“The Premier is a financial genius,” for her moves around the sale of Hydro One says Toronto Hydro’s CEO Anthony Haines.

The remark comes at around minute 53:30 of this speech to the Ontario Energy Network, November 13.

In the speech, Haines praises both power system investment and deinvestment in the same breath. Evidence of the Premier’s genius, according to Haines, includes the province withdrawing retained earnings from Hydro One. Haines’ opinion on this point appears to hang on an assumption that such move could not have been achieved without the sale. Much of the rest of Haines’ speech focused on the need for investment in the power system.

Haines has been a leading proponent for several of the government’s most mismanaged, wasteful energy initiatives including Smart Meters, conservation programs, and energy storage.