CEO Doesn’t Care What Public or Politicians Think about AltaLink Sale

AltaLink CEO Scott Thon recently said he isn’t fazed either by public input to the Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC) or by the comments from politicians concerned about the impending sale of AltaLink by Quebec-based SNC-Lavalin to U.S.-based Berkshire Hathaway Energy (Calgary Herald 1). (The AUC and the federal government must approve the sale before it can occur.)

Letters to Alberta newspaper editors from members of the public overwhelming oppose the sale since it was announced in May, many of them worried most about the sale potentially resulting in higher electricity transmission costs in Alberta. The majority of the 300 emails recently received from the public by the AUC express concern or raise questions about the sale. The Alberta NDP has formally opposed the sale, and the Wildrose and Liberals have also expressed concerns. The 3 Progressive Conservative leadership candidates have been urged to fight the sale of AltaLink (Calgary Herald 2). ATCO CEO Nancy Southern has raised significant concerns about the sale including foreign ownership, losing control of our critical infrastructure, losing control over electricity transmission regulation, and export of Alberta electricity to the U.S.

AltaLink has taken out a myriad of newspaper and radio ads and written letters to newspaper editors in an attempt to defend the sale. It appears that, so far, AltaLink has not convinced Albertans the sale of AltaLink to a U.S. corporation owned by billionaire Warren Buffett is good for Alberta. See this link for more information on the sale, and this link for information on AltaLink’s current parent company, scandal-plagued SNC-Lavalin.

 

~ by RETA on July 17, 2014.