During the past fifty years, Canadians have seen many of their white-water rivers dammed or diverted to generate electricity primarily for industry and export. The rush to build dams increased utility debts, produced adverse consequences for the environment and local communities, and ultimately resulted in the layoff of 25,000 employees. White Gold looks at what went wrong with hydro development, with the predicted industrial transformation, with the timing and magnitude of projects, and with national and regional initiatives to link these major projects to a trans-Canada power grid.