Well said

John McClement's letter to the editor nicely sums up the folly of locking a province into the type of corporate-friendly long-term contracts that the Wall government loves so much:

(R)ather than taking advantage of the cost savings from Crown debt financing and owning power plants, SaskPower is paying a premium to buy power from the private sector -- a premium that will be reflected in future rate increases. With these take-or-pay purchase contracts, SaskPower is in effect "passing" on the debt financing advantage. Taxpayers are guaranteeing an uninterrupted flow of blue-chip dividends to the shareholders of investor-owned utilities -- a financial commitment now near $7 billion, one soon exceeding the province's total debt.

With major dollars required to replace aging generating capacity, and supply growing demands while ensuring competitive rates, Crown debt financing and ownership is by far the lowest long-term cost option.