Finance Minister Adrien Sala, minister responsible for Manitoba Hydro, announced that Manitoba Hydro will resume operations of its international consulting business Manitoba Hydro International (MHI).
“Our government is committed to keeping Manitoba Hydro public to keep rates affordable for families,” said Sala. “The previous government got rid of Manitoba Hydro International, despite the fact that it generates revenue for Hydro and helps keep rates lower. We are pleased to see Manitoba Hydro International starting back up again today.”
Manitoba Hydro International is a fully owned subsidiary of Manitoba Hydro that was incorporated in 1998 to provide utility consulting and technology solutions and products to international clients. In February 2021, a reorganization of Manitoba Hydro International included the decision to wind down MHI operations.
With today’s decision, MHI will begin the process to reinstate the full scope of its operations bidding on energy projects around the world in fields such as technical and advisory services and international power line technician training, the minister noted.
“This decision presents two opportunities. First, it provides an additional source of revenue to further support energy affordability in Manitoba,” said Ben Graham, chair, Manitoba Hydro-Electric Board. “The second is that restarting MHI enables us to share our expertise globally and provide important support through energy management consulting and services to other utilities and other organizations around the world and creates good jobs for Manitobans while doing it.”
MHI expects to add positions to its staff over the next three to four years, the minister said.
“This is an exciting announcement that demonstrates the energy utility expertise that exists in our province and the value it can bring to Manitobans and other parts of the world,” said Hal Turner, interim president and CEO, Manitoba Hydro. “The focus of our management team now is to work through the steps and decisions associated with resuming this work and making sure it gets back on track for success as soon as possible.”
For over 20 years, MHI provided services and products to clients in over 120 countries, building capacity in Manitoba’s high-tech power industry, the minister noted.
