Manitoba Hydro’s long-term road map filed with the Public Utilities Board

Manitoba Hydro said it needs to spend over $3 billion in the next decade to keep up with the rising demand for energy in the province.

The revelation comes from the Crown corporation’s Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) filed Tuesday with the Public Utilities Board (PUB).

The blueprint provides a detailed breakdown of what Manitoba Hydro hopes to do to ensure an increased grid capacity and tohave net-zero greenhouse gas emissions in the next 10 years.

Hydro’s plan notes capacity needs to increase by 1,760 megawatts (MW) by 2035. To do so, it will cost $3.4 billion, which will be used to build wind power by 600 MW, natural gas combustion turbines by 750 MW, and other energy avenues, including efficiency programs.

The province had previously asked Hydro to submit the plan to the PUB as part of the approval process.

“Working hand-in-glove with our enterprise planning processes and guided by our mission to meet the energy needs of our customers, the 2025 IRP is a crucial step toward realizing our vision of empowering Manitoba’s future with affordable, reliable energy,” said Hydro’s President and CEO Allan Danroth.

The Consumers Coalition, which is made up of the Manitoba Branch of the Consumers’ Association of Canada, Harvest Manitoba, the Aboriginal Council of Winnipeg and Manitoba Seniors Equity Action Coalition, released a statement Tuesday saying a long-term plan from Hydro has been needed.

“For over a decade, the Consumers Coalition has been calling on Manitoba Hydro to modernize its approach to resource planning and to do an integrated resource plan. A robust Integrated Resource Plan is particularly important given the dynamic market and policy environment in which Manitoba Hydro currently operates,” the statement reads.

The Coalition said a “robust IRP” will help improve the possibility of providing affordable services and adjust to a “rapidly changing marketplace.”

Manitoba Hydro’s IRP can be read on their website.