The enclosed is being released on behalf of the Independent Churchill River Negotiation Oversight Panel:
The Independent Churchill River Negotiation Oversight Panel has launched a new webpage where it will report its quarterly analysis of the ongoing negotiations between Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro and Hydro-Quebec. The new webpage can be accessed by visiting www.icrop.ca.
The Independent Churchill River Negotiation Oversight Panel is providing critical oversight of the ongoing negotiations of the historic deal reached between Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro and Hydro-Quebec.
Members of the panel are:
- Dennis Browne, KC, Chair
- C. Douglas Bowman, BS, MS
- Michael Wilson, CA, FCA
- Guy Holburn, Expert Consultant
The panel was created in collaboration between the Provincial Government, members of the Third Party, and independent members of the House of Assembly. It is designed to provide additional independent, expert oversight of the ongoing negotiations process in respect of new contracts and developments with Hydro-Quebec.
Detailed biographies can be found in the enclosed backgrounder.
Quote
“Our team is bringing a critical lens to the ongoing negotiations with Hydro-Quebec, and the new webpage is an important element in the transparency of our work. Given the significance of this agreement to the future of Newfoundland and Labrador, it is paramount that we provide the necessary independent, expert oversight to this process.”
Dennis Browne
Chair of the Independent Churchill River Negotiation Oversight Panel
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BACKGROUNDER
Biographies – The Independent Churchill River Negotiation Oversight Panel
Dennis Browne, KC, Consumer Advocate, Chair
Dennis Browne is a lawyer with a practice in administrative law and a graduate of Dalhousie Law School. He serves as the province’s Consumer Advocate on electricity issues and is a labour arbitrator and mediator. He has been Chair of the province’s Labour Relations Board. In 2008 he was retained to report to a New Brunswick Legislative Committee on amendments to that province’s Industrial Relations Act. In 2018 he was Chair of a Ministerial Task Force of the New Brunswick Government reviewing WorkSafeNB. From 2010 to 2014 he was a member of the 2041 Group who advocated against the Muskrat Falls Project. In 2019 the Consumer Advocate represented ratepayers before the Commission of Inquiry respecting the Muskrat Falls Project.
C. Douglas Bowman, BS, MS
Doug Bowman holds BS and MS degrees in Electrical Engineering from the University of Buffalo and has over 40 years of experience in the power industry. He specializes in electricity services costing, pricing, contracts, power sector restructuring and markets, and has consulted on projects in over 50 countries and regions including Canada, United States, Mexico, Australia, Central America, the Arab countries, South Asia, Egypt, Mongolia, Serbia, and the Republic of Georgia. For the past 28 years, he has advised the Consumer Advocate in Newfoundland and Labrador on general rate applications, planning, capital budgets and related issues.
Michael Wilson, CA, FCA
Michael Wilson has over 40 years of experience in executive positions at Ernst and Young, including office managing partner in St. John’s and senior partner in Toronto. He has extensive expertise in preparing and reviewing commercial contracts across various sectors and has provided consulting services to governments, sovereign wealth funds, and unions. Additionally, he is a veteran entrepreneur and former president of the St. John’s Board of Trade and Rotary Club of St. John’s East.
Expert Consultant
Guy Holburn
Guy Holburn is a Professor of Business, Economics, and Public Policy at the Ivey Business School, University of Western Ontario. His expertise includes corporate governance, regulation, and business strategy, particularly in the energy and utilities sectors. He has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals and authored numerous reports on energy policies. Dr. Holburn founded and directed the Ivey Energy Policy and Management Centre, and serves as a director of London Hydro, a board member of the Alliance for Research on Corporate Sustainability, and a member of the Council for Clean and Reliable Energy. He has consulted for corporations and governments in Canada and the U.S., providing advice on governance, regulation, competition policy, merger strategy, economic impact, and more. Dr. Holburn holds a Ph.D. and M.A. from the University of California, Berkeley, and a B.A. Hons. from Cambridge University. He previously worked as a management consultant for Bain and Company and the California Public Utilities Commission.