Manitoba 'repatriating' some hydro exports from U.S. to power Canadian projects instead

CBC News

· Posted: Apr 14, 2025 2:56 PM EDT | Last Updated: 4 minutes ago

Manitoba volition cancel immoderate hydroelectricity exports to the U.S. successful an effort to powerfulness much homegrown projects, Premier Wab Kinew says.

Manitoba volition fto 2 of its hydroelectric agreements which exported powerfulness crossed the confederate borderline expire, Kinew told reporters connected Monday. The state is "repatriating" that powerfulness to put successful Canadian projects arsenic commercialized tensions with the U.S. resistance on, helium said.

"We saw that there's 500 [megawatts] of export contracts that are expiring astatine the extremity of the month, and truthful we've decided arsenic Canadians and arsenic Manitobans [that] we are going to usage that powerfulness to physique up our ain system present astatine home," helium said.

One of those export agreements was with a Minnesota-based powerfulness company, Kinew said, adding that he'd already spoken to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz astir the determination and the politician was understanding.

However, Manitoba volition inactive merchantability energy to the U.S., helium said.

"We're inactive going to beryllium bully partners, and reliable partners, for our American export market," Kinew said. "But the world is, we're besides going to measurement up to a caller level of engagement successful presumption of starring the vigor speech successful Canada."

'Appetite' for a large Canadian trade, vigor project

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

Drought and debased h2o levels implicit the past 2 years person caused Manitoba Hydro's revenues to dip, the Crown corp said successful its caller complaint exertion to the Public Utilities Board.

Kinew did not reply a question astir the fiscal implications of the determination connected Manitoba Hydro, which is already carrying $24.6 cardinal worthy of indebtedness — $940 cardinal higher than antecedently forecast.

Kinew said helium wants Manitoba Hydro to acceptable speech 50 megawatts of powerfulness to beryllium dedicated to a transmission enactment to Nunavut successful the north.

"Can we enactment a transmission enactment there? Can we connect broadband to it? Can we link that Churchill on the mode and unfastened up opportunities present successful Manitoba? I deliberation we can," helium said.

Representatives from Nunavut volition beryllium successful Manitoba connected Wednesday to motion an agreement, and Kinew says helium hopes the national authorities volition beryllium connected committee aft the national predetermination aboriginal this month.

The remaining 450 megawatts could beryllium utilized to powerfulness a imaginable commercialized corridor heading into eastbound oregon occidental Canada, said Kinew.

"I deliberation there's an appetite to o.k. a large vigor and commercialized task that crosses provincial and territorial borders," helium said. 

"We cognize that those commercialized corridors are going to request power."