Province names three-person team to lead NB Power review

The New Brunswick energy minister selected NB Power team leads for an operations review.

The New Brunswick government has named three people who will lead a “comprehensive” review of NB Power’s operations.

The three were selected out of dozens of potential candidates looked at by the province to lead the highly anticipated review first announced in April.

Energy infrastructure and investment executive Michael Bernstein, lawyer and former privacy commissioner Anne E. Bertrand and utility expert Duncan Hawthorne will lead the review.

Each lead will be paid a maximum of $172,000 by the province and up to $20,000 to help cover travel and expenses.

The trio will be responsible for gathering and analyzing data, speaking with members of the public, and developing recommendations for the utility moving forward based on their findings.

“We’re not three people being put into a little ivory tower and coming up with answers,” Bernstein says. “We are consulting with people, we’re listening to people, we have been given the latitude from the government to bring in outside expertise, to have conversations, to have information that we can analyze.”

According to the province, Bernstein is a senior executive with experience in Canadian energy and the utilities sector. Bertrand formerly sat on NB Power’s board of directors, while Hawthorne is a widely recognized expert on utilities and energy.

The call for the review comes as utility bills continue to rise steeply across New Brunswick.

“The three individuals responsible for leading this review are accomplished professionals with skillsets that will be invaluable for this comprehensive review,” said Finance and Treasury Board Minister René Legacy, who is also the minister responsible for energy.

“We have every confidence in this team and its ability to conduct a transparent, collaborative and evidence-based review while engaging with New Brunswickers and stakeholders.”

The review, first called in April, will focus on four major areas:

• financial sustainability of the utility
• governance and utility structure
• expectations of customers
• the utility’s attractiveness to investors and strategic partnerships

Bertrand has extensive knowledge of the utility as she formerly sat as a member on NB Power’s board of directors.

“Not a lot of people have that opportunity,” says Bertrand. “I have in-depth knowledge of its operations, its structure, its governance and its day-to-day issues.”

In the weeks ahead the province says it will be launching public engagement opportunities for residents and experts alike to provide their thoughts on the utility’s operations.

The team leads say any recommendations made following the review will be heavily influenced by the voices and opinions of NB Power customers.

“One of the key things is that whatever happens here, it has to be something that is done by New Brunswickers for New Brunswickers,” Hawthorne says. “It can’t be imposed upon them. There will be big changes, and it’s important that people feel that they are playing a part in shaping the future, not having that thrust upon them.”

Final recommendations and any decisions related to the review aren’t expected until March 2026.

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