Bill 39: The Manitoba Hydro Amendment and Tax Administration and Miscellaneous Taxes Amendment Act

This bill directly affects businesses in Manitoba that are heavy electricity users — particularly anyone running a cryptocurrency mining operation, a large data centre, or another large-scale power-intensive project connected to the Manitoba Hydro grid. These are typically tech-sector or industrial operators, ranging from solo crypto miners to large corporate data centre operators, who rely on Manitoba Hydro for substantial power supply as a core part of their daily operations. The practical hit is significant: if no levy rate is set by regulation, these businesses could face electricity bills that are effectively doubled, since the default levy equals 100% of their normal energy and demand charges. Smaller operations that don't meet the 'large supply of power' threshold under Manitoba Hydro's criteria would not be affected, but any business whose power needs qualify them for these new customer classes needs to factor this cost into their operating budgets immediately.