Protecting the environment goes hand-in-hand with providing reliable electricity to New Brunswickers. NB Power is committed to environmental stewardship and has implemented various initiatives to reduce greenhouse gases. NB Power has also recently taken additional steps to ensure a clean supply of electricity to customers through the development of various renewable energy initiatives.

Renewable energy generally refers to energy derived from natural sources that can be continuously replenished, such as biogas, biomass, solar, hydro, tidal or wind. Generating electricity from renewable sources produces little to no greenhouse gases, making it an environmentally-friendly fuel option. These sources, particularly hydro, have been readily available in New Brunswick, a province with abundant natural resources.

In June 2007, NB Power purchased the Nepisiguit Falls Generating Station from Smurfit-Stone Consolidated. The addition of the station enables NB Power to have another renewable energy source that has little environmental impact. The station has a total capacity of 10.8 MW. It provides approximately 52 million kilowatt-hours of electricity per year, which is enough to supply approximately 3,000 homes per year. This station is NB Power’s seventh hydro facility, increasing the total hydro capacity from 884 MW to 895 MW. Other facilities include Beechwood, Grand Falls, Mactaquac, Milltown, Sisson and Tobique. For further information on our hydro facilities, visit our Education section.

In addition to our existing renewable facilities, NB Power is currently undertaking the following initiatives to further increase our renewable energy mix:

Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS)

The Electricity from Renewable Resources Regulation- Electricity Act, otherwise known as the Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS), is a provincial regulation that requires that an additional 10 per cent of New Brunswickers’ electricity must come from renewable sources by 2016. These sources must meet Eco Logo^TM standards, which includes generation from small wind, solar, biomass, small hydro or biogas. New Brunswick was the first province in Canada to legislate a RPS, which is incorporated in the New Brunswick Electricity Act. For further information on the RPS, visit the Government of New Brunswick website.

• NB Power has committed to purchasing up to 400 megawatts of wind energy. For further information on our wind initiatives, please visit the Wind Energy section.
• NB Power contributed to an International Electric Power Research Institute study on tidal power. The study identified 90MW of tidal power resources in New Brunswick. For up to date information on tidal development, visit the New Brunswick Department of Energy website.
• NB Power will continue to explore other renewable energy sources such as biomass, small hydro, tidal power and electricity generated from landfill gas.

Net Metering Program

NB Power has also introduced a net metering program, which enables customers to produce their own environmentally-friendly electricity by connecting a small generation unit (under 100 kW) compatible with Eco Logo^TM certified standards to NB Power’s distribution system.

The net metering program is part of an overall strategy that demonstrates NB Power’s commitment to both the environment and to supporting renewable technologies.

Net metering with renewable energy will reduce your greenhouse gas emissions. You can also do your part to minimize the environmental impacts of energy use by applying energy efficiency techniques to your day-to-day activities. Visit the Energy Efficiency section for further information on conserving energy at home and at work.

NB Power is pleased to partner with agencies such as Efficiency NB to promote the importance of conservation to New Brunswickers.

If you have any further questions, please visit the net metering section or contact us at 1-800-663-6272.

Summary of NB Power Net Metering Program