Right in the centre - Beware of the promise makers

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Published on Friday, September 27, 2024

By Ken Waddell

Neepawa Banner & Press

The Provincial government announced some goals for energy production and conservation last week. Below are the main points and in italics I have written some things to watch for or to question about the policy.

The government acknowledges that a main source of energy in Manitoba comes from hydro power and that is true. However, Manitoba Hydro has been politically squeezed over the decades and some things haven’t worked out that well. Some examples are flooding of communities by constructing power dams, wasting millions by re-directing the BiPole III route and installing political appointees into the top jobs at Manitoba Hydro. We can’t go back in time but maybe we can learn from mistakes committed over the past few decades. Here’s the points and my questions and comments in italics.

•Creating an Indigenous loan-guarantee program to provide First Nations and Métis the capital support and capacity to participate in the energy transition and finance new partnerships in wind generation.
Loan guarantees have to very carefully set up or the guarantees quickly turn into grants and defaulted loans.

•Refurbishing Manitoba Hydro generating stations to unlock up to 200 megawatts of power.
Sounds like a good idea but does the government have any idea how much money needs to be invested and how long before it pays back?

•Ending the first-come, first-served approach for large grid connection to better align with Manitoba’s economic development goals.
I think that means projects will have to go on a waiting list while a government advisory board decides who gets power and who doesn’t. I understand there is already a waiting list for power. Businesses can’t expect to just start a project and assume there will be electricity to run buildings and factories.

•Strengthening energy codes for homes and buildings to generate long-term energy savings for Manitoba families.
I think this will be a waste of time and money as current Manitoba building codes already dictate high standards for windows doors and insulation.

•Stronger oversight of the oil and gas sector with regular provincial inspections to ensure environmental safety and reliability.
Before I would applaud that move, I would want to see the past performance records of the oil and gas sector. For example, have there been serious spills or accidents or is this just another government implemented set of regulations to fight an imaginary problem?

•Installing new Manitoba Hydro owned and operated public electric vehicle chargers.
So far, I rarely see vehicles using the charging stations we already have. In rural areas where electric vehicles are largely unproven or lack realistic range, I wouldn’t rush into that expense. We already subsidize the purchase of electric vehicles, why should we subsidize the charging stations too.

•A renewed focus on energy security with stronger protections in place for procurement and data management to keep Manitoba’s energy supply safe and secure.
That last point may be code for “Let’s build up a bureaucracy of number crunchers so they can bombard us with meaningless facts and figures.”

I welcome feedback, but be very wary of politicians who promise prosperity bought with your money.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this column are the writer’s personal views and are not to be taken as being the view of the newspaper staff.