After all those billions of dollars, the consumer advocate says a software problem is preventing Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro from transmitting power through the Labrador Island Link (LIL.)

And it’s costing money because, as a result, Hydro is spending more on oil at Holyrood to manufacture electricity.

Rate mitigation hearings begin Thursday at the Public Utilities Board, only a couple of days after rates went up by an average of 6.4 per cent on the island but dropped in Labrador by 3.1 per cent.

Advocate Dennis Browne says Hydro promised that we would have electricity early in order to displace oil at Holyrood.

He says Hydro and Nalcor are working on it but they’re in a conundrum and it doesn’t appear that there’s any resolution in sight.