MACTAQUAC, N.B. – New Brunswick’s energy utility has finalized three options for the future of the Mactaquac Dam and are now turning to the public for help in making the decision.
NB Power has released a website asking for people’s input from now until January 8, 2015.
It’s aiming to make a decision on the dam’s future by December, 2016. Estimates for the cost of the project have ranged from $3 billion to $5 billion, but NB Power’s VP of generation and business development said there’s no way of knowing how much each option will cost without further research.
“Today, the preliminary estimates are really not relevant because it really is three very different options that we’re considering,” said Keith Cronkhite. “Projects of this size would run in the billions of dollars, that’s a normal range today for these types of initiatives.”
The three options include:
- Re-power the dam by constructing a new powerhouse, switchyard, fish passage facility and spillway and maintaining the existing earthen dam.
- Retain the headpond while replacing the two concrete spillways at the station to maintain the headpond and allow some flow control below the earthen dam, but no power generation.
- Restore the river and decommission and dismantle and remove the powerhouse, main spillway, diversion sluiceway and associated infrastructure. No power generation.
There is a worry about losing the Mactaquac Dam as a renewable resource. The dam produces enough electricity to meet about 20 per cent of the province’s energy needs.
“We do have a 40 per cent renewable target by 2020 and it’s important that we hit those targets. While Mactaquac will be part of that mix in 2020, that obligation continues past that date,” said Cronkhite. “We will need to replace that energy with other renewable energy.”
NB Power is consulting with the six Maliseet First Nations that live along the river. They’re also drawing up draft environmental impact assessments for each of the options, and working with the Canadian Rivers Institute on an entire ecosystem study of the river.
It’s costing about $10 million each year until a decision is made.
“It’s not until about 2021, if the repower option were pursued, that the rate of spending would increase substantially on an annual basis,” said George Porter, the project’s director.
Kingsclear First Nations member Ryan Dunbar says they’ve had one meeting with NB Power, and will help organize the consultations with other communities.
“It doesn’t mean I’ve endorsed anything,” he said. “In this case, there’s no preferred option yet. The intent is that the nations themselves will have an opportunity to provide a voice to help determine the preferred option with NB Power.”
If repowering the dam is not the option chosen, that renewable source will have to be bought from Quebec, Newfoundland or other renewable imports.
“Any number like that is always a challenge, no question,” said Cronkhite. “It’s an important thing to make sure that we get it right. The one thing that we do know is that we need electricity. So status quo is not an option.”
Comments