Natural Resources committee  If you look at Manitoba and British Columbia and the hydro surpluses they typically always have, even if it's just non-firm because of water conditions, they are moving predominantly north-south. That is creating significant energy surpluses, at least in the trade from those two provinces.

Natural Resources committee  I'm not an expert, by any means—and you may have some B.C. Hydro people coming to your committee—but there are concerns about the snowpack. There will be water, but it may not be stored in the same way it is now in the snowpack. That can cause some problems with your hydro capability in the future, out of the same facilities.

Natural Resources committee  With respect to British Columbia and its connection with Alberta, we should first be thinking about optimizing the transmission capacity that's in place, because it's constrained now in ways that possibly could be relieved without major capital investment and I think we should be starting the process to expand capacity in the near term for a variety of reasons.

Natural Resources committee  Maybe I could start on that. I'm thinking of that in relation to an earlier question and in relation to the title of this strategic interties study. I think it may be too big to think about what it would take to connect the whole country all in one swoop, but there are tremendous opportunities regionally within the country.

Natural Resources committee  First, I'd like to thank you for inviting me to speak to you today. Greater integration, like provincial electricity markets, is an area I've been interested in for a long time. I'm an adjunct professor in Simon Fraser's public policy school and I have been a consultant for many years.