A report released in early September by Deloitte argues that, in the face of “significant schedule and cost pressures” that could increase the project’s final price to over $12.5 billion, it would be cheaper to cancel the project than to suspend construction. Cancellation would cost some $1.2 billion, versus $1.4 billion to suspend construction until 2025.
The project’s success depends on a critical component, now considered to be at “considerable risk”: diversion of the Peace River in order to allow construction of a 60-metre high earthfill dam.
An article on website Desmog Canada says the report was commissioned by the B.C. Utilities Commission as part of an independent review of the BC Hydro project on the Peace River ordered by the new B.C. government.