Manitoba cabinet minister at odds with Crown corporation CEO over development
The Manitoba government and the head of Manitoba Hydro, the province's Crown energy corporation, are at odds over ways to meet growing electricity demand, and the minister responsible is not saying whether he has full confidence in the corporation's president and chief executive officer, Jay Grewal.
The rift began earlier this week, when Grewal told the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce the province could need new energy generation as early as 2029 and would also look for ways to encourage people to curb consumption.
The corporation plans to reach out to independent producers for wind energy and other sources and is considering ways to reduce demand at peak times, such as charging consumers different rates at different times of the day, Grewal said.
The NDP government has since made it clear it is opposed to both those ideas.
"As it relates to the development of new energy resources, we want those to be publicly generated," Adrien Sala, finance minister and minister responsible for Manitoba Hydro, said Friday.
The government is also not interested in exploring "surge pricing or demand response options," Sala said.
Sala did not directly respond when asked whether he has full confidence in Grewal and whether she will continue in her position. He would only discuss the board of directors.
"We have full confidence in our board and our new chair to ensure that we're moving forward in meeting our energy needs as a province in a good way that ensures, again, reliability, affordability and that those energy resources are publicly owned," he said.
The Opposition Progressive Conservatives said Grewal outlined a clear plan to address energy needs at a time when the utility is deeply in debt.
"She knew her job, ultimately, could be on the line here. But she chose to make those comments publicly anyway because, regardless of political party or ideology, she believes that that's the right path to bring this Crown corporation into the future," Grant Jackson, Tory hydro critic, said.
The NDP has not always been opposed to private energy generation. Under a previous NDP government more than a decade ago, Manitoba Hydro signed deals for wind farms at two locations in southern Manitoba involving private firms. They continue to generate power for the province, as does a solar energy farm established by Fisher River Cree Nation.
Manitoba Hydro is still dealing with the financial effects of its last big construction push. Its debt tripled over 15 years as it built two megaprojects: the Bipole III transmission line and the Keeyask generating station. The projects ran a combined $3.7 billion over budget.
Grewal, who was appointed by the former Tory government in 2019, was not available for an interview Friday. She said earlier in the week the time and cost of building another generating station is part of the reason why Manitoba Hydro is planning to look for independent producers.
The NDP government campaigned on keeping all aspects of Manitoba Hydro public en route to winning the provincial election in October. Shortly after, it replaced most board members.
Sala said it's too early to say what kind of new generating options the province might look at, such as building its own wind farm.
Sala has also promised to freeze electricity rates for consumers for one year. He would not set a timeline Friday or say whether it would be done before the next election, scheduled for 2027.
"We will speak more about this later, as we see how things progress at Hydro."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 2, 2024
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Indian envoy warns of 'big red line,' days after charges laid in Nijjar case
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
U.S. paused bomb shipment to Israel to signal concerns over Rafah invasion, official says
The U.S. paused a shipment of bombs to Israel last week over concerns that Israel was approaching a decision on launching a full-scale assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah against the wishes of the U.S.
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in 'Grease,' dead at 72
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
Alcohol believed to be a factor in boating incident after 2 men die: N.S. RCMP
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.