text: here's the honesty
  
  Clark appointed a panel to study the project. It came back that the project was completely unnecessary, and the power could only be sold to the US at rates so cheap as to be uneconomical.
  
  "The whole story, Mr. Swain said, would have included a look at alternatives. He noted that, under the Columbia River Treaty, British Columbia sells about the same amount of energy to the United States each year that Site C will produce.
  
  Under the treaty, British Columbia manages the flow of the Columbia River to reduce the risk of flooding in the United States. In exchange, it is entitled to a share of the U.S. power and flood-control benefits. Currently, British Columbia is selling most of its share of the power back to the United States.
  
  “It is entirely open to British Columbia to say, ‘Yes, we’ll take the power.’” At current prices, the electricity is being sold for less than half of the cost of Site C power."