Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro - Application for a General Rate Review

Press Release

Board of Commissioners of Public Utilities

Friday, June 1, 2001

On May 31, 2001 the Board of Commissioners of Public Utilities (“PUB”) received an application from Newfoundland & Labrador Hydro (“Hydro”) for a general rate review. The details of the application were publicly released by Hydro coincident with its filing with the PUB.

A panel of Commissioners has now been constituted to consider the application. Over the next several weeks, the panel will be reviewing the application and will engage experts to complete a full examination of its contents. This work will form part of the process leading to a full scale public hearing which is expected to take place in early fall. In planning for this public hearing, it is anticipated that a pre-hearing conference will be held in July.

The primary objectives of the pre-hearing conference will be to:

1. Identify intervenors and other interested parties;

2. Provide focus to the issues;

3. Set specific dates and locations for public hearings;

4. Establish the procedure to be followed during the hearing; and

5. Finalize a timetable for the filing of evidence, information requests, and other submissions to the Board.

Notices of the pre-hearing conference and the public hearings will be published in newspapers throughout Newfoundland and Labrador. Information will also be provided in these notices on how interested parties may apply for intervenor status or submit letters of comment.

The application can be viewed at Hydro’s regional offices throughout the Province.

Copies of the Board’s legislation, regulations and procedures governing public hearings are available from the office of the Board Secretary or can be viewed on the Board’s web-site at www.pub.nf.ca.

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Media Contact: Cheryl Blundon, Board Secretary

Phone: (709) 726-8600

E-mail: cheryl@pub.nf.ca

Facsimile: (709) 726-9604.