Set your phases to synchronize

From the labradore archives (article is no longer on-line):

Power Play
Quebec route the way to go: Martin

AMY JO PATEY AND ANDREW WAUGH
The Labradorian
October 24, 2005

Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro Chief Executive Officer Ed Martin believes transmitting power from the proposed Lower Churchill development through Quebec and not to the island is the best available option.

Mr Martin was the guest speaker at the Labrador North Chamber of Commerce’s Annual General Meeting in Happy Valley-Goose Bay last week. During his keynote address, Mr Martin deviated from previous suggestions that running an underwater transmission line from Labrador to Newfoundland was the most viable option.

“If we can do a deal across Quebec and into Ontario that would probably be our best deal, if we can get the right structure for that deal,” he said.

Mr Martin added that decisions on how to transmit the power would be made in the near future but that government would have the final say.

“We’ll [Hydro] decide on what power is being sold, what power will be retained for recall in Labrador, will there be an infeed or not…all those decisions on the configurations will have to happen in the next three to four months.”

Fast-forward to Chairman Dan’s press release today:

In addition to Lower Churchill power being available for domestic use, Hydro continues to evaluate two potential market access options. These options include obtaining transmission service on Hydro-Québec’s transmission system through Québec to neighbouring markets, and secondly transmission via a sub-sea high voltage direct current (HVDC) line through Newfoundland, connecting into New Brunswick’s transmission system and providing access to New Brunswick and neighbouring markets.

[…]

"The application we have filed in New Brunswick is required as part of our analysis of the sub-sea cable option. It is another very important step in our planning process for the Lower Churchill Project," said Ed Martin, Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro President and CEO. "We are collecting the information necessary to make informed decisions on the best market access options for Lower Churchill power."

In 2005, after flirting with the idea, Ed Martin seemed to reject the submarine, or so-called "Anglo-Saxon" transmission route, even as Chairman Dan continued to flog it. The difference of approach would now appear to be papered over.

But papered over must be all there is to it.

What has substantially changed since less than 18 months ago that suddenly makes Ed Martin a convert now to the submarine "infeed" that he poo-pooed in 2005?

And given that the 2005 timeline for decision was "three to four months", why, two calendar years later, is Hydro "continuing to evaluate"?

Danny and Ed appear to have synchronized their phases.

Or, at very least, Danny has synchronized Ed's for him.

And, after a long period of trying to lower Churchill expectations, Danny is now ratcheting them up.

This is going to be fun.