November 16, 2012
Manitoba Asks Independent Board to Review Major Hydro Capital Projects
The provincial government has asked the Public Utilities Board to conduct a Needs For and Alternatives To (NFAT) review of upcoming Manitoba Hydro projects including the Keeyask and Conawapa generating stations and their associated transmission facilities, Innovation, Energy and Mines Minister Dave Chomiak, minister responsible for Manitoba Hydro, announced today.
“Building Keeyask and Conawapa represents a major economic development opportunity for our province,” said Chomiak. “The purpose of the NFAT review is to provide an independent assessment of the need for new generation and to compare the benefits of building new hydro generation to alternatives such as natural gas.”
The NFAT review would be conducted by a sub-panel of the Public Utilities Board(PUB) in order to give the board the capacity needed to conduct the review while meeting its statutory responsibilities. Panel members are expected to be announced and detailed terms of reference will be provided to the PUB in the new year.
“The estimated $13.3-billion investment in Manitoba’s north that would result from Keeyask and Conawapa would propel the province’s economy for decades to come and provide clean, low-cost and reliable power for future generations of Manitobans,” said Chomiak. “Moving forward with these projects is an important decision and Manitobans need to be assured that they are in the best long-term interest of the province.”
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