The feds along with Nova Scotia and New Brunswick are on the same page now when it comes to ways to move away from coal-generated electricity.
It comes after both provinces walked away from the original Atlantic Loop project after costs ballooned to $9-billion. At first, it was estimated to cost in the areas of $3-billion.
The original project focused on building infrastructure connecting Nova Scotia and New Brunswick to the hydro power generated in Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador.
The new concept is being called a “modified Atlantic Loop” and focus on opportunities each province has to generate clean electricity and estimates suggest the cost is in the area of $2-billion.
Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston and New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs flew to Ottawa on Monday to meet with Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson to talk about a path forward.
“The common theme throughout our meeting, that we have to find a way that people can afford to live and work in our respective provinces,” said Higgs.
Each province will continue to develop hydro, wind, biomass and nuclear to meet the deadline of 2030 to move away from coal and green the electricity grids.
As part of the plan to reach the target, Wilkinson announced funding to speed up development.
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$11.5-million for N.S. to improve monitoring and automation of its electric grid.
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$7-million to support pre-development work for the Arc small nuclear reactor at Point Lepreau, N.B.
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$2-million to look at converting New Brunswick’s last coal-fired power plant in Belledune to biomass.
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$1-million for the port in Belledune to study establishing a green industrial hub.
In recent months, Houston and Higgs are raised concerns over the feasibility of Atlantic Loop project.
“If the Atlantic loop is just not economically feasible, is too much of a financial burden for Nova Scotians to bear, then we have to look at other alternatives. And I think that’s kind of where we’re at,” Houston stated at a conference in Antigonish in June.
By 2030, Canada has set targets to move away from our reliance on coal and shift to power generated from renewable and non-emitting resources.
