New Brunswick gets $219 million loan from Ottawa for hydroelectric dam repair work

By Eli Ridder The federal government says it will spend more than $260 million to help New Brunswick modernize a pair of energy projects. The bulk of the money is a $219-million loan from the Canada Infrastructure Bank to upgrade the province’s largest hydroelectric dam, located west of Fredericton on the Saint John River. New Brunswick’s electric utility is preparing the 672-megawatt Mactaquac Generation Station for a multibillion-dollar overhaul aimed at extending its operational life to 2068. Natural Resources Canada says the funding will support technical studies, regulatory reviews, First Nations engagement and planning. Crown-owned NB Power decided in 2016 to spend up to $3.6 billion to prolong the life of the dam, which would have otherwise been decommissioned by 2030 due to concrete swelling. Federal Energy Minister Tim Hodgson…

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