The history of NB Power is the history of New Brunswick's development.

Formed by the provincial legislature in 1920, NB Power traces its roots back to the early 1880s, when the first power companies started to sell electricity in Saint John, Moncton and Fredericton. It evolved as New Brunswickers lit their street lights, electrified their mills, brought electrical appliances into their homes and developed the industries that drive the province's economy.

Early Years

Electricity was first produced for sale in New Brunswick by the Saint John Electric Light Company in 1884, two years after the first large scale electrical distribution system was created in New York City. Other companies in other cities soon followed, building power plants as demand for electricity increased.

In the 1800s, electricity was used to run electric trolleys for public transportation, to operate sugar refineries and iron foundries, to fuel the growth of the emerging railway industry and provide light and power to other businesses, skating rinks and some homes.

NB Power Is Born

By World War I, about 20 organizations were producing power in New Brunswick, but there were no standards to govern the electricity business. The government believed that reliable, inexpensive electricity could propel industrial development and boost the quality of life for the average citizen. So in 1920, the legislature set up the New Brunswick Electric Power Commission and NB Power was born.

Demand for electricity was increasing as companies modernized and electrification spread through cities. NB Power began building generating stations, including its first dam on the Musquash River and its first thermal generating station at Grand Lake, and adding transmission lines.

Demand Grows

The Great Depression slowed the pace of development, but NB Power continued to expand its distribution system by building and acquiring the systems of municipal utilities. World War II brought military training bases to the province, which NB Power supplied with electricity and new distribution systems. The war also brought new industrial activity, prompting NB Power to add more generating stations.

The next big step was the post-war Rural Electrification Program to bring electricity to the farms and small communities in the province. That big challenge, and the rising demand for electricity, required a more sophisticated electrical infrastructure and new power stations to make sure peak power demands were met. Generating stations were built and connected and links were established with utilities in Maine.

Expansion

By the 1960s, demand for in-province power was increasing by 12% annually - well above the national average. The decade brought the construction of more hydro dams on the Saint John River and additional thermal generating stations.

The energy crisis in the 1970s led to a new push for conservation and the development of NB Power's fuel diversification strategy. NB Power planned for more multi-fuel facilities, including the start of the nuclear station at Point Lepreau. The utility also added interconnections with other neighbouring utilities, letting it buy and sell surplus electricity.

Through the 1980s and 1990s, NB Power added the Candu-6 reactor at Point Lepreau to its generating mix and continued to improve the technical and environmental performance of its generating and distribution system. It focused on improving its efficiency and fuel diversity, adding Orimulsion, a thick oil and water emulsion.

Today

NB Power now delivers electricity directly to over 316 000 customers, plus almost 40 000 customers through sales to municipal utilities. It has a capacity of 4,116 megawatts at fifteen generating stations. It is looking ahead to adding natural gas from Sable Island to its generating mix and serving customers in a deregulated electricity market.