The Manitoba government is unveiling the plan to build the next generation of affordable energy, Premier Wab Kinew, Finance Minister Adrien Sala, minister responsible for Manitoba Hydro, and Environment and Climate Change Minister Tracy Schmidt announced in a media release yesterday (Sept 20).
“We are giving you the freedom to make climate-friendly choices by making those choices more affordable,” said Kinew. “Building more energy capacity starts with a new government-to-government partnership in wind, the best source of new clean energy. By building out the grid we’ll keep rates low for everyone and put more Manitobans to work in good union jobs. Together we’ll build the next generation of affordable energy to power Manitoba’s future.”
The government says “for the first time in the province’s history, the Manitoba Affordable Energy Plan formalizes into government policy Indigenous-owned, utility-scale electricity resource supply through the creation of government-to-government partnerships with Indigenous nations in wind generation, while ensuring Manitoba Hydro stays public.”
“Manitoba has some of the lowest energy costs in the country, thanks to decades of investment in Manitoba Hydro’s clean energy grid and skilled workforce,” said Sala. “But we can’t just take it for granted. Now it’s time to build on our advantage to ensure we have low rates, good jobs and clean energy for years to come.”
Other actions in the plan include:
- Creating an Indigenous loan-guarantee program to provide First Nations and Métis the capital support and capacity to participate in the energy transition and finance new partnerships in wind generation.
- Refurbishing Manitoba Hydro generating stations to unlock up to 200 megawatts of power.
- Ending the first-come, first-served approach for large grid connection to better align with Manitoba’s economic development goals.
- Strengthening energy codes for homes and buildings to generate long-term energy savings for Manitoba families.
- Stronger oversight of the oil and gas sector with regular provincial inspections to ensure environmental safety and reliability.
- Installing new Manitoba Hydro owned and operated public electric vehicle chargers.
- A renewed focus on energy security with stronger protections in place for procurement and data management to keep Manitoba’s energy supply safe and secure.
“Our plan supports Manitoba’s path to net zero emissions by 2050 and will help us protect our air, land and water for future generations,” said Schmidt. “By making clean energy choices more affordable, we’ll help families save money while they save energy.”
To read the plan, visit https://manitoba.ca/energyplan.
