A leaked document that indicates a proposed transmission line in Manitoba will cost $4.1 billion instead of $2.2 billion isn’t a big surprise, says a farmer from Niverville, Man.
Karen Friesen, who operates a grain, hog and poultry farm near Winnipeg, said she had suspected Manitoba Hydro was significantly underestimating the true cost of the Bipole III project, a high voltage transmission line connecting generating stations in northern Manitoba to Winnipeg.
“It was just a matter of time before a more realistic and up-to-date cost of the project was released,” said Friesen.
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The Canadian Taxpayers Federation released a Manitoba Hydro document Jan. 31 that estimated the construction cost of the proposed line at $4.1 billion.
The document was dated Oct. 5, 2010.
The Manitoba government told the public for most of 2010 that the chosen route for the power line through western Manitoba would cost approximately $2.2 billion.
“Given the true cost figure, it’s shocking that (finance) minister Rosann Wowchuk is still out telling people the project might come in under $2.2 billion,” said Colin Craig, the federation’s prairie chair.
Glenn Schneider, Manitoba Hydro spokesperson, confirmed that the leaked estimate is a company document. But the $4.1 billion estimate is preliminary. He said the crown corporation will release a more comprehensive cost estimate in a couple of months.
Rosann Wowchuk, Manitoba finance minister and minster responsible for Manitoba Hydro, said the $4.1 billion estimate is one cost scenario. The crown corporation will review that figure and come up with a final cost estimate later this year.
She said she will wait for the final number before drawing a conclusion on the cost, but Bipole III must be built if Manitoba Hydro wants to export power to the U.S.
“$20 billion in export sales over 20 years is a lot of money,” she said.
“If everybody says, as the opposition has been saying, that this is too expensive, that means they don’t want to develop Hydro. They didn’t want to develop Hydro in the 1990s and they don’t want to develop Hydro now.”
Friesen helped found the Bipole III Coalition after learning last summer that the line would cross her farm.
The coalition is a group of citizens, engineers and former Manitoba Hydro executives opposed to the west side route. It and many Manitoba landowners believe the east side of Lake Winnipeg is a better route because it’s $1 billion cheaper and would cross a minimal amount of agricultural land.
Friesen said the west side route will directly affect hundreds of agricultural producers, but the larger story is the financial implication for the province.
“Every Manitoba person needs to be concerned, not just landowners.”
Blaine Pedersen, Progressive Conservative MLA for Carman, Man., said the power line project remains a hot topic in his constituency because the proposed western route cuts through farmland in the region.
