Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland said Newfoundland and Labrador is “at the table” during discussions on the Atlantic Loop, amid concerns among politicians that the province is being shut out of the project.
“I do also want to be very clear that in the tables that we have dedicated to developing the plan for the Atlantic Loop, Newfoundland and Labrador is at the table right now” Freeland said during a press conference in St. John’s on Tuesday to highlight investments from the recent 2023 budget.
Freeland was responding to a question about the budget failing to mention NL in regards to the Atlantic Loop, a series of interprovincial transmission lines that will provide “clean electricity” between Quebec and the Atlantic provinces. The budget said there are negotiations with Quebec, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia to “identify a clear path to deliver the project by 2030.”
Freeland said the Atlantic Loop is a “very important project for Canada,” which she also mentioned during her budget speech in the House of Commons last week.
“Of course, Newfoundland and Labrador is an essential partner, player member in the Atlantic Loop, so let me be really, really clear and categorical about that.”
The finance minister said the province wasn’t mentioned in that part of the budget because that “stage” only involved Quebec, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick. “We’re just talking about the step-by-step building of the plan right now.”
Freeland was also asked about recent comments from Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson on the Atlantic Loop. Last week, Wilkinson said Budget 2023 would give “transformational” investments to the provinces and territories, allowing them to grow their grids while at the same time cutting pollution. He said the Atlantic Loop is a clear example of how to move clean electricity across the country.
‘Very exciting project’
When asked about Wilkinson’s comments, Freeland replied that the Atlantic Loop was a “very exciting” project for Canada and the Atlantic provinces. “Newfoundland and Labrador is an essential element and player in the Atlantic Loop,” she said.Wilkinson added that some of the power for the Atlantic Loop project could come from Churchill Falls, a hydro dam in Labrador that provides about 15 percent of Hydro-Québec’s total power. While the project is jointly owned by Hydro-Québec and Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro, the contract has led to Quebec bringing in a total of $28 billion in profits compared to $2 billion for NL.
“The transmission lines themselves cannot generate electricity,” he said.