An environmental impact assessment for a major NB Power project to add an additional high voltage transmission line through Tantramar is now available for review and comment.
Phase 1 of the East Coast Interprovincial Clean Energy Project will see a new high voltage line added alongside the existing line running from Salisbury through Memramcook and Tantramar, and across the border to connect with Nova Scotia Power.
NB Power is hosting four open houses about the project next week:
- Monday, February 3, 2025, 3pm to 7pm
Salisbury Lions Club, 63 Peter Street, Salisbury, NB - Tuesday, February 4, 2025, 3pm to 7pm
Tantramar Veterans Memorial Civic Centre, 182 Main Street, Sackville, NB - Wednesday, February 5, 2025, 3pm to 7pm
Club d’âge d’or de Memramcook (Berceau), 409, route la Vallée, Memramcook, NB - Tuesday, February 11, 2025, 3pm to 7pm
Pine Glen Community Centre, 1003 Pine Glen Rd., Pine Glen, NB
Registration documents (click here for the PDF) for the environmental impact assessment can be viewed on the New Brunswick Department of Environment and Local Government’s website. Pending approval, construction on the project is expected to begin in fall 2026.
In September 2023, the son of property owners in the path of the high voltage line expansion presented to Tantramar council, asking them to officially oppose the project until their concerns could be addressed, but the motion was not considered by council.
NB Power says the proposed interprovincial transmission line project consists of approximately 265 km of new high voltage line to be developed in two phases.
Phase 1 consists of approximately 65 km of new 345kV transmission line running from “an expanded terminal near Salisbury to an expanded terminal in Memramcook, and then to the New Brunswick-Nova Scotia border where it connects with Nova Scotia Power’s line through to the Onslow terminal.”
Phase 2 is approximately 200 km of new, 345kV transmission line running from “existing terminals at Point Lepreau, Coleson Cove and Norton which will be expanded to accommodate the new electrical infrastructure which will run adjacent to existing transmission lines between Point Lepreau to Salisbury.”
In a news release, NB Power CEO Lori Clark says:
“Grid modernization is one of our key strategic priorities. The new transmission project would increase the reliability, redundancy and stability interprovincially and subsequent projects will address climate change vulnerabilities and greenhouse gas emissions by increasing the ability to integrate new renewable energy sources into the grid, directly benefiting both New Brunswick and Nova Scotia customers.”
