This article was published in November 2021 and may be outdated.
A new survey asks customers to get a little visionary when it comes to the future of their Manitoba Hydro.
The online survey encourages customers to share their thoughts and opinions as Manitoba Hydro prepares to develop an Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), a long-term road map for how the utility will continue to bring clean, reliable electricity and natural gas to you in the years to come.
“We’re looking to the future, and we need to know what our customers think,” said Terry Miles, Manitoba Hydro’s Integrated Resource Planning program leader. “The survey gives us a chance to talk to our customers and ask some big questions about their electricity and natural gas. Understanding our customers better helps Manitoba Hydro ensure we continue to best meet their needs into the future.”
The survey – available at hydro.mb.ca/future – asks questions about changing energy needs and topics like electric vehicles, solar panels and time varying rates (different rates for using energy at different times of the day). The survey also asks customers for their thoughts on what their own energy use and preferences might be in the future.
“Asking these questions of our customers helps us understand where people are at in their thinking about electricity and natural gas. Electric vehicles, time varying rates, emissions reduction – these are all topics on the horizon in the broader energy landscape. We need to know what Manitoba Hydro customers think about these topics so we can plan for a future that works for everyone.”
“The survey also gives our customers an opportunity to learn a little bit more about some of the choices we’re facing as we plan for the future,” Miles added.
Developing an IRP for any utility is a multi-year process. The results of the survey will help shape Manitoba Hydro’s next steps in preparing to develop an IRP, including future conversations with our customers.
The survey is open November 1 to December 17.