A joint investment of $475.6 million will strengthen Manitoba’s clean electricity grid and ensure Manitobans continue receiving affordable and reliable low carbon energy. This federal-provincial investment provides $314 million for eight new hydroelectric turbines at the Pointe du Bois Renewable Energy Project, as well as $161.6 million to build a new 230-kilovolt transmission network in the Portage la Prairie area.
“A key part of our economic plan is making Canada a clean electricity superpower,” said Canada’s Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland. “Today’s announcement in Manitoba will deliver clean, reliable, and affordable electricity to people and businesses across the province—and we will continue working to expand our clean electricity grid and create great careers for people from coast to coast to coast.”
The $314 million joint investment in the Pointe du Bois Renewable Energy Project will enable Manitoba Hydro to replace eight hydroelectric generating units that are at the end of their current lifecycle. The new, more efficient generating units will increase the capacity of the Pointe du Bois generating station by 52 megawatts, providing eastern Manitoba with cleaner and more reliable clean electricity.
The $161.6 million joint investment in the Portage Area Capacity Enhancement project will support the construction of a new transmission line to enhance reliability for customers across southwest Manitoba and help Manitoba Hydro meet increasing demand. By decreasing Manitoba’s reliance on its last grid-connected fossil-fuel generating station, this investment will reduce greenhouse gas emissions at the Brandon Generating Station by about 37 per cent.
“Manitoba Hydro is extremely pleased to be receiving this federal funding through the Green Infrastructure Stream of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program,” Jay Grewal, president and CEO, Manitoba Hydro. “The investments we are making in both these critical infrastructure projects will help provide Manitobans with energy for life and power our province’s economic growth with clean, reliable, renewable hydroelectricity. These projects build on our legacy of investments in renewable energy over the past 100 years, as we work towards a lower carbon future for all Manitobans.”
About 97 per cent of Manitoba’s electricity is generated from clean hydro, with most of the remaining 3 per cent coming from wind generation. Manitoba’s abundant clean electricity has resulted in Manitobans paying 9.455 ¢/kWh—the second-lowest electricity rate in Canada.
Featured image credit of the Point de Bois facility: Manitoba Hydro
