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Following a lengthy investigation, Alberta’s electricity market watchdog has found a government agency — the Balancing Pool — broke the province’s own electricity rules in its handling of controversial power contracts.

But precisely why the Balancing Pool acted that way, or what role the NDP government played in its actions, remains a mystery.

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After receiving complaints last year, the Market Surveillance Administrator (MSA) launched an investigation into the Balancing Pool’s conduct, and has concluded the independent agency breached its own regulations and the Electric Utilities Act.

The Balancing Pool did so by failing to manage its electricity generation assets in a commercial manner over the previous two years, as required by provincial legislation.

According to a settlement agreement, the Balancing Pool won’t have to pay any administrative penalties — it could have been fined up to $1 million a day — but agreed to manage its electricity generation in a commercial fashion in the future, and report publicly on its actions.