NL Hydro says it understands the risk and urgency due to rapidly changing public policy and the need to build new supply to meet forecasted electricity demand.

Hydro was responding to Liberty Consulting’s decision to end its consultancy to the PUB in part, because of what Liberty says is Hydro’s delay in making a key submission on supply alternatives and the pace Hydro is keeping in addressing solutions.

In a statement issued to VOCM News, Hydro says it is adamant that proceeding with a major supply decision should only occur when all viable options have been thoroughly considered, as opposed to narrowly focusing on one, as yet, unjustified option.

Hydro says Liberty acknowledges that analysis is needed and solutions, like added gas turbine capacity, need to be proven feasible. Hydro says the analysis and feasibility work is not complete for any potential solution.

It says it is completing the work with urgency, and is using internal and external experts, “at the pace that engineering analysis requires.”

Hydro says it will be making a number of supply decisions in the coming years and it is “unreasonable to expect that all the supply decisions needed…might…or could be understood at this moment in time” given the evolution of new information and technology.