Review will look at N.B. Power's 'capacity to execute' on major projects
A review into New Brunswick Power operations will evaluate whether the utility has the capacity to deliver on its projects — but won't wade into the debate about a proposed Tantramar gas plant.
The comments were made in an online public meeting Wednesday evening, part of the larger consultation process for the ongoing review into N.B. Power's operations.
The three-member panel faced several questions about N.B. Power's proposed natural gas plant, to be built by Missouri-based ProEnergy, from several of the nearly 60 people who joined the meeting.
That comes after Tantramar residents voiced concerns about the potential environmental impacts of the project at an open house last week.
But Duncan Hawthorne, a former CEO at Ontario's Bruce Power, said that project falls outside the scope of the review.
"We cannot interfere with ongoing decisions that N.B. Power are making," Hawthorne said. "Obviously, although we have an interest in what they're doing, we're not able to ask them to stop doing what needs to be done."
The review will look at N.B. Power projects, he added, and how those might impact the bottom line.
"I think it's fair to say that one of the areas we're looking at is N.B. Power's capacity to execute those projects, either because of the scale of them or because of the skill set that those projects require," he said.
He noted the group will only consider projects included in N.B. Power's Integrated Resource Plan — an outline of what energy sources the utility will use as it works to achieve net zero.
"There are a lot of big complex projects coming up for N.B. Power, like Mactaquac or Belledune, or Coleson Cove," he said.
"Big projects generally get in trouble because they're not planned properly or they don't have the right skill set. So that is an area we will certainly be looking at."
The review was initiated by Premier Susan Holt this year after public outcry about high power bills last winter.
N.B. Power has maintained the cause was high consumption during the colder months, a finding backed by an independent audit of the utility's billing system.
But rates have been on the rise as the utility tries to meet its legislated debt reduction targets, while also planning a multi-billion dollar refurbishment of the Mactaquac hydroelectric dam.
The panel held an earlier online question and answer session in June, but panellist Anne Bertrand said the group is set to visit several locations in person during September.
So far that includes appearances in Moncton on Sept. 10 at 6 p.m. AT, Saint John on Sept. 11 at 11 a.m. St. Andrews on Sept. 11 at 5 p.m., and Fredericton on Sept. 12 at 11 a.m.
No locations were provided during Wednesday's meeting.
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