Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just want to follow up on my Member’s statement and I believe it’s directed to the Minister responsible for the Energy Coordinating Committee on the review of the power rates. Much work has been done to date and I would like to ask the Minister to explain to me, to my constituents, the basis of the work that was done to date. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The honourable Minister responsible for the Energy Coordinating Committee, Mr. Bob McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Our government has invested a lot of time and effort into looking at the high cost of power in the Northwest Territories, as well as the distribution and generation of power and also looking at alternative energy.
Starting with alternative energy, we’ve committed to spending $60 million over a period of three years to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. We are well into that process.
With regard to the electricity review, we appointed a panel of members that were experts in their field and they have undertaken a process of community hearings, meetings and so on, to look at the whole process that we use for setting electrical rates, for monitoring and control, for generating and transmitting of power. They submitted their report and have identified about 76 recommendations for the government to consider.
In addition to that, there was a review of the NWT Power Corporation. As well, there was a proposal with regard to ownership of the Power Corporation. The review of the NWT Power Corporation was submitted and the other proposal is being looked at by a committee of deputies, but it’s waiting until we, as a government, make some decisions on the electrical rate review. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I know that the Minister could have gone on and on about trying to fulfil the work we’ve done in the last year on the electricity review. I guess the most important thing for me in my constituency, and many small communities, Mr. Speaker, is the assurance that all this work is leading to reducing the rates, thereby the cost of living in our smaller communities. How much of this work that was done, Mr. Speaker, confirms that it is possible to do it in the short term and for the benefit of all as well in the long term? Thank you.
I believe working with all Members of this Legislative Assembly, I am very optimistic that we can find ways to make changes that would result in benefits for the majority of the communities and no one community will be unduly impacted. As the review team identified in the report, the system is broken and we have to fix it and I really believe that we have to make changes if we are to go forward on a sustainable basis. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
As I had said the last few days, it’s our small businesses that own buildings that are really impacted by the high power rates. If we are looking at changes to the system, can the Minister explain how the impacts will be for the commercial rates, Mr. Speaker?
Our objective is to reduce the power rates for commercial businesses so they can also, in turn, pass on these rates to help reduce the cost of living in communities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Final supplementary, Mr. Menicoche.
I’d like to thank the Minister for his answer, Mr. Speaker, as well as passing on the savings to the customers. Are the planned rates commercial or residential? Are we still going to be looking at some type of territorial power support for the smaller communities?
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The electricity review is a public document and recommended that we look at a three-rate system for power. The TPSP would apply to thermal communities. That was the recommendation. My expectation, subject to working with the committee or all Members of the Legislative Assembly, is that the TPSP would still apply to residential.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.
