Liberal Opposition Leader Dwight Ball today stated that the Public Utilities Board (PUB) review of Muskrat Falls does not address alternatives to the proposed project.

“The PUB clearly stated last week that their review will not address alternatives such as wind power, natural gas, the role of energy conservation and demand side management, or environmental concerns, or the impact on electricity rates to end users,” said Ball. “It’s astonishing that the Dunderdale Government has so limited the PUB’s review that they are not permitted to even look at the impact Muskrat Falls will have on electricity rates in Newfoundland and Labrador. Shouldn’t that be one of their main focuses?”

Ball noted that the expense of Muskrat Falls to rate payers in the province is a huge concern and something the PUB should be focusing on.

“This is further evidence that the Dunderdale Government has limited the scope of the PUB review to manipulate its outcome,” said Ball. “I call on them to open up this review, let the PUB do its job, and stop playing political games with the future of Newfoundland and Labrador.”

Ball stated that the PUB review is suffering from the same limited scope that negatively affected both the Navigant and Manitoba Hydro International reports.

“The only truly independent review thus far on the project was the Joint Review Panel report which concluded that Nalcor and the Government had failed to justify the project as a whole in energy and economic terms,” stated Ball.