Selling NB Power again?

In 2010, the New Brunswick government tried to sell NB Power. Then, it tried to sell “just” the hydro-electric power facilities and the Point Lepreau Nuclear Generating Station (PLNGS). The ensuing public outcry forced the government to back down. This year, the PLNGS is again for sale as well as all of the wind power in New Brunswick.

NB Power and Ontario Power Generation (OPG) are negotiating a deal, which could result in their joint ownership of the PLNGS. The resulting power purchase agreement could force New Brunswick customers to pay for expensive nuclear power for decades depending on the terms of the arrangement which, of course, are being negotiated in secret. New Brunswick would lose the option to fully shift to less expensive renewable energy.

According to the NB Power 2023 Integrated Resource Plan, all current and future wind farms will be owned by private companies. That means the benefits from generating cheap wind power will accrue to private shareholders rather than the public. NB Power should own the wind turbines so the savings can be used to reduce the cost of our electricity.

According to the International Energy Agency, renewables will be providing 89% of global needs by 2050 due to advantages such as low cost and fast deployment. That’s the future in which New Brunswick should be investing so we are not stuck with far more expensive choices.

New Brunswick has excellent wind resources. For comparison, NB Power produced less than 4 GW of power during last winter’s peak demand while some estimates place the potential of our wind resources at over 40 GW.  Intelligent investments in transmission and storage can make sure that power is available when needed.

New Brunswickers can not afford to be strapped with decades of expensive power. The option for clean affordable electricity is in our grasp; let’s not give it away.

Tom McLean is with the Coalition for Responsible Energy Development in New Brunswick.