News Release: Expert Panel on Churchill Falls 2041 Announced
“The Honourable Andrew Furey, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, and the Honourable Andrew Parsons, Minister of Industry, Energy and Technology, today announced the establishment of an expert panel to recommend potential approaches for the government to ensure maximum long-term benefits from the Churchill Falls assets, as recommended by the Muskrat Falls Commission of Inquiry.
Premier Furey, Minister Parsons and Jennifer Williams, President of NL Hydro, will be available to media in-person at the Media Centre, East Block, Confederation Building, at 1:00 p.m. The availability will be live-streamed on the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador’s Facebook page. Masks and physical distancing will be required for attendees.
Members of the 2041 panel are: Karl Smith (Chair), Rexanne Crawford, Jim Feehan, David Hay, Rick Hendricks, Dr. Linda Inkpen, Heather Jacobs, Dr. Nick Mercer, Jane Rowe, David Vardy, Jennifer Williams and Peter Woodward. See biographies in Backgrounder below. The Innu Nation, Nunatsiavut Government, and NunatuKavut Community Council were each invited to appoint an expert to serve on the panel. The Innu Nation chose Rick Hendricks, the Nunatsiavut Government chose Rexanne Crawford, and the NunatuKavut Community Council’s appointee is Dr. Nick Mercer.
The panel has a mandate to recommend potential approaches for the government to ensure maximum long-term benefits from the Churchill Falls assets, the 5,428 megawatt generating station and associated transmission facilities in Labrador, including future upgrades and expansion to the facility (the ‘Assets’), given the expiry of the current contract in 2041. The Panel will educate the public and government on the current contract’s implications for Newfoundland and Labrador. See the Terms of Reference in the Backgrounder below.”