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HAY RIVER - More than 30 people brought questions to a panel on energy rates in Hay River last Monday, but not all felt they got solid information back.

"This is a monologue with no answers," said Orlando Galan at the Hay River Community Hall. "I've got 10,000 questions."

Mark Cleveland, leads electricity review discussions in the Hay River Community Hall on April 20. - Herb Mathisen/NNSL photo

The NWT electricity review team is more than halfway through its extensive, territory-wide review, meant to gauge public opinion on the costs and methods of electricity delivery in the NWT.

About 10 residents voiced their concerns and asked questions at the meeting. But Mark Cleveland, one of the three facilitators on the panel, said he and his team could not always provide answers, or could only respond in general or brief terms.

During the stop, Galan raised a chart of community-based power rates in the NWT provided by utilities companies. He said the charts were confusing.

"We need to know where these numbers come from and why we are paying this," he said.

Galan told News/North he thought power providers or government should have come to Hay River beforehand to provide background on rates, regulation structures and delivery systems.

Cleveland agreed the issues being discussed were very complex.

"I certainly think the availability of more information would be helpful to a lot of folks," said Cleveland. He said providing this background, however, would be the responsibility of many organizations.

Though the hall was only about a third full, Cleveland said he was pleased with the turnout and the feedback provided – proof to him the public is thinking hard about the issue.

"It's been excellent," he said. "We're finding very strong interest."

"The important element is for us to solicit feedback and advice."

"We are not here with any preconceived solutions in mind," added Doug Matthews, a member of the panel.

Matthews started the meeting with a 10-minute presentation about the panel's mission and some of the problems with energy distribution in the NWT.

"We have a situation in the NWT where every community in the NWT is stagnant or declining in population," he said.

This affects power bills, he said, because most isolated communities have electricity generation costs that are fixed; if people leave or start conserving power, the overall cost remains stable and others then have to pick up the tab.

Cleveland said much of the trouble comes from the disparity between regions. Take, for example, the issue of a territory-wide common power rate.

In Hay River – where power is relatively cheap – residents quickly dismissed the notion, stating they should not have to subsidize smaller communities.

However, in Fort Simpson the panel received a two-hour barrage from residents speaking passionately about the need to spread costs around the territories. Residents in the Deh Cho, who pay higher rates than hydro-powered communities like Fort Smith, Hay River and Yellowknife, argued that savings from hydro generation should be shared across the NWT as the power corporation is owned by all residents of the territory.

The panel will produce two reports based on their extensive meetings with not only the public, but committees, business leaders, non-governmental organizations and major power consumers.

Matthews said their discussions with communities will also be used to help the GNWT examine a proposal from ATCO to merge with the Northwest Territories Power Corporation.