Some people in Quebec are less than satisfied with HQ’s performance to date. SeeBut it's considerably better than the other arguments I've seen.
http://www.iedm.org/main/show_mediareleases_en.php?mediareleases_id=187
***Is this the firm New Brunswick wishes to entrust with its essential electric service?***
Dan says
10 years down the road, we'll be back to square one...My first response to that is that square one is the current situation where NB Power puts the rates up by 3% every year without having to account for themselves and about every 2 or 3 years asks for something like a 10% rise and is allowed a 6% rise.
In 6 years I will have 'banked' $2000 from the freeze (based on our current power bills) and will be saving at least another $500 a year thereafter. In ten years I'll have banked at least $4000 with new costs running about $600 a year below likely NB Power rates.
Decommissioning costs will have to be paid by NB ratepayers whether or not Quebec Hydro is running things instead of NB Power, so I don't see that as an issue.
From the document
Residential, General and Commercial customers will not see any reduction in rates. They must calculate what the rates would have been had the sale not been completed and consider the savings over time while assuming that many future unknowns do not eliminate some of the savings.One of the unknowns will also be what increases would be seen over and above the minimum 3% stated by NB. Experience suggests there would be at least one or two higher increases from NB in what would be the period of the freeze with HQ, so my projected savings could be even higher than above.
If the deal is not concluded New Brunswick rate payers will forego rate savings.
Each New Brunswick consumer should be able to decide whether these savings are worth the loss of ownership of ENBP, its services and its assets.
Following the above advice it's not hard for me to decide these savings are well worth the loss of ownership. Especially as the new owners have a record of the cheapest rates around.
Well, I guess you'll need to convince your fellow owners. I think NB has seen enough PPP (public-private piracy) to know when they're being ripped off.
ReplyDeleteIt's sort of a gut feeling you develop overtime - as you see the lepreau debacle (i.e. Irving dumping turbines in ocean) turn into an outright shakedown.
If we give in to this particular power grab, there will be nothing left to sell by year 10 and lord knows how many tolls, fees and general abuse the overburdened taxpayer will face next.
Basically one side is asking you to trust them as they make backroom deals favoring their patrons - who pay their taxes in bermuda, and control every newspaper in the province.
Who knows what trick the war propagandists that taxpayers have unknowingly hired come up with next to convince the public, but I doubt this 'deal' will ever see the support the no-sale side has exhibited.
...as I say, I ought to be against it and I'm not totally comfortable with it. I won't try to persuade anyone, either.
ReplyDeleteIf it happens, I'll save money...if it doesn't then I'm okay with that too.
One good thing about the protests is that NBers are capable of "taking up arms" after all. If only they'd do it for other matters like social assistance rates and prescription costs.
Good point... maybe they'll stay fired up!
ReplyDelete