Shediac, N.B., to house province’s first smart energy community project

Shediac, N.B., will be the home of the province’s first smart energy community project.

NB Power has received $5.7 million from Natural Resources Canada to create a new green energy initiative for the town, which will serve as a testing ground for new technologies that are being developed by the utility and Siemens Canada.

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“Our goal is to meet the future needs of our customers in a safe, reliable and cost-effective way by gradually eliminating the remaining 20 to 25 per cent of our power generation that is carbon producing while ensuring we protect our customers from the significant rate increases that have resulted from this transition elsewhere,” said NB Power president and CEO Gaëtan Thomas, in a press release.

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A sister project in Amherst, led by Nova Scotia Power, is getting $5.1 million from Natural Resources Canada’s $100 million Smart Grid Program.

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In Shediac, 500 homes will be selected to test technologies such as smart thermostats, solar rooftop generation, smart water heaters and in-home battery storage.