The Manitoba government has announces plan to build the next generation of affordable energy.
“We are giving you the freedom to make climate-friendly choices by making those choices more affordable,” said Premier Wab Kinew. “Building more energy capacity starts with a new government-to-government partnership in wind, the best source of new clean energy. By building out the grid, we’ll keep rates low for everyone and put more Manitobans to work in good union jobs. Together we’ll build the next generation of affordable energy to power Manitoba’s future.”
For the first time in the province’s history, the Manitoba Affordable Energy Plan formalizes Indigenous-owned, utility-scale electricity resource supply through government-to-government partnerships with Indigenous nations in wind generation, while ensuring Manitoba Hydro remains public.
“Manitoba has some of the lowest energy costs in the country, thanks to decades of investment in Manitoba Hydro’s clean energy grid and skilled workforce,” said Finance Minister Adrien Sala. “But we can’t just take it for granted. Now it’s time to build on our advantage to ensure we have low rates, good jobs, and clean energy for years to come.”
The plan includes several key actions:
- Creating an Indigenous loan-guarantee program to support First Nations and Métis in the energy transition and finance new partnerships in wind generation.
- Refurbishing Manitoba Hydro generating stations to unlock up to 200 megawatts of power.
- Ending the first-come, first-served approach for large grid connections to better align with Manitoba’s economic development goals.
- Strengthening energy codes for homes and buildings to generate long-term energy savings for Manitoba families.
- Implementing stronger oversight of the oil and gas sector with regular provincial inspections to ensure environmental safety and reliability.
- Installing new Manitoba Hydro-owned and operated public electric vehicle chargers.
- Renewing focus on energy security with stronger protections for procurement and data management to keep Manitoba’s energy supply safe and secure.
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