Public Utilities Board Granted Extension to Submit Report

The Provincial Government has extended the deadline to the Board of Commissioners of Public Utilities (PUB) to complete their review of the Muskrat Falls Project. The new deadline for the PUB to submit its report is March 31, 2012.

“In response to concerns expressed by the PUB that the December 30 deadline was not achievable, we felt it was important to provide an additional three months to allow the PUB to complete their assessment of the Muskrat Falls Project and the isolated island options,” said the Honourable Jerome Kennedy, Minister of Natural Resources. “Extensive work has been completed, and the extension will allow the PUB to fulfill their work as laid out in the terms of reference.”

In June, the Board of Commissioners of Public Utilities agreed to a supplemental review of the process used to determine if Muskrat Falls represents the least-cost option for the supply of power to Island Interconnected customers. The original deadline to submit the report was identified as December 30, 2011.

“The PUB report will be an important piece of information for government to consider to make a decision on final project sanction, and we look forward to the findings in the report,” said Minister Kennedy. “This new timeline will ensure that the public, and Members of the House of Assembly, will have time to examine the findings of the PUB report to support an informed discussion on the Muskrat Falls Project during the spring sitting of the House of Assembly.”

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Media contact:
Heather MacLean
Director of Communications
Department of Natural Resources
709-729-5282, 697-4137
HeatherMacLean@gov.nl.ca 

2011 12 14                              3:30 p.m.