Latest news with #AdrienSala
Winnipeg Free Press
25-07-2025
- Business
- Winnipeg Free Press
Think big, think proud
Opinion Now that we have our elbows up, we can look below and discover the potential; discover the need. Why has Canada relied on other countries for a vast array of services and production? Let's come up with Manitoban or Canadian solutions. Think big. Let's go all in! So, to hear that our minister of environment and climate change, Mike Moyes has made 5,000 heat pumps more readily available just doesn't cut it. Actually, the Crown corporation Efficiency Manitoba already has an incentive program for heat pumps. How about 50,000 or 500,000? Think big! Also, that would benefit immensely our net-zero target. What about announcements in regard to Manitoba Hydro's future plans? Remember, Manitoba Hydro controls electricity and natural gas (which is 80 per cent methane) supplies. Again, they just don't cut it. There is no mention of any significant energy-producing projects, such as large wind farms in the works, or building solar farms in the making. How about solar panels on every home? Did you know that in the Netherlands one in three homes has solar panels? Why hasn't Manitoba Hydro been more involved in geothermal projects? Of note, Waverley West, a community in Winnipeg, was supposed to have a geothermal energy source. What we hope or should expect to hear from Finance Minister Adrien Sala are, in my view, twofold: plan for a net-zero target; and aggressively pursue renewables so the electrification of homes and buildings can take place soon, and greenhouse gas use and emissions can be eliminated. So what do we hear in reports such as Manitoba Hydro's integrated resource plan and the Manitoba Affordable Energy Plan? There is no mention of an aggressive move away from natural gas. This is very much not in keeping with the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. What we hear from Manitoba Hydro is that they project no change in natural gas use by 2030. Manitoba Hydro states that to get to net-zero, the use of direct air capture (DAC), which is another way of saying carbon capture, is what they will rely on. Let's be very clear. Carbon capture and DAC are largely unproven despite a lengthy trial period time. It is the opinion of many that the mention of carbon capture or direct air capture is a form of greenwashing — 'Look, we are doing something; don' t try to regulate us.' It is also disappointing to hear nothing from Moyes or Sala about retrofitting current buildings and homes, meaning to replace natural gas systems with heat pumps, electric furnaces and electric boilers. This is the first priority of Canada's Green Buildings Strategy. Actually, the only mention of natural gas was in speaking to the question of energy supply security — what if the renewable energy supply failed? You would like to hear that the problem could be dealt with by a large increase in renewable supply and investing in battery technology, to help get through the down times. The other mention of natural gas was that it may be the case that, to meet current and future energy demands, two new energy production plants would have to be built. Unfortunately, the source of energy to run these new facilities likely is natural gas. Again, one would like to hear that our planned increase in renewables should easily meet any energy demands. Relying on renewables to be the main source of power is working very well in parts of the world and Canada. Spain now has most of its energy supply from renewables. They have massive solar farms. Texas has about one-third of its energy needs met by renewables. A recent article about Nova Scotia states they propose to build enough offshore wind turbines to produce 40 gigawatts of electricity. This is an ambitious plan and time will tell if it comes to fruition, but the Nova Scotia premier states ' the excess electricity could supply 27 per cent of Canada's total demands. I guess my point is we know that renewable energy projects are being built at national, provincial, statewide and municipal levels, so really, what's the hold-up? Think of the cost savings associated with the mitigating of climate change. Specifically, the elimination of methane. Let's think big and think proud. We can do it! Scott Blyth writes from Brandon.
Winnipeg Free Press
22-07-2025
- Business
- Winnipeg Free Press
NDP questions PCs' pre-election ‘dark of night' $18-M rail port infrastructure grant
The provincial government is investigating why its predecessor did not publicize an $18-million contract that was finalized in the leadup to the 2023 election campaign. Finance Minister Adrien Sala confirmed Monday that the province — for the second time in three months — is looking into the Progressive Conservatives' dealings with JohnQ, an economic development corporation run by 12 municipalities in Manitoba. Under the leadership of then-premier Heather Stefanson, the PC government awarded a hefty grant to JohnQ in August 2023 to develop a regional rail port south of Winnipeg. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS FILES Finance Minister Adrien Sala confirmed Monday that the province is looking into the Progressive Conservatives' dealings with JohnQ, an economic development corporation run by 12 municipalities in Manitoba. 'Why, in the dark of night, did the former government send $18 million out the door without any kind of an announcement or any type of press release?' Sala said Monday. 'That is something that should worry the average Manitoban.' The multimillion-dollar sum was spent on purchasing a plot of farmland located in the Rural Municipality of Ritchot for a future rail park. It also covered the cost of now-complete engineering and environmental assessments on the site west of Highway 75. Concerns about the brokering of that Aug. 29, 2023 deal have become 'more prominent' in recent weeks, Sala said. The finance minister did not elaborate on the timing of the inter-departmental probe that is underway in his office, as well as in the Transportation and Economic Development departments. Premier Wab Kinew's team wants to ensure taxpayers are getting 'good value for money,' he said, noting that proceeding with this project would involve costly infrastructure upgrades. Sala released JohnQ's last progress report, which is more than a year old; the July 10, 2024 document recommends modifications be made to nearby roadways and a ring dyke be constructed. 'The NDP's current fascination with JohnQ… is nothing more than a fishing expedition,' PC MLA Wayne Ewasko said in a statement. The representative for Lac du Bonnet has defended the former government's agreements with JohnQ to build a rail port and 22 stand-alone child-care facilities. The conglomerate was founded to promote collaboration and best practices when building infrastructure 'to avoid costly duplication,' added Ewasko. Deputy education minister Brian O'Leary flagged concerns about procurement processes related to the nearly $100-million 2022 child-care construction deal in a letter to the auditor general in April. Sala's office indicated the province has not requested the auditor general also look at the rail park deal, but that is a possibility if more information is not uncovered internally. JohnQ's chief executive officer said the 2023 agreement included 'clear deliverables and timelines' that have been met to date. 'The mayors and reeves who lead JohnQ view this as a significant opportunity for true regional collaboration and regional economic development,' Colleen Sklar said in a text. Sklar said her team is committed to working with all governments to move the rail port forward 'responsibly and transparently' within the parameters of current agreements. Citing confidentiality requirements, she declined to provide specific details about the project. Sala indicated that he is concerned about the former government's operations, rather than any specific vendor. Wednesdays A weekly dispatch from the head of the Free Press newsroom. 'Manitoba does stand to benefit from leaning into our central position and we certainly do see opportunities around us becoming a transportation-logistics hub here in Canada. However, whether or not this particular rail port has a role in that is not yet clear to us,' he said. The finance minister accused the PCs of having 'a record of questionable decision-making,' citing the Sio Silica scandal. Stefanson and two of her ex-cabinet ministers were recently found to have disregarded the caretaker convention after losing the 2023 election and attempting to approve a controversial sand mine. The 'JQ Rail Oversight Committee' was formed in October 2023, the same month as the last provincial election. Maggie MacintoshEducation reporter Maggie Macintosh reports on education for the Free Press. Originally from Hamilton, Ont., she first reported for the Free Press in 2017. Read more about Maggie. Funding for the Free Press education reporter comes from the Government of Canada through the Local Journalism Initiative. Every piece of reporting Maggie produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Winnipeg Free Press
16-07-2025
- Business
- Winnipeg Free Press
Plenty of blame to go around for long-delayed $7-B Hydro project
Opinion Now that Manitoba Hydro has decided to proceed with a $7-billion plan to overhaul essential components of its two main transmission lines, the political blame game can start in earnest. It's not hard to see why the NDP government would be trying to hold the former Progressive Conservative government responsible for delaying investments in Bipoles I and II, which has driven up the total cost, amassed historic levels of debt and triggered unprecedented electricity rate hikes. But is it a fair allegation? In politics, fair rarely has anything to do with it. First, some background about what Hydro calls the HVDC (High Voltage Direct Current) Reliability Project. Bipoles I and II — which carry 70 per cent of all electricity generated by Hydro — are both nearly 1,000 kilometres long. The HVDC Project would see new converters and connectors replaced at both ends of those lines to turn alternating current (AC) from generating stations into direct current (DC) for transmission and then back to AC again when it reaches the end of the transmission lines near Winnipeg. This is needed to reduce the amount of electricity lost during transmission. The HVDC project will cost at least $7 billion and require annual 3.5 per cent electricity rate hikes for at least 15 years. That's a sobering reality that has the NDP government nervously twitching. When asked by the Free Press about the project, Finance Minister Adrien Sala wasted little time assigning blame to the Tories, accusing the former government of failing 'to make necessary investments to ensure continued reliability at Hydro.' In pointing the long finger of blame, Sala is relying on the former PC government's proven track record of deferring and delaying investments in health care, infrastructure and public sector contract settlements to improve its bottom line and pave the way for billions in tax cuts. However, is this deferral of the much-needed replacement of HVDC equipment the latest example of the Tories kicking a costly can down the road? Not necessarily. According to Hydro, the HVDC equipment in question is now decades past its normal service life. Under normal circumstances, the converters and connectors have a roughly 35-year lifespan. Although converters on Bipole I are still within that best-before date, its connectors and the converters and connectors on Bipole II are way past the 35-year service life. In other words, this has been a concern hovering over NDP and PC governments since at least the early 2000s. Why didn't those earlier governments get out ahead of the need to replace HVDC components? In short, both the NDP and Tories had other and — they would both argue — better things to do. Between 1999 and 2016, NDP premiers Gary Doer and Greg Selinger were focused on adding additional generating capacity and building Bipole III, the much-needed third transmission line that runs down the west side of Lake Manitoba. One could fairly argue the construction of Bipole III needed to be done before tackling HVDC concerns on Bipoles I and II. However, it's impossible to ignore the fact the NDP knew the HVDC equipment was too old, and it still pushed the issue to the back burner. It was a decision that absolutely meant this project was going to become more costly. And what of the Tories? From 2016 to 2023, PC premiers Pallister and Stefanson had little interest in making new investments in Hydro. Instead, they seized on every opportunity to assail the NDP government's mishandling of the $5-billion Bipole III project. Pallister called Bipole III — which on the NDP's watch ballooned to more than twice its original estimated cost — the greatest political scandal in Manitoba history. The simple fact is that when you spend so much time protesting a $5-billion investment in a third transmission line, it's politically impractical to simultaneously launch a $7-billion overhaul of the two oldest transmission lines. It we take full account, how long have governments in this province been ignoring HVDC investments? That's a really hard question to answer. Hydro is taking a very politically cautious approach to that question. The paper trail shows this issue was well known within both Hydro and government going back to the mid 2010s. Officials from the crown utility would only say that over the years, they have been 'working on this issue at a lower level for a number of years' and performing 'enhanced maintenance' to ensure the existing converters and connectors remained in service beyond their best before dates. Tuesdays A weekly look at politics close to home and around the world. At the same time, the officials said other major projects — the Manitoba-Minnesota transmission line, the Keeyask generating station and Bipole III — demanded Hydro's full attention. This year was the first time Hydro included the HVDC project in its budget and rate application to the Public Utilities Board. So, to whom should blame be assigned? The fairest take is that successive governments, and Hydro itself, deferred work on the HVDC transmission system for a variety of reasons, leaving Manitoba vulnerable to a catastrophic interruption in power service. Any time controversy erupts, politicians love to point fingers at other people. In this instance, however, every government of every stripe can share in the blame. Dan LettColumnist Dan Lett is a columnist for the Free Press, providing opinion and commentary on politics in Winnipeg and beyond. Born and raised in Toronto, Dan joined the Free Press in 1986. Read more about Dan. Dan's columns are built on facts and reactions, but offer his personal views through arguments and analysis. The Free Press' editing team reviews Dan's columns before they are posted online or published in print — part of the our tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Winnipeg Free Press
15-07-2025
- Business
- Winnipeg Free Press
Manitoba Hydro embarks on $7-billion overhaul of two main transmission lines
Manitoba Hydro has launched a historic and long overdue overhaul of its two main transmission lines that will cost at least $7 billion and require up to 15 years of electricity rate hikes, the Free Press has learned. The HVDC (high-voltage direct current) Reliability Project involves the replacement of the converter stations and other equipment at both ends of Bipoles I and II, the two main transmission lines that each run nearly 1,000 kilometres from northern Manitoba through the Interlake to Winnipeg. The two lines carry more than 70 per cent of Hydro's total generated electricity. WAYNE GLOWACKI / FREE PRESS FILES Manitoba Hydro has launched a historic and long overdue overhaul of its two main transmission lines that will cost at least $7 billion. WAYNE GLOWACKI / FREE PRESS FILES Manitoba Hydro has launched a historic and long overdue overhaul of its two main transmission lines that will cost at least $7 billion. Hydro has estimated the project will cost at least $7 billion, although because it is still at a very early stage, officials at the utility concede the final price tag will be higher. A Hydro spokesman confirmed the utility has started a procurement process that will establish a precise cost to replace the converter stations and is conducting a search for contractors to oversee the work. A more accurate estimate of the total cost will not be available until 'the full scope of work' is identified, the spokesman said. Even at $7 billion, this would be the most expensive capital project undertaken by the Crown corporation, exceeding the investments made in any single generating station. It's significantly more than the cost of Bipole III, the politically controversial transmission line that runs from the north along the west side of Lake Manitoba. Bipole III was completed in 2018 at a cost of just over $5 billion. Hydro's 2026-28 rate application, which has been filed with the Public Utilities Board, said the project would take more than a decade to complete and based on Hydro's latest calculations, require 15 years of annual rate increases of 3.5 per cent. Although electricity rate increases are politically unpopular, Hydro will argue before the PUB that the viability of the transmission system is at stake if the work is not done. 'This is not just about meeting new energy needs in the future,' said Ben Graham, chairman of the Hydro board of directors. 'It's about ensuring a reliable grid now so that Manitobans will have the power they need when they need it.' MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS FILES Manitoba Finance Minister Adrien Sala, the minister responsible for Hydro, says the NDP government approved the HVDC project as part of its process of reviewing the utility's 2025-26 budget. MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS FILES Manitoba Finance Minister Adrien Sala, the minister responsible for Hydro, says the NDP government approved the HVDC project as part of its process of reviewing the utility's 2025-26 budget. Finance Minister Adrien Sala, the minister responsible for Hydro, said the NDP government approved the HVDC project as part of its process of reviewing the utility's 2025-26 budget. He said that despite urgings from Hydro, the previous Tory government ignored the state of the transmission line converters and deferred a formal decision about starting the HVDC project. 'We know for many years, the former government failed to make necessary investments to ensure continued reliability at Hydro, and also ensure that we would have the energy we needed to support Manitobans and our businesses,' Sala said. 'So, I think we're making sure that we keep that all important balance between preserving affordability while ensuring Manitobans have access to the energy they need to power their homes and their businesses.' 'For many years, the former government failed to make necessary investments to ensure continued reliability at Hydro.'–Finance Minister Adrien Sala Peggy Barker, board member with the Manitoba branch of the Consumers' Association of Canada, which monitors Hydro rate applications to the PUB, said she's concerned about the size and speed of the project given Hydro's poor performance in forecasting the cost of capital projects. 'For over 10 years, the Public Utilities Board and independent experts have said that Manitoba Hydro's process for deciding on the pacing and prioritization of asset management was not mature or adequate,' the association's statement said. 'While Hydro has made modest progress in recent years, there is still an absence of a mature, standardized methodology for ranking investments based on asset risk, customer value, and cost-effectiveness.' MARC GALLANT / FREE PRESS FILES Manitoba is known throughout the energy world for technology that has allowed electricity to be transmitted via high-voltage direct current lines over extremely long distances. MARC GALLANT / FREE PRESS FILES Manitoba is known throughout the energy world for technology that has allowed electricity to be transmitted via high-voltage direct current lines over extremely long distances. Bipole I went into operation in 1971 and underwent a major upgrade in 1993. Bipole II was fully completed in 1985. Currently, the converter stations that are essential for the transmission of power to the south are well past their life expectancy. Given the long distances the electricity must travel, converter stations are needed to convert alternating current (AC) that comes from the generating stations to direct current (DC) for transmission to reduce the amount of electricity lost during transmission. When the electricity reaches the other end of the transmission line, it is converted back to AC. In most instances, the converter stations are more expensive than the cost of erecting hundreds of kilometres of transmission lines. According to Hydro, the converter equipment normally has a life span of 35 years. Hydro currently estimates the earliest it could acquire and install new converters and connectors is between 2032 and 2037. By that time, the Bipole I converters will be 44 years old and its control mechanisms will be 65 years old, while Bipole II converters and controls will be 57 years old. Although the cost estimate and electricity rate hikes could be a source of political controversy, the need for the refurbishment project should not be a cause for much disagreement between the NDP government and opposition parties. The distance between northern generating stations and the southern region of the province, where most of the electricity is consumed, has always been a major source of concern for Hydro and the government of the day. MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS FILES Former Tory premier Brian Pallister called Bipole III the worst political scandal in the province's history and spent $1 million on an in-depth review of the project. MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS FILES Former Tory premier Brian Pallister called Bipole III the worst political scandal in the province's history and spent $1 million on an in-depth review of the project. In 1996, a huge wind storm damaged both Bipole I and II and nearly resulted in a blackout of Winnipeg. Hydro was forced to import electricity from Minnesota while both transmission lines were being repaired. Ultimately, that event became the motivation for the construction of Bipole III. Again, the need for the project was never really questioned; the cost and management of it by the then-NDP government of Gary Doer sparked years of political conflict. The final cost was nearly three times the initial estimate and the project was afflicted by numerous delays and mismanagement. Former Tory premier Brian Pallister called Bipole III the worst political scandal in the province's history, and spent $1 million to have former Saskatchewan premier Brad Wall, a Tory, conduct an in-depth review. The Wall review did not reveal new details about the project. The big question facing Hydro, and successive provincial governments of both political stripes, is why the HVDC project was delayed. By all accounts, Hydro has been planning for decades to replace essential equipment at both ends of the transmission lines. However, documents available at the PUB and legislative committee meetings show it was not discussed in detail until about 2016. An engineering report released by Hydro in 2019 fully explored the danger of pushing the equipment too far beyond its normal life span. The 2026-28 general rate application, now before the PUB, is the most detailed description yet of the need for, and cost of, replacing transmission converters and connectors. Tuesdays A weekly look at politics close to home and around the world. Manitoba is known throughout the energy world for technology that has allowed electricity to be transmitted via high-voltage direct current lines over extremely long distances. Bipole I (895 kilometres) and II (937 kilometres) run from the northern Radisson and Henday converter stations near Gillam, down to the Dorsey converter station just northwest of Winnipeg. Bipole III is much longer at 1,400 kilometres, starting at the Keewatinohk converter station near Gillam and ending at the Riel converter station east of Winnipeg. However, in its most recent submission, Hydro noted that Manitoba currently operates the oldest HVDC transmission system in the world. Dan LettColumnist Dan Lett is a columnist for the Free Press, providing opinion and commentary on politics in Winnipeg and beyond. Born and raised in Toronto, Dan joined the Free Press in 1986. Read more about Dan. Dan's columns are built on facts and reactions, but offer his personal views through arguments and analysis. The Free Press' editing team reviews Dan's columns before they are posted online or published in print — part of the our tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
CTV News
12-06-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Manitoba businesses affected by wildfires can apply for tax deferrals
Manitoba businesses that have been impacted by the wildfire situation in the province can now apply for tax relief. Finance Minister Adrien Sala announced the relief plan Thursday afternoon in a news release, saying eligible businesses can start applying this week. 'Our main priority as a government has been to keep people safe and supporting Manitobans impacted by wildfires. This wildfire season has been worse than many in recent years and we're using every tool available to us to help Manitobans during this challenging period,' Sala said in the release. Businesses will be able to apply for a penalty and interest waiver when paying any provincially administered taxes. 'This option is being provided as many wildfire-affected businesses may not have access to relevant records, technical resources or the capacity to file at this time,' the province said. Details about the tax process can be found online.
