Confidential correspondence obtained by CBC News between a Manitoba Hydro whistleblower and the company's CEO suggests the utility didn't investigate claims of mismanagement when it had the chance.

CBC News first reported last week on a whistleblower's allegations that the Crown corporation is miscalculating how much power it can generate and sell, and that the province could face significant blackouts in the future.

The complaint, filed with the province in 2008, accuses the utility of taking too many risks with the province's power supply and alleges mismanagement has cost Hydro more than $1 billion.

The whistleblower is a New York-based risk-management consultant who worked for Hydro for five years, until last year.

An Oct. 20, 2008, email obtained Thursday — partially redacted by the consultant before she forwarded it to a CBC reporter — contradicts Hydro CEO Bob Brennan’s assertions that the utility wasn't able to properly assess her allegations.

Brennan had said a third-party consultant hired to investigate the New York risk expert's claims was denied access to her findings.

“We asked the individual involved if we could release the information to a third party, and the individual said no,” Brennan said in an Oct. 15 interview.

But in the email, the consultant offers to share evidence directly with Brennan that Hydro’s financial projections were incorrect.

“I would like to have the opportunity ASAP to point out to you line by line all the errors in the financial projections so you can see for yourself and with your own eyes what is being done incorrectly,” the consultant wrote.

The consultant also blames Brennan in the email for “ongoing inaction” in discussing the findings she had made.

“There is a genuine concern and fear that you are not in fact interested in getting to the bottom of this.”

Brennan told CBC News that by the fall of 2008, Hydro had severed all ties with the risk expert.

“I have confidence that we are doing the right things,” he said.

He said Thursday that each time the whistleblower contacted Hydro to discuss the alleged mismanagement, more money was requested as payment for discussing the claims.

The province ordered a special audit of Hydro on Wednesday based on the risk consultant's allegations.

The Manitoba auditor general will bring in out-of-province experts to assist with the review.