Opinion: N.B.’s energy future depends on integrated strategies, not single solutions

What if a solution to help ease our province’s affordability crisis, by lowering heating costs and addressing NB Power’s generation shortage, already exists here in New Brunswick and we are simply not using it to its fullest potential?

The NB Power CEO’s recent op-ed highlights something every New Brunswicker understands instinctively: energy security is no longer something we can take for granted. Unpredictable winters, rising demand, lack of adequate capacity, aging electric infrastructure, and the complexity of transitioning to cleaner energy systems are placing unprecedented pressure on how we keep homes warm, businesses operating, and communities safe.

NB Power is also right about something else: the future of energy security in New Brunswick will depend on partnership. No single system, technology, or organization can carry this responsibility alone. Electricity and natural gas are complementary. When planned and operated together, they provide the reliability, affordability, and resilience New Brunswickers expect, especially in winter.

New Brunswick faces a unique challenge in meeting its residents’ heating needs during the harshest months. While a significant portion of New Brunswickers benefit from natural gas heating at lower cost and higher levels of reliability, many more rely solely on electric heating. This option is often less affordable and can place additional strain on NB Power’s system during peak demand.

For households with access to natural gas, heating costs are approximately 30 per cent lower than those relying strictly on electricity. This cost advantage eases the financial burden on families and provides a dependable source of heat during extreme cold. In contrast, often those dependent on electric heat face higher bills and increased risk of service interruptions, particularly as NB Power struggles to meet rising winter peak loads.

During periods of extreme cold, energy demand surges rapidly, sometimes pushing electric systems to their limits. Natural gas plays a critical role in stabilizing these moments. It supplies firm, dispatchable energy when large renewable generators are unavailable and directly heats thousands of homes without adding pressure to the electric system. Every kilowatt avoided strengthens electric system reliability.

Across North America, integrated planning between gas and electric utilities is becoming essential to maintaining energy security and economic competitiveness. Collaborative planning reduces the likelihood of rotating outages, supports renewable integration, and enables greater operating flexibility during peak periods. When systems are planned in isolation, as is the case today in New Brunswick, the risks increase: higher costs, tighter operating margins, and reduced resilience when conditions are at their most extreme.

New Brunswick is at risk of being left behind in the battle for competitiveness with neighbouring provinces and the United States if it continues to focus narrowly on an electrification strategy. Leading jurisdictions including Ontario, Québec, New York, Minnesota, and Alberta; have already moved toward coordinated gas electric planning to manage winter peaks more effectively.

For New Brunswick, there is an opportunity to strengthen energy planning by fully embracing an integrated approach. This includes:

• Creating policy frameworks and incentives that support increased natural gas deployment to displace more expensive electric heating options and accommodate future low carbon innovations.
• Formally recognizing natural gas infrastructure as critical energy infrastructure and ensuring gas utilities are included in energy security planning and winter reliability discussions.
• Avoiding future energy crisis situations like the one NB Power has described in which New Brunswick urgently needs new in-province power generation.

The provincial government should encourage cooperative integrated natural gas–electric utility resource planning as a requirement for both Liberty and NB Power. Doing so could enable more efficient use of existing assets and help deliver greater affordability for New Brunswickers.

We know that with a diverse mix of energy sources, the province is better positioned; but only if we build on that strength through deeper coordination and shared planning amongst energy utilities. Energy security is about more than keeping the lights on. It means ensuring families stay warm, businesses remain productive, and communities stay safe during extreme weather and system stress. True resilience requires every part of the energy system to work together.

NB Power is right that decisive action is needed, but that action will be strongest when it is built on collaboration across all utilities with a shared commitment to reliability, affordability, and a sustainable energy future for New Brunswick