Kinew backing away from goal of weaning Manitoba Hydro off fossil fuels by 2035

CBC News

· Posted: Apr 02, 2025 11:05 PM EDT | Last Updated: 4 minutes ago

Wab Kinew is suggesting a erstwhile committedness to guarantee Manitoba Hydro is fully green by 2035 whitethorn not beryllium attainable aft all.

Shortly aft being elected successful October 2023, the NDP premier instructed his furniture to wean the Crown corp disconnected its past fossil fuel-burning energy plant, but connected Wednesday helium stressed the request to look astatine the semipermanent representation successful portion due to the fact that of the commercialized squabble with the United States.

"We person to look astatine the American situation, and things that we mightiness person thought of successful the past a certain mode to equilibrium betwixt renewables and carbon-based fuel," Kinew said in Brandon Wednesday.

"I deliberation fixed what we're seeing with Trump, we person to beryllium capable to enactment the aboriginal powerfulness needs of our state arsenic the archetypal precedence successful making definite we person everything that we request by mode of energy to physique Manitoba up for the future." 

The immense bulk of Manitoba Hydro's vigor accumulation comes from hydroelectric powerfulness and different low-carbon sources. A earthy gas-fuelled presumption successful Brandon is liable for lone a tiny percent of vigor production.

The state published a new energy argumentation past September successful effect to Manitoba needing to summation its electrical generating capacity. This came aft erstwhile Manitoba Hydro CEO Jay Grewal said aboriginal successful 2024 that vigor shortages for each users are possible wrong 5 years.

In February, the Crown corp made a $1.36-billion connection for a caller fuel-burning presumption susceptible of generating 500 megawatts of energy connected demand, successful bid to thwart a imaginable powerfulness shortage.

No determination connected the substance root for the 2 250-megawatt fuel-combustion turbines that volition make the accrued power was made astatine the time, but Kinew acknowledged Wednesday that it's astir apt going to necessitate the usage of fossil fuels.

"It's a thermal generating presumption astatine this point," helium said of the projected station. 

"Is it going to beryllium hydrogen? Is it going to beryllium earthy gas? Is it going to beryllium immoderate benignant of occurrence fuel? Nobody knows astatine this point.... The hydrogen accidental is truly breathtaking perchance for Manitoba but that manufacture is not determination yet. So past we look astatine earthy state and we look astatine the opportunities that we person successful beforehand of us."

Manitoba Hydro's rates are frozen for this year, but the Crown corp has applied for a bid of 3 yearly energy complaint hikes of 3.5 per cent, opening successful 2026.