Kathy Dunderdale told the House of Assembly on Wednesday something rather curious about the public utilities board review of Muskrat falls last spring:
Mr. Speaker, we did refer the question to the Public Utilities Board. The questions we asked: Do we need the power; is Muskrat Falls the least-cost alternative? Mr. Speaker, when the PUB produced its report it concurred with Nalcor – and it is in the executive summary right in the front so you might want to read it. It concurred with Nalcor and MHI that based on Decision Gate 2 numbers that we did need the power and indeed it was the least-cost alternative.
The PUB said that Muskrat Falls was the least cost option and that the province needed the electricity.
It’s in the executive summary.
Go read it, she said.
Okay, let’s do just that.
The Board concludes that the information provided by Nalcor in the review is not detailed, complete or current enough to determine whether the Interconnected Option represents the least-cost option for the supply of power to Island Interconnected customers over the period of 2011-2067, as compared to the Isolated Island Option.
Can’t decide.
Don’t have enough information.
And the need the power thing?
Here’s page iii:
While the forecast shows a gradual increase in load, it does not demonstrate an immediate need for the significant amount of new generation contemplated in the Interconnected Option.
“Does not demonstrate an immediate need”
That doesn’t sound like we need the power.
What PUB report was Kathy Dunderdale reading? Evidently it wasn’t the one the board actually wrote.
-srbp-
