‘Why here?’: N.B. says Sackville area best option for proposed power plant

Residents of Sackville, N.B., are not happy with the plans to build an NB Power gas plant in their community.

For over 30 years, Gord Jones has called the rural community of Centre Village home, but he fears he will soon have a new neighbour he doesn’t want.

NB Power’s proposed natural gas plant would be located just a kilometre away from his property.

“This is where I raised my family. I enjoy it here. This is my little paradise. Not planning on moving,” said Jones.

Jones is one of many residents in the area that have posted ‘Stop the Tantramar Gas Plant’ signs on their property.

A proposed 500-megawatt natural gas plant to be built by American company PROENERGY has been in the works for months now.

If it goes ahead as planned, the facility is expected to begin operation by the end of 2028.

The Renewables Integration Grid Security [RIGS] project is an electricity grid support facility that will provide power that New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt said last week is much needed.

“We’re looking at a forecast that suggests that we are not going to have enough energy for everyone and every business that needs it in the very near future,” Holt told reporters in Fredericton on Friday. “This project was chosen because of its ability to be done quickly.”

The project, which Holt said would cost roughly $1 billion, is one of the quickest solutions available at the lowest price, she said.

But Holt is very aware residents like Jones have serious environmental concerns, however she said the Tantramar area was selected because there were no other real alternatives.

“I can appreciate and I feel the same that this is not an ideal site, but it doesn’t appear that there is an ideal site,” said Holt. “As we’ve been turning over stones and spaces, I haven’t found the next better option yet.”

Jones thinks the province should have thought of a better alternative sooner.

“I say there’s all kinds of green power,” said Jones. “Why here of all places, why here?”

The Atlantic Wildlife Institute [AWI] is located just a few kilometres away from the proposed site.

In a news release sent Monday, AWI said Holt’s assertion there are no other alternatives capable of meeting the province’s electricity needs by 2028 is misleading.

“That statement is not only misleading - it risks locking our province into a long-term, outdated, ‘old school capacity’ harmful decision that we can still avoid,” stated the release.

Barry Rotfuss, the executive director of AWI, thinks the site was chosen because it is the most economical and can be built quicker there than elsewhere.

Rothfuss said key concerns are public health and the impact on the environment, but he doesn’t think the province is listening to those concerns and the project is being pushed on the community.

“They seem to have bypassed all the normal cheques and balances to protect our community here to the point that we were blindsided,” said Rothfuss. “This literally was announced without the knowledge of anybody in this community or the town knowing about it.”

The Municipality of Tantramar has been opposed to the project since day one.

On Dec. 9, Tantramar council passed a motion expressing opposition to the project.

Representatives from NB Power will meet at town hall for a community information session on Wednesday.

Both Jones and Rothfuss said they would be there.

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