'When
you look at energy in the longer term, a lot of our renewable energy
resources, wind energy, it's all in the north,' says Deputy Energy
Minister Claire LePage, who is the government representative on the
energy hub task force. LePage is originally from northern New Brunswick
and says sometimes the energy hub is not very well understood.
"For
me it's very different because it's this group of industry, university,
community people - it's really an entrepreneurial group in many ways,"
she says of the task force, which was formed in July.
LePage
sat down with the Telegraph-Journal to discuss the energy sector,
including opportunities for the north and the information and
communications technology sector, as well as the need for increased
education and training to face the coming wave of retirements.
Q: What is the Department of Energy's role in the task force?
A:
The energy sector development is really an investment attraction
strategy, an economic agenda. It's about attracting capital to New
Brunswick and it's about putting in place the right conditions for
investment - making sure that energy here in New Brunswick is
competitive so companies can grow.
So
there's a whole policy side of it. For example, the natural gas
discoveries around Sussex - we have to make sure that we put a system in
place that will capitalize on those resources that we have in our
backyard. So companies can take advantage of low cost natural gas prices
over the next few years, which are going to be very competitive. We
have to make sure the policy framework is appropriate for companies in
New Brunswick to have competitive energy costs, but also to attract
companies to invest in New Brunswick.
Q: What opportunities do you see for the development of the energy sector?
A:
When you look at the energy portfolio of the province or the utility,
it's getting greener and greener all the time. There are a lot of
companies looking at green energy from a corporate perspective -
investing and even fuelling their company with clean power. So that's an
interesting element to this agenda.
I'm
originally from northern New Brunswick and sometimes the energy hub is
not very well understood. People tend to think it's more Saint
John-centric. It's a reality that a lot of the energy investments or
assets are in the Greater Saint John and Sussex area right now. But when
you look at energy in the longer term, a lot of our renewable energy
resources, wind energy, it's all in the north. There are interesting
infrastructure assets in the north like the Port of Belledune for
modular fabrication. The whole supply chain is interesting.
The
broadband connectivity of the province is a really great strength to
attract capital and the ICT sector is another area of development in
terms of energy solutions. Companies like Shift Energy, locally based
companies that can partner up with big companies like IBMs, Ciscos or
whatever. We've got a real agenda that's working there. And it's maybe
not traditional for the Department of Energy to work in that sector but
we view that as part of the supply chain in the energy sector.
We
need to ensure that our workforce is skilled for future big projects
like nuclear or transmission projects. We need a skilled workforce to
attract investment here and the colleges and the universities have a
real business opportunity as I look at it. There's such an aging of the
workforce that's occurring worldwide and in Atlantic Canada and New
Brunswick - it's really serious. Just look at the demographic profile of
our utility, NB Power, or government for that matter - there's a real
aging of a very highly skilled workforce. We have to reach into our
schools and universities much much earlier to make sure that we have the
kids that are properly tooled with the skill sets - professional or
trades - to fill those jobs.
Those
jurisdictions that have a combination of the right investment
conditions, policy, people and a nimble government or community that
gets the bigger picture, are going to be those that attract investment.
Q: What are your thoughts on the prospect of a second nuclear reactor being built in the province?
A:
I think it's still early going but Areva (Inc.) has done quite a bit of
work on the market. They're a big player with deep pockets. I talk to
them on a regular basis and they're moving very fast. They've mobilized a
lot of their people working on the file. They understand the market
opportunity and I think it's pretty encouraging really.
I
think you have to manage community expectations properly. Because, for
example, a project may be at the stage of making investment decisions
and suddenly the U.S. market goes into a really serious recession - that
can stall a project totally and it's not in the control of that
company. The shift of the auto sector last year, and the refinery, those
conditions can turn around very quickly. And they're big investment
decisions. They're planning for 40-year investment decisions - billions
of dollars of investment, so I think you have to go at it practically
and not oversell on the project to raise false hope. And Areva seems to
be very conscious of that. They have lots of work to do in terms of the
licensing process and feasibility study. Getting their investors lined
up. It's a long-term project.
Third in a series of conversations with members of the energy hub task force.
Chris Williams, APR
Energy Hub Alliance Communications
Energy Hub Alliance Communications
Tel: 506-658-3189
Cell: 506-721-2602
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