and look for the advertisement placed by Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro. The Request for Proposal is looking for a project engineer and support services for the Lower Churchill Project in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Let's look at the wording of this ad and see what a lack of vision has done and what a repeat could do.
First Sentence
Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro is the fourth largest power utility in Canada with over 7000 MW of operating capacity.
Second Sentence
Headquartered in St. John's, the company supplies over 80 per cent of province's electrical energy, operates the second largest underground hydropower station in the world and is expanding its operations into wind generation, oil and gas, and research and development.
Fifth Sentence
The 2800 MW Lower Churchill Development has the ability to power 1.5 million homes with clean, renewable energy and displace up to 16 million tonnes of CO2 annually.
Sixth Sentence
Hydro is committed to delivering a project that will maximize benefits for the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador and deliver a long-term, stable energy supply.
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Okay now let's think about what the first sentence tells us:
We own (the people) the 4th largest utility in Canada. Well that's impressive until you realize that we are only 2% of the population - we have net outmigration - we are losing our skilled trades-people, professionals, and young graduates every day - and now we have more people dying each year than we have births. It's impressive until you realize that we have industrialized Quebec and the New England States but not ourselves - especially Labrador. It's impressive until you realize that the bulk of the profit from our utility goes to Quebec and not Newfoundland and Labrador. Then that 7000 MW's of operating capacity - WOW and we export 5000 of it. Just have a look at Hydro Quebec's success from that 5000 MW's.
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Then the second sentence adds that the utility supplies 80% of our domestic supply and operates the second largest underground hydropower station in the world:
First hydro should be in control of all generation in the province and this should have been corrected many years ago - about the same time our leaders were trying to privatize the utility. It would also fix the messy problems associated with our paper mills controlling our rivers. Boy that "second largest underground hydropower station in the world" really gets your attention - it is impressive - no doubt about it. But that marvelous feat of engineering - which incidentally is partly operated by Hydro Quebec as partners in CFLco - did not do much for expanding industry and building a population base in Labrador did it? Outside of the Town of Churchill Falls and the employment generated from the build in the late sixties early seventies - it has not lived up to it's stature as it relates to Labrador development.
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The fifth sentence is truly depressing and depicts the miserable performance of all provincial governments including the current administration because it demonstrates what we are prepared to do for others and not Labrador:
Has the ability to power 1.5 million homes with clean renewable energy and displace 16 million tonnes of CO2 annually. For who???? What in southern or northern Labrador? On the Island as we take out Holyrood? What about industry? How many industries could be energized with this power? What industries in Labrador are we planning to use this power? Oh you mean we are going to light up homes in Ontario or New England and displace their CO2 emissions!!! If you cannot get industry to come to Newfoundland and Labrador by developing the power it should stay where it is. How many of you know that industry is on the move now looking for reliable hydropower? How many of you know that in the very near future industry will desire and pay well to plug into hydropower to meet global emission targets? What are we doing? Oil is hovering at $60 a barrel - when Upper Churchill was developed 3-5 dollars a barrel. Do you realize how valuable this resource is? Do you realize that we control the resource as opposed to oil and gas controlled by Ottawa - with prices determined by OPEC and world events?
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The last sentence probably says it all:
Hydro is going to maximize the benefits to Newfoundland and Labrador and yet it has not dealt with industrial potential. That is all out fiction and if we continue on the export path for that energy we will never maximize that resource. Then it adds that it will deliver a long-term stable energy supply - but does not say for who...At this rate Ed Martin is going to end up with an Order of Ontario or the Order of Vermont - if there's such a thing. How Mr. Martin do we know if Hydro will maximize benefits unless we are shown a comparison of industrial use of the power versus export? How much would we have to sell the power to industry for in Labrador to gain the same net economic benefits as the profit we would make through export? Of course this would include employment - taxation - secondary business opportunities etc...
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Successful development of the Lower Churchill does not equal making a profit from exporting hydropower - not even close. Successful development of that power would see a booming Labrador economy with 10 or 15 industries and domestic renewable hydropower for all people in the province. This is nothing more that getting a trophy under one's belt and the kids can worry about it later - in the same way we suffer the Upper Churchill done in our past.
Listen the feds owe us on this one and we should do it right - ask the people of Labrador if they are satisfied with the benefits from that 5000 MW's of power from the mighty Upper.
1 comment:
I agree that we should minimize the amount of power to be exported to other provinces. We will never attract large industries to our province when we are constantly giving our resourses away for the benefit of other provinces. It seems that the federal government wants to keep Newfoundland and Labrador down, being grateful for the scraps they throw our way, while they always bend over backwards to keep Quebec happy. Politics will forever keep us down, especially in regions further removed from the Avalon Penensula.
If this was any kind of a union, the federal government would first help Newfoundland develop this power potential for our province, which would eventually translate into money for the federal government in taxes collected, due to an increasing population caused by more industry. Our lonely seven federal seat will rarely influence the feds to do anything to help Newfoundland out of the hole we are now in.
The politicians we elected over the years have done very little to make things better for Newfoundland. Generally, they take care of themselves first, and if they can help their constituents, well that is a bonus. Just look at Brian Tobin who was a federal politician who then became premier just long enough to collect a second government pension, accomplishing nothing. Who knows how he influenced laws to benefit companies he went to work with after he left politics. Joan Burke is another politician who comes to mind. She has been too quiet on the issue of the Stephenville Mill. Now why is this? She originates from central Newfoundland. I cannot blame her for wanting to keep her hometown region strong, but she is supposed to be representing the Stephenville area. The Stephenville Mill was a threat to the Grand Falls Mill, which had to be eliminated.
To conclude, I fear that the population exodus is not finished by a long shot, especially in regions further removed from the Trans Canada Highway. I have only pointed out a couple of examples and reasons why, I'm sure you can think of others.
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