The provincial government has given B.C. Hydro another nine months to come up with a plan to meet the province's electricity needs over the next 20 years.
Hydro was supposed to have the integrated resource plan ready by last December, but that was extended to this Dec. 3, and now the deadline has been pushed back again - to Aug. 3 next year.
The government says the extension will give Hydro, the province and liquefied natural gas companies time to negotiate electricity-supply agreements.
The government is pinning much of its economic hopes on developing the liquefied natural gas industry, not only to produce domestic power, but also to generate billions of dollars in revenue through overseas sales of LNG. Meanwhile, the government has appointed a new chairman for Hydro.
He's Stephen Bellringer, the past chairmain of the University of Windsor and the Canadian Gas Association.
