In a close vote on Tuesday evening, Tantramar council members rejected a proposal to formally oppose a planned natural gas power plant in a rural area of southeastern New Brunswick. N.B. Power had revealed in July its plans for the Renewables Integration and Grid Stability (RIGS) project near Centre Village, located outside Midgic. Since the announcement, local residents and environmental organizations have voiced their objections.
Councilor Michael Tower, responding to a request from the local Stop the Tantramar Gas Plant group, put forward a motion urging the council to write to Premier Susan Holt, urging the cancellation of the project. The motion also called for N.B. Power to prioritize wind and solar energy generation, supported by battery energy storage systems. However, following a debate on the council’s jurisdiction and the project’s costs and benefits, Tower’s motion was defeated by a vote of 5-4.
Midgic resident Juliette Bulmer expressed disappointment with the outcome, questioning Mayor Andrew Black and some councilors’ concerns that taking a stance on the project was beyond the council’s mandate. Bulmer stated that the Stop the Tantramar Gas Plant group would await Holt’s response to letters delivered in person the previous week.
There were differing opinions among council members regarding the council’s role in the matter. While some, including Black and Deputy Mayor Matt Estabrooks, believed that the council should not act as activists and should refrain from involvement, others, like Councilor Bruce Phinney, argued that as elected officials, they had a duty to represent and protect the community’s interests.
The discussion also delved into the potential impacts of the proposed natural gas plant on the region, including concerns about water usage, emergency response capabilities, and the transparency of information provided by N.B. Power and ProEnergy, the selected construction company.
The future steps regarding the project remain uncertain, with calls for a comprehensive environmental impact assessment by community groups and officials. While the federal Impact Assessment Agency has determined that no further assessment is required at the federal level, ProEnergy has stated its readiness to proceed with further site investigation work in Centre Village, including water assessment and geotechnical studies.
