by John Chilibeck, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Source: Telegraph-Journal
October 6, 2026

NB Power is bullish on nuclear in its latest plan that looks 20 years into the future, despite huge problems at the Point Lepreau Nuclear Generating Station.

Released Monday, the utility’s integrated resource plan makes the case that nuclear power should remain one of the top ways to produce electricity in the province and avoid pumping more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

The plan, used as a guiding document for politicians, policymakers and the regulator, states that extending the power plant near Saint John beyond its predicted lifespan of 2042 by another five to 10 years, or refurbishing it a second time, would have a lot of advantages.

NB Power estimates the annual cost of extending its life would be $600 million, whereas the electricity it would produce would be worth $900 million. That’s a $300-million net gain that would turn the utility into a net energy exporter, rather than a net energy importer as it is now.

“Bottom line here, we do think nuclear makes a whole lot of sense,” said Brad Coady, NB Power’s chief commercial officer, during an online press conference Monday.

“We do think it’s a big part of our future, and we do think that strong policy support from both levels of government, the federal and provincial government, are absolutely required to make it a reality in New Brunswick. And it is the best option.”

Critics, such as Green party Leader David Coon, have blamed problems at Point Lepreau for driving up NB Power’s debt and pushing up electricity rates.

The 43-year-old plant has broken down several times over the last few years, costing the public utility hundreds of millions of extra dollars that must eventually be paid by its nearly 400,000 customers.

This included an episode last month in which a broken line leaked radioactive heavy water within the reactor building. No one was hurt and the spill has since been cleaned up.

A $2.4-billion refurbishment of the plant that was completed in 2012 added significantly to NB Power’s $6-billion debt, but Point Lepreau has failed to live up to expectations, with its performance among the worst in the nuclear industry over the last decade.

Higher rates

The plan itself touches on people’s rancor over higher rates, which have increased by more than a quarter over the last few years, raising the cost of household bills hundreds of dollars annually.

The last time such a plan was presented by NB Power three years ago, it reported 28% of customers who responded said affordable rates were their top concern, with reliability a close second. This time, 43%  of respondents (close to 10,000 people) said affordability was the top priority, with 25 % citing reliability. Clean energy (13%) and debt repayment (9%) were way down the list.

NB Power VP Brad Coady

Coady said the nuclear plant should and would do better, pointing out that when Point Lepreau is down, NB Power must buy more expensive electricity from places like Quebec and New England, or burn more-polluting fuel at generators such as Belledune or Coleson Cove, to meet New Brunswick’s demand.

“I’d argue the larger driver to our debt is actually when Lepreau doesn’t produce the electricity,” the executive said. “We had to turn (to) the more expensive sources, which really shows the benefit that a healthy Lepreau provides NB Power and to all of its customers.

“So simply put, I feel like the recent history on its performance isn’t acceptable. I don’t think New Brunswickers should accept it. I know the management team at NB Power certainly doesn’t accept it. And we are working with the world-class team at Lepreau and other experts to make sure that we can turn that facility around to be a much stronger performer going forward,” Coady said.

To that end, NB Power signed a three-year, $20-million deal with Laurentis Energy Partners, a subsidiary of Ontario Power Generation, that began in April, in the hopes of improving the CANDU plant’s long-term performance.

Greenhouse gas emissions

A big question mark hanging over the utility is an obligation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by burning less coal and other fossil fuels. The plan maps out several scenarios, including eliminating most greenhouse gases and getting to net-zero. The document also predicts increased energy demand should more people start buying electric cars.

Point Lepreau nuclear plant. Photo: NB Power

In this regard, nuclear is seen as a saviour. While NB Power plans on adding more renewables, such as wind and solar, these are intermittent forms of energy, and the public utility’s executives remain unconvinced that large batteries are enough of a dependable backup source. Point Lepreau, or even a second nuclear plant beside the existing reactor, would be able to provide the baseload power, Coady said.

“If you’re going to constrain carbon across the country or in New Brunswick, nuclear is a major part of how you can do that and do that effectively,” he said. “One of the stories I tell folks is just how different our system is today because of Point Lepreau.

“The short story is that if we didn’t have a Lepreau, we feel quite strongly that we would have over 2,000 megawatts of coal here.”

Coal is one of the single worst energy sources for greenhouse gas emissions, pumping about one-fifth of the world’s total into the atmosphere.

The Belledune Generating Station, which is being transitioned from coal to wood pellets, produces about 500 megawatts of power, but the original plan when it opened in 1993 was to expand it to a 2,000-megawatt coal plant. That plan was eventually shelved.

“When Lepreau is healthy, the utility is healthy,” Coady said. “Nuclear power is expensive to maintain and to keep operating, but when it’s operating and operating well, it’s a very, very low-cost source of supply.”

Additional note from brucewark regarding the addition of combustion turbines in the 2026 Integrated Resource Plan:

NB Power’s plan also anticipates adding another 500 to 1,600 megawatts of combustion-turbine capacity beyond the 500 MW gas/diesel project planned for Tantramar. The additional capacity appears in all four main planning scenarios, with the amount and timing varying according to electricity demand and emissions constraints. The detailed projections show additions beginning in 2036/37 under higher demand growth, or in 2040/41 under lower growth, bringing total new combustion-turbine capacity to between 1,000 and 2,100 MW by 2045/46. These are recommended future investments rather than firm construction commitments. (See Table ES.1 on page 14; Table 5.1 on page 72; and Appendix I – Expansion Tables on pages 153-154)

To read NB Power’s 2026  Integrated Resource Plan, click here.

This story was written by Local Journalism Initiative Reporter John Chilibeck with additional files from Bruce Wark.