Council chambers fill as ProEnergy faces questions over power plant plan
Hear the audio below:
A packed Tantramar Council chamber heard from ProEnergy Canada president John MacIsaac on the topic of the controversial power plant planned for construction near Centre Village in Midgic, Tantramar. MacIsaac faced close to an hour of questioning about the proposed 500-megawatt natural gas and diesel facility.
A full house and a short presentation
Mayor Andrew Black and other staff made room for a full house Tuesday night, moving extra chairs into the council chamber as roughly 65 people filled the seats. Before the presentation began, Black reminded attendees that decorum rules were in effect.
“ProEnergy is going to be here presenting for five minutes. I’ll hold them to five minutes. After that, council will have an opportunity to ask questions. Please keep comments from the gallery at a minimum. No signs, placards, or banners.”
Instead of signs, residents handed out “JUST SAY NO” stickers to show opposition to the project.
MacIsaac told council the project would back up the electrical grid during shortages and support renewable energy. He said the facility’s design had been built successfully in other jurisdictions.
“Eighty-five percent of the operating hours are based on grid support, where the facility operates in synchronous condense mode. It uses no water, consumes no fuel, and it’s all about supporting increased penetration of renewables onto the grid.”
He said the remaining six or seven percent of the year, the plant would generate power using gas or diesel.
“These are quick-response machines. They provide a step-change reduction in emissions in year one of 250-thousand tons of CO2 and ensure energy security the rest of the time.”
He said that without backup systems like this, renewable energy projects can face voltage instability that threatens reliability, citing examples from a Spain and Portugal renewable energy halt due to similar concerns MacIsaac says may exist if this plant is not build to support future renewable energy projects.
Councillors press for answers
Councillor Josh Goguen said residents first heard about the estimated billion-dollar project on social media, and questioned why an industrial park site had been rejected in favour of a wetland area.
“I’m a little concerned at this power plant being put where it’s at. We only got the notice on Facebook, of all places, before it even came out to council. There are so many unknowns with this project.”
Goguen asked about operating costs, power exports, and why the project had moved from Sussex to Centre Village.
“I won’t speak on behalf of NB Power,” said MacIsaac. “For items that I don’t respond to, it’s more than likely because I can’t. We’ll keep coming back as many times as you’ll have us come back.”
Councillor Debbie Wiggins-Caldwell questioned the long-term commitment.
“With technology moving so fast, why such a big operation and to be locked in for 25 years that maybe down the road could be smaller and less intrusive on the environment?”
“This is predominantly a synchronous condensing facility to enable renewables,” said MacIsaac. “Without that system inertia, voltage becomes unstable, and the system starts to come apart. This enables the renewable strategy.”
Questions of trust and consultation
Councillor Allison Butcher raised concerns about Indigenous consultation and misinformation.
“Even if someone could convince our community this is needed, I cannot see why it should be placed in an ecologically sensitive area. We were told there were Indigenous groups backing this and there are not. So when I hear these great news things, I can’t in good faith believe it.”
“I recognize we’re coming from a long way back,” said MacIsaac. “We’re committed to doing the work to build that relationship, restore it, and restore the trust.”
Councillor Bruce Finney said communication failures had eroded public confidence.
“Why should I believe anything you tell me? We found out about this through Facebook, and we were told the Indigenous were on board, a lie. Why should I believe anything now?”
“I’m sorry you feel that way,” said MacIsaac. “I’d invite you to go and make an access-to-information request for the documents that accompanied our response to NB Power.”
Councillor Michael Tower pressed on Indigenous partnerships, data accuracy, and environmental impact. He said other countries like Scotland, Finland, Germany, and Norway have already moved away from older fossil-based systems.
“Your signs said you were in partnership – and vague conversation doesn’t mean you’re in partnership,” said Tower. “When a professor challenged your statistics, your company’s reply was ‘no comment.’ … Nothing there leads to trust.”
Water use and environmental oversight
Tower continued by asking about water usage and well safety.
“Can you give me an accurate figure on how much water you’ll use?”
“In the winter, about 60 gallons per minute per unit; in summer, about 90 per unit,” said MacIsaac. “We’ve ten units. The groundwater is important, and we’ll follow all provincial thresholds. There are no exceptions.”
That amount equals approximately three to five million litres of water per day.
Deputy Mayor Matt Estabrooks followed up, asking if nearby wells had been tested.
“With concerns around residential wells, has there been an approach to people in the area to check their wells now?”
“We sent notification to residents within a doubled radius,” said MacIsaac. “We got response from three and agreed to do additional follow-up.”
Mayor Black then asked about oversight for permitting and environmental monitoring.
“It seems strange that there would be a permitting process and say, ‘make sure you do all this,’ then kind of leave it. Where’s the oversight?”
“The management plans are in place, but only recently,” said MacIsaac. “Those include the av-fauna plan and emergency preparedness plan.”
Before the discussion ended, Tower questioned whether ten jet engines in the forest could pose fire risks.
“Can you understand why residents would be concerned about that?”
“I think forest fires are a real risk for all of New Brunswick,” said MacIsaac. “There’s mitigation at site, and we met with the fire chief to discuss equipment needs.”
Next steps
As the discussion ended, Mayor Black outlined council’s next actions: requesting NB Power’s presence, fact-checking Indigenous consultation claims, and reviewing environmental permits.
“Number one, requesting the citing protocol. Number two, fact-checking Indigenous support from 2024. Number three, we need to have NB Power here for a presentation. And number four, follow up with the Department of Environment on oversight,” said Black.
MacIsaac closed by apologizing for the frustration felt in the room.
“I offer an apology for the frustration that councillors and residents have experienced,” he said. “We’re committed to doing the right work. It’s critically important that we get it right.”
Mayor Black thanked attendees for their civility and said the turnout showed the community’s strong interest in Tantramar’s future.
