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There is no ideal site for a new 500-megawatt gas and diesel-fired power plant in New Brunswick, according to N.B. Power vice-president Brad Coady on Wednesday evening.
Coady spent two hours at a podium in Tantramar council chambers, answering questions about the plan to contract United States company ProEnergy to build and operate the billion-dollar plant near Centre Village, located in a rural corner of the municipality.
About 60 people attended the special council meeting to hear Coady talk about the need for the new plant and its potential impact on the surrounding area.
Brad Coady, vice-president of business development for N.B. Power, said the Centre Village location faced the fewest hurdles. (Erica Butler/CBC)
“It’s regrettable that it causes angst,” Coady said. “It can be emotionally and politically charged.”
Coady said N.B. Power “scoured New Brunswick for the right site for this project.” But, he said “unfortunately for Tantramar,” the Centre Village site faced the fewest hurdles in terms of infrastructure needs as well as the shortest timelines for regulatory approvals.
Many in the crowd Wednesday arrived with signs opposing the plant, which Mayor Andrew Black asked be left outside the council room. Black also asked those gathered to refrain from clapping or otherwise making noise during the meeting.
Black told the crowd they didn’t need to disrupt the meeting to get their point across.
“We’re in the same boat together,” Black said. “We know your stance.”
Last week, Tantramar council passed a motion officially opposing the gas plant project, and asking for its suspension until Premier Susan Holt and Minister of Environment Gilles LePage meet with council to discuss concerns.
The motion also called for a public meeting with N.B. Power, hosted by the town’s Climate Change Advisory Committee. That meeting has now been scheduled for Jan. 14.
‘The Swiss Army knife’ of N.B. Power’s system
Councillors asked Coady a number of questions about the timeline, the location, and the need for the project.
Coun. Allison Butcher wondered why the project was not called a “peaker plant,” if it was there to meet peak demand.
According to N.B. Power’s website, peak demand is the highest one-hour load requirement on the power grid.
Coady said while the plant would sometimes be used to cover peak demand, it would also have other functions.
“This plant is really about renewable integration,” Coady said. “If we need it for peaking capability, it can do that as well. I describe it as the Swiss Army knife that our system doesn’t have today.”
After the meeting, Coady said the plant would serve a number of functions, including helping to take N.B. Power’s last remaining coal plant offline, helping to fill in gaps in wind and solar generation and helping the utility meet demand during some of the coldest and busiest times.
Well testing results still to come
Coun. Bruce Phinney asked if there would be any impact on water supply, particularly for farmers in the area around the plant.
ProEnergy has been drilling to test water resources at the site, but that information won’t be available until at least mid-January, according to N.B. Power officials.
“There’s likely going to be an impact,” Coady said.
Part of the environmental impact assessment process currently underway between ProEnergy and the Department of Environment includes coming up with plans to mitigate that impact, he said.
Coun. Michael Tower, seen outside Tantramar council chambers on Wednesday, was not convinced of the project’s merits by the end of the meeting. (Erica Butler/CBC)
Coun. Michael Tower enquired about the storage of diesel gas on site.
Coady said because N.B. Power will have a “non-firm’” supply of natural gas, it may need to rely on burning light diesel at times when there’s no gas available. That could happen especially on cold days for around two weeks per year, he said.
Coady said that buying a “firm” supply of natural gas would not be viable, considering the plant was only expected to run roughly seven per cent of the time.
‘Do something more responsible’
By the end of the meeting, Tower remained unconvinced of the project’s merits.
“No part of my mind says, yeah, maybe we could do this safely,” Tower said. “I don’t know how we can.”
Tower said he would now try to convince the premier “to do something more responsible.”
Juliette Bulmer, a Midgic resident and organizer in the local opposition to the Tantramar gas plant, said she was suspicious of answers from N.B. Power on Wednesday. (Erica Butler/CBC)
Midgic resident Juliette Bulmer said she didn’t learn anything new from Coady’s presentation Wednesday.
Bulmer said she was happy with questions asked by councillors, but was suspicious of answers coming from N.B. Power.
“We have no trust,” Bulmer said. “No trust in them.”
