Nova Scotia Power asks for OK to build new line to New Brunswick, doubling capacity

Nova Scotia Power is preparing to upgrade the transmission line that connects Nova Scotia with New Brunswick, marking the first step in a new plan to help the two provinces phase out coal and create a green energy grid by the end of the decade.

The power utility has proposed to build a new 345-kilovolt transmission line from Onslow, N.S., to the New Brunswick border, and to upgrade the power substation in Onslow. The new line would have its own steel towers, running in parallel to an existing 96-kilometre line with the same capacity.

The power utility filed an application Thursday with the Nova Scotia Department of Environment and Climate Change, seeking approval for the work. 

"The construction of this transmission line will be an important regional link and will help [Nova Scotia Power] meet provincial renewable energy targets, balance wind generation, and strengthen grid connectivity," the submission reads.

If approved, work could begin as soon as next fall and the new line could be in use by the end of 2027.

Integral to green energy plan

Nova Scotia Power has been planning to upgrade the transmission connection to New Brunswick for almost a decade, but the project gained traction last week when Ottawa, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia struck an agreement to collaborate on getting the provinces off fossil fuels.

Strengthening the power connection between the two provinces is a crucial part of their shared green energy plan. It's a pared-back version of the Atlantic Loop, which would have brought in hydroelectric power from Quebec.

Nova Scotia abandoned plans for the Atlantic Loop earlier this year, citing mounting cost projections, and the prospect of generating more renewable energy locally through wind and solar. The new plan also proposes tying New Brunswick's nuclear generator at Point Lepreau into the regional transmission line.

$1.4B price tag

The price tag for the whole system, with lines running from Onslow, N.S., to Salisbury N.B., and an extension to Point Lepreau, is estimated at $1.4 billion. The provinces are hoping to share the cost with Ottawa, but funding details are still in the works. 

A spokesperson for the utility said it will be refining the cost estimate when it starts working on a detailed design later this year.

In an Oct. 19 letter enclosed with the submission for an environmental assessment, Nova Scotia Power CEO Peter Gregg said the utility has received $5.87 million from Ottawa for preliminary studies on the new transmission line.

Gregg wrote that more public funds are "being explored for the project." He said funding programs and tax credits from Ottawa and the Canadian Infrastructure Bank are options.

Tory Rushton, Nova Scotia minister for natural resources and renewables, said the provinces left their meeting with Ottawa last week on a positive note, expecting to have further discussions about how to pay for grid upgrades.

New Brunswick Power will have to build 65 kilometres of new line on its side of the border, plus the extension to Point Lepreau, to complete the project. The utility has not yet registered its plans with the New Brunswick government for environmental approval, but states on its website that it will do so this fall.

Rushton said the two governments are in regular communication to make sure they're working in sync.