morning I interviewed Bill Rich, an Alcan VP who was quarterbacking Kemano II, and I got this usually taciturn executive to pound his fist on the table and say “you don’t seem to understand that Alcan is not in the Aluminum business … it’s in the power business!” In anger, veritas!

The provincial government turns over BC's rivers to multinationals, and the federal government helps finance it.

Plutonic Power has received a $73 million dollar "incentive" from the federal government for its Toba Montrose project. The grant, under the federal EcoENERGY program gives Plutonic power $10 for each MWh produced for 10 years. The grant was established to "encourage the production of... low-impact renewable energy sources.”

Here's the press release from Plutonic Power: Plutonic Power Corporation Signs ecoENERGY Agreement for Funding of the East Toba River Montrose Creek Run-of-River Project