Clean energy is premier's latest flavour of the year

After months of frustration with the slow progress of the B.C. Liberal government green energy plan, Premier Gordon Campbell has installed a green energy czar to expedite the drive from his own office.

"Robin Junger has been appointed deputy minister, energy and clean technology, office of the premier," said the announcement last week from the premier's office. "As a priority of this government, Robin will coordinate and lead the work to meet the goal of making B.C. a green energy powerhouse."

The appointment was immediate. Junger, the former head of the provincial environmental office, started work Monday.

Foremost among his responsibilities: "breaking down silos," according to what Campbell himself told reporter Justine Hunter of the Globe and Mail newspaper.

Too many ministries and agencies with overlapping jurisdiction for developing and approving green power. Plus Campbell believes that some provincial entities simply haven't "got the message."

The message being his determination to make the province self-sufficient in electricity, to develop new sources of emissions-free generation, and to prepare the way for building power for export.

"British Columbia is blessed with enormous untapped energy potential," said the recent speech from the throne. "We can harness that potential to generate new wealth and new jobs in our communities while we lower greenhouse gas emissions within and beyond our borders. Clean energy is a cornerstone of our climate plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by one-third by the year 2020."

The decision to expedite those objectives with the appointment of a silo-busting deputy to the premier is entirely in keeping with the Campbell modus operandi.

When he took office in 2001 on a vow to reorganize and downsize government, he promptly installed Brenda Eaton as deputy minister to the premier in charge of "restructuring."

Campbell wanted a spare-no-expense drive to transform the government website and other online information services. Enter Lee Denny as chief government information officer, posted to the office of the premier.

Partway through the first term, the premier was increasingly concerned that economic development and resource exploitation was being held up by a range of land-use issues, including aboriginal claims.

He selected land-use consultant Jessica McDonald as deputy minister to the premier for special projects. She took the lead in developing what became the new relationship with first nations, and following the 2005 election, was promoted to the post of senior deputy to the premier.

Midway through the second term, Campbell developed an enthusiasm for fighting climate change. Before long, he'd appointed Graham Whitmarsh as the head of a full-blown climate action secretariat based in -- you guessed it -- the office of the premier.

But there's a familiar arc to these appointments. Government restructuring is long gone from the premier's office. Ditto the information office and the climate secretariat. The new relationship isn't top of mind any more either.

Now the flavour-of-the-year is clean energy with Junger the spearhead, for as long as this project holds the premier's interest.

His first move will presumably be to oversee the finishing touches on the Clean Energy Act, expected to be the largest and most contentious piece of legislation this session other than the enabling bill for the sales tax changes.

The act, slated for tabling early next month, is supposed to clear the way for expedited approval of greener power projects, addressing Campbell's concern that B.C. has been losing investment dollars to other, more accommodating jurisdictions in Canada and the U.S.

"A new clean energy act will encourage new investments in independent power production while also strengthening BC Hydro," said the throne speech. "It will provide for fair, predictable, clean power calls. It will feature simplified procurement protocols and new measures to encourage investment and the jobs that flow with it. "

All contentious to be sure. But the green energy drive has something in common with Campbell's earlier effort to fight climate change with a carbon tax. It also has the potential to put the Opposition on the defensive by sounding too negative.

The New Democrats would appear to have reservations about virtually every proposal to expand the province's capacity for electrical generation. They don't like private power, even when undertaken in partnership with first nations. Don't like run of the river. Don't like gas-fired generation, except when (as in the case of BC Hydro's antiquated Burrard Thermal plant) it is publicly owned and might preclude the need for any private-sector investment. Don't like power for export. Doubts about Site C, even though it would be built by BC Hydro.

The Liberals, on the other hand, are wildly enthusiastic about all of it. Private investment. Partnerships with first nations. Wind power. Bio fuel. Even the prospect, down the road, of building power for export.

Growth versus no growth, in other words. It's a matchup that the Liberals hope could serve them well in the next provincial election.

vpalmer@vancouversun.com