1.5 million light bulbs must be changed to make up for NDP power loss

Manitobans will need to replace 1.5 million incandescent light bulbs with fluorescents ones to make up for the electricity lost by the NDP’s ill-conceived plan to build a hydro transmission line down the western side of the province, says Progressive Conservative Leader Hugh McFadyen, who along with energy experts and many environmentalists, supports a shorter, more cost- and energy-efficient eastern route for the line.

Doer’s Daffy Detour through the west is 400 kilometres longer than an eastern route. Experts say conservatively, even if this loss is only 28MW (or 245,280 MW hours of energy per year) of electricity,    t­his is equal to replacing 1.5 million 60-watt incandescent bulbs with fluorescent ones.

In addition, that power – if not wasted through line loss – could be used to offset coal production by our export customers. The same 245,280 MW hours is equal to 245,280 tonnes of coal-produced carbon dioxide emissions, or the greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) produced by 20,000 Hummer H3s.

McFadyen said the numbers speak for themselves and show just how “dim” the NDP’s west side plan is.

“The joke used to be how many NDP ministers does it take to change a light bulb,” McFadyen said. “Now the question is how many light bulbs does it take for the NDP minister to change.”

As well, he said it’s hypocritical for the NDP government to promise today to roll out GHG emission legislation later this fall, and to stand shoulder-to-shoulder at a conference with environmental standouts like British Columbia and Arizona promoting North America’s “green future”, when the NDP’s own hydro line plan is so environmentally-unfriendly.

• Western route is 400 km longer than an eastern route and wastes more power
• More trees will be cut down than would be on the eastern route because of the greater distance
• Lost opportunity to prevent 245,280 GHG emissions per year
   

“It’s not too late for the NDP to make the right decisions and build the hydro transmission line down the eastern side of Manitoba to avoid environmental destruction and a half billion dollars in debt for future generations,” McFadyen said.