The Northland Power plant outside of North Battleford has erupted as an election issue on the campaign trail.
NDP leader Dwain Lingenfelter has again voiced criticism of the deal as privatization and as leading to rate increases in the province, leading the Saskatchewan Party's minister responsible for SaskPower, Rob Norris, to take the NDP leader to task over their position on the Northland Power plant.
The power-purchase agreement between SaskPower and Northland Power has been touted as spurring an economic boom in the Battlefords. The 261 megawatt natural gas-fired baseload plant is expected to be completed in 2013. Hundreds of construction jobs were created during the building phase on right now, while a small number of permanent positions are expected once the plant is up and running.
The power purchase agreement, which runs for 20 years, sees SaskPower purchase the power from the new plant, which is built and owned by Northland Power.
However, that deal has been criticized by the NDP caucus, who contend SaskPower should have built and owned the plant in the first place.
The issue re-emerged on the campaign trail in Kronau, southeast of Regina Monday, where the NDP unveiled their green energy policies. The Saskatchewan Party was quick to point out less-than-enthusiastic remarks made about Northland Power by Lingenfelter there.
According to a transcript of the reporters' scrum at that event, provided to the Regional Optimist by the Saskatchewan Party campaign, the NDP leader responded to a question from reporters about what the increase in green power would mean to those who generate their own power. In his response Lingenfelter touted the cost savings of his green energy plan and took a swipe at what he sees as high costs of power from the future Northland Power plant.
"We've never been able to find out from the Sask. Party what price Northlands Power is getting for the new power out in North Battleford," said Lingenfelter, "but I'm sure it's more than 10 cents a kilowatt hour because new production costs more. And if the average is 10 in the province using your old facilities and new, I'm sure Northland Power is getting much more than 10 cents and what's surprising is that we pay an out of province company more to produce power than we would local residents."
The Saskatchewan Party then highlighted Lingenfelter's slamming of the Northland Power deal as privatization.
Lingenfelter said, "it's privatization when you have an out of province company come in and build a huge power plant that's owned privately - that's privatization. It just never came to the legislature to be debated. The previous Conservative government at least had the courage of their convictions to come and have a debate and bring a bill about privatization.
"Privatization going on right now is being done by stealth, saying one thing - never going to privatize - and then privatizing 10 per cent of the power company's production, and what we want to do is to ensure that all of the power produced in Saskatchewan in the future is done through SaskPower unless it's an area SaskPower is not capable of doing.
"But for sure, the North Battleford power plant, the 200 and some megawatts of power, that's what SaskPower has the expertise at and there was never a need for that privatization to take place."
Lingenfelter's current stance is not a new one as the NDP leader had previously criticized the Northland Power power-purchase agreement as privatization and raised the spectre of rising power rates in a news release issued Feb. 18, 2010 by the NDP, shortly after the deal was announced.
"Brad Wall is willing to guarantee a Toronto-based private sector company protection from all natural gas price fluctuations for 20 years, but he has refused to provide Saskatchewan families, farms and businesses any protection from these same price fluctuations," Lingenfelter continued in that release.
The latest comments from the NDP leader on the issue have raised the ire of the minister responsible for SaskPower.
"It's really unfortunate that Dwain Lingenfelter is against this power project that's under way in North Battleford," said Norris, who is running for re-election in Saskatoon Greystone.
"It's unfortunate because we know how significant these jobs are for North Battleford and region. It's also really unfortunate because the power is necessary for a growing province and a growing population"
Norris also took aim at the NDP member from the Battlefords on the issue.
"Not only is Mr. Lingenfelter potentially putting jobs in North Battleford at risk, and the reliability of the power supply in the province at risk, but it also raises the question - I wonder where Len Taylor is on this?"
Norris said the public deserves an answer from Taylor. "Is he with Dwain Lingenfelter on this as far as being critical of and not supportive of this power project that's under way in North Battleford? Or does he have a different view on this initiative?"
In speaking to the Regional Optimist, Norris noted Lingenfelter's position on power-purchase agreements is confusing because the NDP had negotiated a power-purchase agreement with Husky Oil and TransAlta and other players.
"There's been a long track record as far as power-purchase agreements and partnerships between SaskPower and other entities," said Norris.
Norris also pointed to Northland Power making a significant $750,000 contribution to the curling rink component of the Credit Union CUPlex.
"It seems to me this company is doing its best to support the growing and vibrant community of North Battleford. Certainly, it calls into question his idea about economic development because his commentary certainly leads one to fear that he'd put at risk the jobs that are associated, both today and into the future, in North Battleford."
He believes Lingenfelter has "cast uncertainty about the direction of the province" with his comments. "We want to continue to move the province forward," said Norris.
