Transmission line between N.S. and N.B. gets $217M in federal funding

Taryn Grant · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 05, 2025 1:54 PM EST | Last Updated: March 5

A large vigor infrastructure task that volition treble the capableness of powerfulness lines betwixt Nova Scotia and New Brunswick volition beryllium paid for, successful part, by the Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB).

Officials gathered Wednesday successful Halifax to denote a financing woody worthy $217 million.

"We'll beryllium alongside Nova Scotia Power arsenic an adjacent proprietor successful the project," said Hillary Thatcher, managing manager of investments for the CIB, a national Crown corporation.

Thatcher said the woody requires support from Nova Scotia's vigor regulator, the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board. She said the implicit presumption of the statement volition beryllium shared upon approval.

The CIB and Nova Scotia Power besides program to bring successful a corporate of Mi'kmaw communities arsenic further partners. The Wskijinu'k Mtmo'taqnuow Agency (WMA), which is co-owned by 13 Mi'kmaw bands successful Nova Scotia, is negotiating a abstracted indebtedness with CIB that volition beryllium utilized to bargain a involvement successful the project.

Glooscap Chief Sidney Peters said WMA's involvement volition supply "long-term" financial returns for the 13 Mi'kmaw communities successful the agency.

"For excessively long, Indigenous communities person been near retired connected the sidelines of large infrastructure projects. That is changing," Peters said.

Chasing renewable vigor goals

An upgrade to powerfulness grids successful Nova Scotia and New Brunswick has been successful the works for respective years. It was erstwhile portion of the larger Atlantic Loop, which would person connected grids successful each the Atlantic provinces and Quebec, but that task was abandoned successful 2023 aft authorities officials declared it "not viable."

Nova Scotia and New Brunswick person since shifted their absorption to upgrading 1 96-kilometre agelong of powerfulness lines betwixt Onslow, N.S., and Salisbury, N.B.

Nova Scotia Energy Minister Trevor Boudreau said the enactment is "critical" to a cleanable powerfulness program that aims to person 80 per cent renewable energy connected the grid by 2030. To scope that goal, Nova Scotia volition person to treble its existent usage of renewables.

"This enactment volition adhd reliability to our grid with a amended nexus to New Brunswick and to the larger North American grid that we tin thin connected successful times of stress," helium said.

New Brunswick Energy Minister René Legacy said the value of the task is underscored by the commercialized warfare with the United States.

"This is the close answer. The champion method for america to retaliate oregon support ourselves is to instrumentality attraction of each other, to instrumentality attraction of home," helium said. 

Electrons flowing by 2028

Nova Scotia Power CEO Peter Gregg echoed Legacy's sentiment.

"That East-West transportation astatine these uncertain times now, I deliberation is simply a strategical portion of infrastructure for america to truly beryllium sharing resources arsenic betwixt 2 neighbouring provinces," said Gregg.

Gregg said helium expects operation to statesman this twelvemonth and beryllium completed by 2028.

He said the full outgo of the task has been estimated astatine astir $800 million, but he's "confident it volition travel successful little than that."

Gregg said the outgo of financing through CIB stands to be $200 cardinal cheaper than other financing options.