Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro is extending the life of the Holyrood Generating Station again.

In its most recent update to the Public Utilities Board, Hydro confirms it will rely on Holyrood as a critical backup at least until March of 2024.

That’s a year longer than planned and largely due to delays with final commissioning of the Lower Churchill Project.

While the Muskrat Falls plant and assets have been sending power to the island and Nova Scotia for months now, completion of the entire project, with full loading, still hinges on the GE software for the Labrador-Island Link, which has yet to pass critical final testing.

The final commissioning date is now May 30th, assuming GE has the bugs worked out by then. If it’s working well enough to push maximum loads through, Hydro will give GE six more months to finish the job.

Asked what happens if they can’t, Hydro CEO Jennifer Williams says they’ll cross that bridge if and when they get to it.

The GE issues have had a domino effect on all planning, including at Holyrood, affecting staffing, maintenance and further capital investments.

In the meantime, Williams says power rates won’t be affected before the spring at the earliest, adding she expects the rate mitigation deal to be finalized “very soon.”