The Globe and Mail reports in its Monday edition that Canadian utilities and pipeline companies spent the past two years on an $80-billion shopping spree in the United States. The Globe's Jeffrey Jones writes that for Hydro One, Enbridge, AltaGas and others, economic conditions are worsening. The search throughout the U.S. for assets has turned cautious. Hydro One's acquisition of Avista is the most recent major deal in the Canadian invasion. Chief executive officer Mayo Schmidt has said the acquisition is just the first in the region. Hydro One faces several new wrinkles in its takeover calculus that were not factors when it announced the Avista buy in July, 2017. For one, share prices among utility stocks have retreated from their highs and interest rates have crept up, making financing pricier. This comes with competition heating up among private and public companies for infrastructure assets of every description, which has pushed up asset values. Meanwhile, those that have already done deals are still working to digest the vast array of U.S. assets they purchased in 2016 and 2017. Some companies, including Enbridge, have not only stopped hunting for deals, but are selling assets to shore up their books.