• New Brunswick’s surplus power sales to U.S. could close Irving Paper, firm warns

  Source: New Brunswick - Regional News
  Date: 2026-10-30 15:32:23.0
  Tags: [New Brunswick, Energy, Industry, Economy, Governance]

  J.D. Irving Ltd. executive Mark Mosher warned that a policy change by New Brunswick's Crown-owned electric utility, NB Power, could force the closure of the Irving Paper mill and increase operational costs by an estimated $10 million annually. The policy shift allows NB Power to sell its excess surplus electricity to out-of-province and U.S. buyers at market rates first, forcing in-province industrial clients to rely on more expensive excess power. Energy Minister Rene Legacy stated that the provincial Liberal government will not intervene or reverse the regulatory decision, leaving the matter to be reviewed through an application submitted by J.D. Irving Ltd. to the New Brunswick Energy and Utilities Board.

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• New Brunswick data centre debate highlights cross-country tension over AI facilities

  Source: New Brunswick - Regional News
  Date: 2026-10-19 11:49:46.0
  Tags: [New Brunswick, Energy, Technology, Infrastructure, Environment, Economy]

  New Brunswick Crown-owned electric utility NB Power has received 10 confidential applications from data centre projects requiring up to 900 megawatts of power, sparking cross-country tension and citizen opposition. Notable proposals include a $2 billion artificial intelligence hub by Beacon Data Centers and VoltaGrid featuring a 400-megawatt data centre in Saint John, a $2.7 billion, 375-megawatt proposal by Faster Than Light in Fredericton, and a 50-megawatt campus proposal by U.S. firm Cross River Infrastructure Partners. While the provincial government works on a data centre policy framework to spur economic growth and tax revenue, grassroots groups like Save Lorneville are demanding a moratorium due to environmental and power grid concerns.

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• Atlantic business leaders call for regional policies and more natural resource development

  Source: Prince Edward Island - Regional News
  Date: 2026-09-25 21:34:13.0
  Tags: [New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, Economy, Trade, Energy, Resources, Mining, Industry]

  The Atlantic Economic Panel, chaired by Don Mills and commissioned by federal Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) Minister Sean Fraser, released a strategic growth plan calling for the creation of a $1 billion Atlantic prosperity fund to help regional companies scale up. The report recommends greater regional integration, including the establishment of an independent electricity system operator across the four Atlantic provinces, the elimination of interprovincial trade barriers, coordinated immigration policies, and streamlined regulatory processes for major projects. Furthermore, the plan urges a 50 per cent expansion of the region's natural resources sector, bolstered by recent provincial policy shifts such as Nova Scotia lifting bans on fracking and uranium mining and approving five new mines.

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• Eastern Canada business leaders call for ‘single economy’ between Atlantic provinces

  Source: Nova Scotia - Halifax & Regional News
  Date: 2026-09-25 14:16:00.0
  Tags: [Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, Economy, Trade, Labour, Infrastructure, Energy, Immigration]

  The Atlantic Economic Panel, appointed by federal minister Sean Fraser and chaired by Crane Cove Holdings Ltd. president Don Mills, released a report calling for the creation of a 'One Atlantic Canada' single economy by 2035 across Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador. To combat low productivity, labour shortages, and regulatory barriers, the report outlines seven major recommendations, including a $1-billion Atlantic Prosperity Fund, a $25-billion integrated electricity system managed by a region-wide independent system operator, the removal of all trade and labour mobility barriers, and regional infrastructure partnerships. Additional targets include growing the region's population past 3 million with a 1.8 percent annual growth rate, doubling exports to Europe to over $30 billion, mobilizing $100 billion in new natural resource investments, and enhancing the aerospace, defence, shipbuilding, and artificial intelligence sectors.

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• MP calls on New Brunswick to reject proposed AI data centre in open letter to premier

  Source: New Brunswick - Regional News
  Date: 2026-09-18 20:42:41.0
  Tags: [New Brunswick, Energy, Technology, Infrastructure, Economy]

  Conservative Member of Parliament John Williamson has written an open letter urging New Brunswick Liberal Premier Susan Holt to reject a proposed artificial intelligence data centre in Saint John by Beacon Data Centers. Williamson warned that the facility's 200-megawatt demand on the provincial power grid—part of a total 390-megawatt requirement where Beacon AI proposed to generate 190 megawatts on site—would overwhelm public utility NB Power and trigger severe electricity rate hikes for local residents. Williamson criticized Premier Holt for promoting the unapproved project at a Toronto investment summit, arguing that the provincial government must play hardball to shield ratepayers from major price increases.

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• New Brunswick aiming to attract $30 billion in investment at Toronto summit

  Source: New Brunswick - Regional News
  Date: 2026-09-14 18:07:55.0
  Tags: [New Brunswick, Economy, Finance, Industry, Energy, Mining]

  New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt and provincial officials are attending the Canada Investment Summit in Toronto to pitch eight capital investment projects totaling more than $30 billion. The initiatives include a new nuclear development, a proposed data centre, and the Sisson Mine project, focusing on critical minerals, advanced materials, energy, digital infrastructure, and transportation. University of New Brunswick political science department chair Herb Emery noted that while the summit could yield contracts and commitments, the long-term projects will generate GDP too far in the future to immediately address the province's current budget deficits.

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• New Brunswick to review lifting natural gas moratorium

  Source: New Brunswick - Regional News
  Date: 2026-08-26 19:06:44.0
  Tags: [New Brunswick, Energy, Resources, Economy, Trade, Indigenous]

  New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt announced a five-month public review of the province's resource development to evaluate lifting the decade-old moratorium on hydraulic fracking for natural gas. Prompted by rising cost-of-living pressures, increased energy demand, and 50 percent U.S. tariffs implemented by the United States, the government aims to assess safety, environmental standards, and economic opportunities. Natural Resource Minister John Herron and Indigenous Affairs Minister Keith Chiasson noted that the process will feature extensive consultations with First Nations communities. The comprehensive review findings are scheduled to be announced in January 2027, with monthly progress reports issued by the provincial government.

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