The Opposition Leader says he’s already identified a number of questions to raise when the House of Assembly opens for a special debate on the MOU reached with Quebec on the Upper Churchill.
Tony Wakeham wants to know how the price of 4 cents per kW hour was reached, and what the annual rate Hydro Quebec will pay for electricity generated at the existing Churchill Falls powerhouse will be.
Wakeham says the premier quoted 5.9 cents per kilowatt hour, while officials in Quebec are saying they will have to pay less than that. In the meantime, says Wakeham, NL Hydro CEO Jennifer Williams has said that the price will start at 1.6 cents per kW hour.
He also wants to know how much revenue the provincial treasury will receive annually.
According to the government website “the actual nominal price paid for Churchill Falls power is forecast to increase over the life of the contract, starting at 1.63 cents per kilowatt hour retroactive to January 1, 2025 and increasing to 7.84 cents in 2041, 19.40 cents in 2056 and more than 37 cents by 2075.”