The Daily. Thursday, April 11, 2002

Electric utility construction price indexes

Construction costs for distribution systems fell 1.1% in 2001 compared with 2000. This is the first notable decrease in the series since the base year (1992). The largest contributor to this decrease was installation labour (-5.0%), which was moderated by a small drop in the material component (-0.9%) and an increase in construction indirects (+5.8%). In 2000, construction costs for distribution systems rose 2.0% from 1999.

Construction costs for the transmission line system series rose 1.6% in 2001, compared with 2.1% in 2000. The transmission line component fell 0.5% 2001, the first decline since the start of this 1992=100 series. The substation category rose 2.9% 2001, led by an advance of 3.2% for station equipment. In 2000, transmission line costs rose 2.8% and substation costs, 1.6%.

Available on CANSIM: table 327-0011.

The first quarter 2002 issue of Capital expenditure price statistics (62-007-XPB, $24/$79) will be available in June.

For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact Louise Chaîné (613-951-9606; fax: 613-951-1539; infounit@statcan.gc.ca) or Adrian Fisher (613-951-9612; fax: 613-951-2848; fishadr@statcan.gc.ca), Prices Division.