September 12, 2024

FREDERICTON – This morning Green Party leader David Coon announced that a Green government will create a New Brunswick Electricity Support Program, to help low income New Brunswickers offset NB Power’s unprecedented rate increases.

“Increases in the price of electricity are being fuelled by nuclear power,’ said Coon.  “The Energy and Utilities Board concluded that refurbishing Point Lepreau was not in the public’s economic interest because it was unlikely to be as reliable as predicted, something I argued as an official intervenor at their hearings.”

Both Conservatives and Liberals ignored the EUB’s advice  and proceeded with refurbishment of Point Lepreau. According to Coon, this caused New Brunswick to fall far behind in making the transition to inexpensive renewable forms of electricity embedded in a smart grid with storage capacity. 

“Low income New Brunswickers should not be forced to pay for Liberal and Tory mistakes,” added Coon. “My commitment is to help them make ends meet in the face of these sky-high rates.” 

Households with after-tax incomes of less than $70,000 will receive payments averaging $25 per month to offset the higher electricity rates, depending on their household size and income level. Almost 200,000 households will be eligible for the program.

The Green Party will also cancel the subsidies that Liberal and Conservative governments have given to pulp mills to keep their electricity costs from rising above the average national cost that industry pays for electricity. 

“Premier Higgs has allowed the big subsidies for the big pulp mills to grow even bigger under his watch,” Coon added. “It is time to put an end to this corporate welfare.”

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