The Muskrat Falls Hydroelectric Project: Outcomes and Lessons for the Future

The Muskrat Falls Hydroelectric Dam project is often referred to as “one of the most unfortunate public policy decisions in the history of Newfoundland and Labrador” (Pentz 2021).  It has been under public scrutiny and an official investigation by the Public Utilities Board and a Commission of Inquiry to find and analyse the causes behind the economic, social, and environmental damages incurred. This article analyses the reasons behind the outcome of the project in-depth and offers a hypothetical alternative– a federal regulation that could have altered the course of this project, potentially resulting in a different outcome altogether. This outcome should be studied carefully by policymakers and other departments to avoid similar failed projects in the future