After backlash and concern from communities in the Southern Interior led to the temporary suspension and subsequent review of FortisBC's latest safety measures, a local MLA is going one step further and calling for its outright rejection.
FortisBC submitted its Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) Policy to the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) on May 20, as directed when the commission postponed the new measures earlier last month. The safety policy was designed to protect communities and electricity systems against wildfires by proactively shutting off power in selected areas in advance of extreme weather, but Boundary-Similkameen MLA Donegal Wilson is urging the BCUC to reject the policy altogether.
Last week, Wilson, who is also the Opposition Critic for Water, Lands, Natural Resource Stewardship, and Wildfire, submitted a letter to the BCUC to express her concern regarding the policy.
"While I appreciate the intent to reduce wildfire ignition from electrical infrastructure, this policy risks creating greater harm than it prevents — particularly for rural communities like those in Boundary-Similkameen," Wilson stated.
Wilson also questioned the importance of such measures, as she noted that under the proposed policy, FortisBC may cut power in communities for up to 72 hours even though the conditions needed to trigger the policy have only occurred once in the last 10 years.
"This raises a fundamental question," she stated. "Are we trading a rare ignition risk for a much more probable and widespread public emergency?"
Wilson pointed to key potential impacts of the PSPS policy that would be deeply concerning to communities:
- Public health risks: Extended outages during periods of extreme heat could endanger vulnerable residents;
- Communication failures: Fibre-based phone systems and internet infrastructure, including emergency systems and 9-1-1, would be inoperable in rural areas;
- Loss of critical services: Rural cooling systems lack backup power and have limited capacity;
- Economic harm: Power outages can devastate local businesses such as farming;
- Burden on local governments: Emergency Management BC policies do not fund planned outages;
- Lack of infrastructure mapping and response plans: Communities need more time to prepare their own response plans;
- Vulnerable citizens asked to self-register: The current plan does not provide adequate assurances for vulnerable individuals
Wilson goes on to state that unless specific conditions are met, she will continue to urge the BCUC to keep rejecting the PSPS Policy. Conditions include:
- Conducting a thorough risk-benefit analysis comparing wildlife ignition likelihood with health, safety and economic risks of a power shutoff;
- Establishing a comprehensive emergency support and reimbursement framework for affected communities;
- Presenting detailed plans for safeguarding communication systems, medical needs and cooling facilities;
- Consulting with affected communities in a transparent and timely manner prior to any PSPS activation;
- Contacting and providing each individual who registers as a Vulnerable Person with clear and actionable plans for assistance
"The power grid is not just an economic asset — it is a lifeline," Wilson stated. "Any policy that removes that lifeline must be subject to the highest level of scrutiny, and British Columbians deserve wildfire prevention policies that protect both public safety and human dignity."
FortisBC continues to reiterate that its goal is to keep the public safe during periods of extreme wildfire risk.
"The decision to implement a PSPS event will only be made based upon careful monitoring for extreme fire risk conditions," FortisBC stated. "FortisBC will also consider additional factors, such as alternative mitigation strategies and input received from public safety partners, local and provincial governments, Indigenous communities and critical infrastructure providers."
FortisBC also added that it will provide as much advance notice as possible, as well as updates, before and throughout the outage.
The PSPS Policy is still under review by the BCUC. Updates will be posted on the proceedings page of the BCUC website.
