Power companies want to offload money-losing contracts onto the public worth an estimated $2 billion and the government is going to court to try and stop them, in order to protect consumers and taxpayers. Utility companies say the contracts are money losing because the government changed the rules and added a carbon tax.
Firstly, if the government wins the legal case, it will cost taxpayers millions of dollars in legal fees. Then utility companies will increase utility rates to recoup not only their legal fees, but also the estimated $2 billion in money losing contracts.
Secondly, if the utility companies win the court case, it will cost taxpayers millions of dollars for both the government’s and the utility companies’ legal fees. Then, the government will have to pay the utility companies the $2 billion for the money losing contracts. Either taxes will be increased to cover this, or the deficit will be increased, which taxpayers will eventually have to pay.
The bottom line is that taxpayers are on the hook for the $2 billion, one way or another.
We just don't know how we are going to pay it, or how much the legal fees will be.
Norm Harley, St. Albert
