NB Power has officially released its 2026 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), providing a comprehensive 20-year outlook on how New Brunswick’s electricity needs could be met. For residents and businesses in Saint John, the plan highlights a delicate balancing act between maintaining low rates, ensuring grid reliability, and advancing environmental sustainability.

Customer Feedback Drives the Vision

The newly published IRP is heavily influenced by public input, reflecting evolving policies, new technologies, and changing customer expectations. Between March and July 2025, NB Power engaged with nearly 10,000 residents through a provincewide survey—a significant jump from the 6,000 participants in 2022. Additionally, 258 individuals shared their perspectives during in-person sessions.

“New Brunswickers told us clearly that lowest rates must remain top of mind, followed by reliability,” stated Lori Clark, President and CEO of NB Power. The feedback, captured in the utility’s What We Heard report, underscores the community’s desire for an electricity future that is practical, flexible, and responsive to local needs, including relationship building with First Nations and expanding customer options.

Exploring Future Energy Scenarios

Rather than prescribing a single, rigid pathway, the 2026 IRP considers a range of scenarios to account for central uncertainties, primarily the pace of decarbonization and the rate of electricity load growth. The plan explores the potential roles of various existing and new resources, including:

• Nuclear options
• Expanded interconnections
• Wind and solar energy
• Battery storage
• Demand response initiatives
• Combustion turbines

What This Means for Saint John

It is important to note that the IRP is not a committed plan of action. It does not establish electricity rates or authorize the construction, procurement, or retirement of specific generating facilities. Instead, it serves as a foundational guiding document.

Approved by the Government of New Brunswick in September 2026, the plan will be filed with the New Brunswick Energy and Utilities Board. Under the Electricity Act, the Board is required to consider this most recent IRP when making future decisions on rate setting and major capital spending, ensuring that future developments align with the best interests of New Brunswickers.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP)?

The IRP is a long-term planning document updated every three years by NB Power. It provides a 20-year view of electricity supply and demand based on three core principles: least-cost planning, economic and environmental sustainability, and risk management.

Will this plan immediately increase my electricity bill?

No. The IRP does not establish or determine electricity rates. Any future projects, resource decisions, or rate changes would require separate business evaluations, regulatory approvals, and further stakeholder engagement.

How clean is NB Power’s current energy supply?

In a typical year, approximately 75 percent of the electricity NB Power supplies is carbon-free, which includes nuclear generation. The utility also consistently exceeds the provincial requirement to supply 40 percent of in-province electricity sales from renewable sources.