Our government will support any clean energy project that is economically viable, that substantially reduces greenhouse gas emissions, and is of regional or national significance. As mentioned by the member for Yukon, this includes projects from coast to coast. The hydro project in Mayo B has significantly reduced the Yukon's reliance on emitting power sources. With this in mind, the Lower Churchill project will provide significant economic benefits to the Atlantic region and will help significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In fact, Nalcor Energy estimates that the projects will help reduce up to 4.5 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions, which according to estimates is the equivalent of taking 3.2 million cars off the road.
In addition, in Newfoundland and Labrador, it's estimated the projects will generate $1.9 billion in income to labour and business, $290 million in taxes, and result in an average of 1,500 jobs during each year of construction, with peak employment during construction of approximately 3,100 people.