by Logan Atkinson, Seniors for Climate Tantramar
Logan Atkinson, Seniors for Climate Tantramar
Fans of Sesame Street will recall the iconic video “Opposites Day,” in which Bert and Ernie learn all about opposites.
Whatever they do, the reverse is intended. Whatever they say, the opposite is meant.
Hilarious for adults, educational for kids.
In a stark example of life imitates art, members of Tantramar town council and residents who packed the chamber were treated recently to their own version of Opposites Day, as NB Power’s Chief Commercial Officer Brad Coady and his entourage appeared before town council on July 14th.
The ostensible purpose? To demonstrate transparency about the proposed 500 MW fossil-fuel power generating plant for Centre Village, to be built, owned and operated by the American firm PROENERGY.
But the result? Obscurity, unintelligibility, obfuscation.
Opposites Day indeed.
Mr. Coady presented to council for about 12 minutes, supported by a series of PowerPoint slides, and then seemed to artfully dodge a series of questions.
Did he enhance transparency in connection with the Centre Village proposal? Did he say anything at all to inform council and the public about this dangerous project? Or did he leave all of us more confused, more skeptical, than before?
Many examples might be cited to support the argument that the NB Power VP seemed more interested in obfuscation than in enlightenment.
In one case, he repeated the oft-quoted claim that the big, jet-engine turbines would operate only 7% of the time, apparently intending to ease our concerns about the combustion of fossil fuels, the poisoning of our climate, and the degradation of the delicate ecology of the Chignecto Isthmus.
Does this claim make any sense? Does it not strain credulity to suggest that a project whose costs approach $3.5 billion will lie idle 93% of the time?
NS connection
And what about the commitment to sell 100 MW of power to Nova Scotia, a commitment revealed to New Brunswick’s Energy and Utilities Board and the public on February 2nd.
If the Independent Electricity System Operator in Nova Scotia exercises its option to draw this power from New Brunswick, what effect would that have on the operation of the Centre Village plant?
Does this not give the lie to NB Power’s claim that the Centre Village plant is necessary only to meet crises of peak demand in New Brunswick? Will our friends in Nova Scotia accept mere intermittent supply, or will they insist on a steady, reliable source of needed power?
NB Power VP Brad Coady
Mr. Coady is quite agile at deflection. At one point in his presentation, he said that the Centre Village plant “…has something called a synchronous condenser capability, and that’s essential for integrating renewable energy.”
This statement, one can only assume, is meant to boost the claim that the Centre Village project would be a transitional resource, helping New Brunswick move away from fossil fuel combustion and toward a more fully renewable energy future.
But Mr. Coady’s logic here is suspect, at best. The clear implication of his words? Because we have synchronous condenser capability, you ought to believe us when we say that this plant is intended for transitional purposes only.
But the truth is that synchronous condenser capability is required by any addition of renewables to the grid; it is not logical to package it with a 25-year commitment to an American company to burn fossil fuels.
And so the deflection is on – please think of the synchronous condenser; please don’t think about fossil fuel combustion.
What about BESS?
One of the strikingly less expensive and increasingly available alternatives to fossil fuel peaker plants is battery storage, known as BESS (Battery Energy Storage Systems). See the very successful Oneida Energy Storage Project in Ontario, operating reliably since May 2025.
At the Tantramar council meeting, Mr. Coady said NB Power has a lot of interest in BESS, but that it’s hard to make a business case for it to the EUB.
While this may at one point have been true, it is certainly no longer the case. As reported by CBC News on March 18th, a BESS facility would be far less expensive and more reliable than a peaker plant. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/nrstor-large-scale-battery-replace-tantramar-gas-plant-9.7131768
And in addition, it would provide these advantages without dangerous emissions, and without the heightened risks of exorbitant health and environmental costs. Much evidence to this effect was led by the highly qualified intervenors at the EUB hearings on the Centre Village project. And the Oneida Project in Ontario is living proof that it can be done.
“Transparency” or “Opposites Day” obfuscation?
NB Premier Holt
On July 22nd, CBC News quoted Premier Holt at the Charlottetown Premiers’ conference as saying that New Brunswick ought to be considered as the energy hub of the Maritimes. https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/video/9.7279906
An admirable ambition, but one that ought to be realized by the progressive development of clean, renewable energy supported by battery storage. This is not an ambition to be anchored in aging, dangerous, dirty technology from the last century that will harm our environment in every way at radical expense to New Brunswickers for decades to come.
Operating merely 7% of the time? Unbelievable. Synchronous condenser capability to give us all some comfort? Deflection from the real dangers of the project. Batteries too expensive? Contrary to all available evidence.
It’s become quite fashionable these days for corporate leaders and politicians to claim transparency, to promise transparency, to insist that they are committed to transparency.
But are these claims and promises real? Or are deflection and obscurity what the public is expected to suffer in the name of openness?
Transparency, or obfuscation? There may have been something educational for youngsters about Tantramar’s own version of Opposites Day, but is there anything hilarious there for the rest of us?
No. Not so much.
Logan Atkinson is a resident of Tantramar and a member of the Seniors for Climate Tantramar Steering Committee. scantantramar@gmail.com
I believe with the MOU now between NB, NS and PEI, the ‘excuses’ for this plant will increase as to why it’s needed, and the usage of 7% will “magically” increase because of the need of NS and PEI.
As an aside, I have no issues with the MOU in theory; personally I think a regional power grid might just be better overall for us. However if it goes that route, there’s a LOT of questions that would need to be asked.
First: will it be it’s own corporation or will it be the three provinces making their own power then having one overseeing body?
Two: what kind of plants will be running and will the combined corporations (or a conglomerate of them) push to have renewable instead of facilities like the RIGS project? Will this MOU now put a pause on the RIGS project BECAUSE it may not fit in with the power generation ideas of the other provinces involved?
Three: will We The People get a say in any of it?
Four: Will our region – being pretty much the center, or close to it, of the Maritimes become a Power Hub, which could mean large power stations with lines coming in from all over?
And I’m sure there’s lots more.
Certainly there is now a LOT to think about, and should our “friend” Mr. Coady return to Tantramar, I hope he’s prepared for these questions and has actual answers this time.