The Bruce Report

New Brunswickers might be forgiven for assuming the provincial government’s energy policy begins and ends with the NB Power deal. But the breeze blows hot from Fredericton in at least one other respect.

            This week, Energy Minister Jack Keir sends his staff on a tour of northern New Brunswick to promote the growth of green sources of community-based power, including wind. Through public meetings and workshops, his emissaries hope to articulate the government’s agenda and generate interest at a manageable micro level in non-polluting, environmentally friendly approaches to keeping the province warm and well-lit in a fossil-fuel-hating era.

            That his heart is in the right place is indisputable. The question is how far he and his government colleagues are prepared to go – how much they’re willing to spend on ushering technologies which, while green, are still mere “greenfields” for economic development.

            Apart from hydro, of all the alternative energy sources available (which include solar, tidal and biomass), wind is the most documented as a broadly proven commodity. And say experts, such as Yves Gagnon of the Universite de Moncton, New Brunswick is buffeted by the stuff.

Yet, until recently, the province has been comparatively slow to embrace wind’s commercial potential as both a source of competitively priced energy and as a lever for industrial expansion and foreign direct investment. Meanwhile, other jurisdictions in Canada and around the world have, and continue to do so, with great effect.

            According to the Canadian Wind Energy Association, “Wind energy is big business. Worldwide, it was worth $25 billion in 2005. The potential for growth is astounding with the industry now doubling in size every three years. Several countries count on wind energy to provide five per cent of their electricity and Denmark now gets 20 per cent of its electricity from wind.”

            The association points out wind farms around the world produce 59,000 megawatts of power – enough to supply 18 million households. Moreover, it says, “Aside from creating electricity, the wind energy industry also creates jobs. Many of these jobs are in manufacturing the turbines and components themselves with large multinational companies providing most of the work. There are 100,000 people employed in the industry in Denmark, Germany and Spain.”

            In Canada – specifically, Ontario, Quebec and the western provinces – wind generates electricity for more than 300,000 homes. And the industry accounts for more than $50 million in payroll a year.

            In this context, New Brunswick’s foray seems tentative – less concerned about the large-scale industrial applications, and more interested in community-based economic development. In fact, there’s nothing explicitly wrong with this. The northern part of the province needs a boost as never before and helping struggling municipalities take control of their respective futures is a noble and necessary priority for the provincial government. But the bigger picture wants consideration.

            If, as the Graham government insists, the agreement with Hydro-Quebec does not undermine the sovereign right of the province to develop its own domestic sources of clean renewable energy then wind remains an underutilized resource for further hedging our bets against an uncertain energy future and securing our economic self-sufficiency.

            Clearly, wind must always belong to a mix of energy sources in New Brunswick. Though its promise is evident, so, too, are its disadvantages: It’s not yet as cheap as fossil fuel to produce; the costs associated with manufacturing, maintaining and repairing turbines are not insignificant; the impact of wind farms on migratory fowl are not always benign; and, frankly, many people find the machines, themselves, ugly to behold.

             But the provincial government could be a little bolder, a little more aggressive, in developing and communicating the benefits of wind for all regions of New Brunswick – and demonstrate that the hot breeze that blows from Fredericton can also be fast.

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