PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Montreal, October 6, 2009 – Fondation Rivières calls for an immediate moratorium on all actions and commitments by Hydro-Québec, including any increase in electricity rates for taxpayers, until an examination has been carried out by an independent Commission of experts, of all Hydro-Québec operations, investments and commitments. Fondation Rivières points out that Hydro-Québec is not subject to independent verification by the Auditor General of Quebec, that the Régie de l'énergie has no jurisdiction over new production and that the BAPE only examines the environmental aspect of projects. The current Parliamentary Commission examines, in barely 8 hours, without any group of experts at its side, investments of more than 15 billion dollars and contracts involving all taxpayers, a completely irresponsible process.
Fondation Rivières bases its request for a moratorium on several elements including:
- The irresponsible management of the Bécancour thermal power station and its closure until at least 2016-17 according to Hydro-Québec's Strategic Plan, and which will send more than 1.5 billion $ from taxpayers to the Alberta shareholders of TransCanada Energy;
- Very expensive contracts signed with private developers who commit probable payments from Hydro-Québec of up to 700 million $ per year, during periods of enormous energy surpluses. Remember that an independent Commission from British Columbia has just denounced, in a similar scenario, the private purchases of BC Hydro which jeopardize the finances of the province;
- The new hydroelectric and Gentilly II projects which bring the cost of electricity production well above export market prices, in a context of gigantic surpluses which are already causing prices to fall. Not only does the situation lead to losses that could be colossal for Quebecers, but they would find themselves subsidizing American purchases, and therefore, the competitors of our SMEs.
Fondation Rivières believes that the planned increase in prices will serve in particular to absorb, via residential consumers in particular, the losses, bad decisions and private commitments of the State Company.
Fondation Rivières calls for the cessation of all new projects, the signing of private contracts, including small private dams whose call for tenders ends on November 17, the non-renewal of contracts for small private dams resulting from the APR -91 and their possible transfer to the public, as well as the establishment of a Public Review Commission.
“Any decision that commits billions behind closed doors is a disaster for citizens. They always end up paying. » concludes Anne-Marie Saint-Cerny, director.
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Source :
Anne-Marie Saint-Cerny
514-272-2666
Photo: Alexander Schimmeck/Unsplash
