There are so many ways that Ed Martin, his crew at Nalcor, and the provincial Conservatives and all their supporters have screwed themselves and local ratepayers it is getting harder to tell which one is worse. On Monday, the Nova Scotia regulator approved the Maritime Link but only condition that
Continue readingTag: Muskrat Falls
The Sir Robert Bond Papers: Hydro-Quebec to seek clarity on contract rights #nlpoli
From Hydro-Quebec: MONTREAL, July 22, 2013 /CNW Telbec/ – Hydro-Québec is filing a motion today with the Québec Superior Court to obtain a declaratory judgment. The company is asking the Court to confirm that two recent positions taken by CF(L)Co with respect to the Churchill Falls Contract (the Contract) are
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: History’s Bitch #nlpoli
A half century ago, a bunch of very smart fellows – some of the smartest fellows of any generation ever – wanted to build a massive plant in the middle of Labrador to make electricity. One of the problems the project faced was a combination of costs and markets. As
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: Telly exclusive on SNC Lavalin???? #nlpoli
Screaming headline across the top of the front page of the Saturday Telly: SNC-Lavalin shut out of Hydro-Quebec projects And right underneath, the claim that it is a Telegram exclusive. That would be right except for the fact someone else reported it months ago. The problems first surfaced in April,
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: Yvonne – math #nlpoli
Liberal member of parliament Yvonne Jones is pissed off. She told VOCM that “there are 1,016 people that are payrolled [sic]under the Muskrat Falls project. 201 of those are Labradorians. So we have less than 10 per cent of Labrador people employed as part of that project.” She said that
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: Cost Creepy Crawlies #nlpoli
Maybe it’s the lack of independent corroboration in this Telegram article that just sends a chill up your spine. That’s the one where Nalcor officials insist they are doing a great job keeping costs on the megaproject under control. (Read more…)
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: Get worried-er #nlpoli
Here are a bunch of stories all of which would deserve a post of their own but that are presented here cut down to the barest of bare essentials. King of the Keystone Kops Strikes Again: Not content to demonstrate his incompetence with his earlier budget shag up, justice minister
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: Get Worried #nlpoli
Not surprisingly, a band of familiar faces turned up at Nalcor’s annual public meeting to put questions about Muskrat Falls to Ed Martin, the man more and more people are calling the de facto Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador. And equally unsurprisingly, Ed Martin continued with the sort of uninformative
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: No Surplus to Supply #nlpoli
Critics of the Muskrat Falls development pointed out over 18 months ago that the project would have problems meeting its electricity commitments. Nalcor disputed that. But this weekend, CBC’s Paul Withers told On Point host David Cochrane that Nalcor has refused to commit in writing to supply Nova Scotia with
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: Do we have it? #nlpoli
Kathy Dunderdale had a pretty easy audience on Monday for her relaxed, ambling speech about a whole bunch of stuff. It was the St. John’s Board of Trade. As a rule, the townie business community have the guts of political guppies. They’ll run along with whatever the government says and
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: Like Father. Like Son. #nlpoli
So after a teaser column in the Telegram last week that was more creative fiction than serious history or memoir, John Crosbie explained why he loves the Muskrat Falls project in this Saturday’s instalment of Geriatric Townie Pass-times. It’s really simple. The project will be splendiferous. Phantasmagorical. Amazingly, marvellously, Keebler-elves-kinda-magical.
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: There’s no crap like old crap #nlpoli
And John Crosbie’s recent column (May 18) in the Telegram about Churchill Falls contains some of the oldest – and completely unsubstantiated – crap on the go. (Read more…)
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: Tom Marshall’s Dead Muskrat Sketch #nlpoli
Tom Marshall used to be the finance minister. He’s the guy who consistently, year after year, spent more than the people of the province could afford. Tom didn’t do it by himself: he had the support of all his colleagues in cabinet. And since 2009, Tom and his colleagues have
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: Not the arse-end of the world … #nlpoli
Check out the 2012 Hydro-Quebec annual report and you will find a lovely chart showing trends in energy prices in northeastern North America. “After reaching a historic peak in 2008, natural gas and electricity prices in northeastern North America dropped sharply in 2009, then rose slightly in 2010 only to
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: Husky sizing up natural gas offshore Newfoundland and Labrador #nlpoli
Husky Energy is sizing up the potential of developing natural gas offshore Newfoundland and Labrador within the next decade, according to the leading petroleum industry news source upstreamonline.com. First exports could begin in 2025, if enough resources can be certified, according to upstream. The likely export destination would be western
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: Province settles Fortis asset grab for $76 million #nlpoli
Natural resources minister Tom Marshall announced in the House of Assembly on Tuesday that the provincial government had settled with the last of a string of private companies victimised by a 2008 asset grab of hydro-electric generating facilities by the provincial government. Taxpayers will cover a $54 million debt owed
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: Muskrat Falls weakness: the North Spur #nlpoli
The north side of the site of the future Muskrat Falls dam has a problem. The soil is made up of clay that has a tendency to sheer away in landslides when it gets too wet. The North Spur, as it is known, is a key part of the reservoir.
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: Muskrat Falls: delayed dividends, more equity needed #nlpoli
The provincial “mid-year” financial update included a familiar claim about the Muskrat Falls project: We estimate that the province will see revenues in excess of $20 billion over 50 years beginning in 2017, with average annual revenues of $450 million over this period. But a new analysis of the project
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: The road not taken #nlpoli
Word that the Town of Badger is having problems with flooding – again – is a reminder of a couple of small hydro projects at Badger Chute and Red Indian Falls that would have helped relieve the flooding threat. -srbp-
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: Muskrat Mania #nlpoli
Nova Scotia “energy consultants pan Muskrat Falls project”. “Let’s wait for URB verdict”: former NS NDP leader Ekuanitshit Innu suing over Muskrat Falls. (French) Nalcor excluded the George River herd from Muskrat falls impact study according to Ekuanitshit commentary on MF environmental review: Effects on the George River herd Generally
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