EUB Chair Christopher Stewart

The New Brunswick Energy & Utilities Board is allowing NB Power to submit additional evidence about its deal with Nova Scotia to sell 100 MW from its proposed 500 MW gas/diesel generating plant near Centre Village.

Board Chair Christoper Stewart made his ruling to accept the new evidence after an online hearing on Friday that lasted more than 90-minutes.

“This situation is not ideal,” Stewart said, “but we must deal with matters as they emerge.”

He was referring to NB Power’s decision to submit the additional evidence one week before EUB hearings were set to begin in Moncton.

The EUB must decide whether the gas plant would be a prudent investment for the public utility and whether it would be needed to avoid electricity shortages beginning in 2028.

Stewart said those hearings will be held next week in Moncton as planned, but the EUB will give any interveners a couple of extra days at some later date if they request additional time to deal with the new evidence.

Public Intervener Alain Chiasson had argued during Friday’s hearing that it would be unfair to allow NB Power to introduce its new evidence next week.

Chiasson, who will be opposing the proposed gas plant, said he and his experts would not have time to analyze and question the “hundreds of pages of new, complicated evidence.”

In his ruling, however, Board Chair Stewart suggested that all intervening parties could have expected the additional evidence. NB Power indicated in its original filings that it was looking for a customer to buy 100 MW from the plant.

Documents show it now has a tentative 10-year deal to sell that electricity to Nova Scotia’s Independent Energy System Operator.

The EUB hearings are set to begin at 9:30 a.m. on Monday at the Delta Beauséjour in Moncton.

To read a summary of NB Power’s new evidence, click here.