Local leaders in northwestern New Brunswick are accusing N.B. Power of prioritizing cross-border energy exports over the reliability of the local power grid, calling the decision to upgrade transmission lines serving Maine a “glaring injustice” to their residents and businesses.
The tension reached a boiling point following N.B. Power’s announcement that upgrade work will begin in May on transmission lines 88 and 89. These specific lines are responsible for transporting electricity across the border into the United States, serving approximately 58,000 people in northern and eastern Maine.
While the utility focuses on these international connections, municipal leaders in the region argue that Line 70—the primary artery supplying electricity to the Edmundston area—remains in a state of critical disrepair. The aging line has been a recurring source of outages, often occurring during periods of peak demand when temperatures are at their most extreme.
A tale of two lines
The geographic irony is not lost on local officials. Transmission lines 88 and 89 run parallel to Line 70, yet the investment strategy appears to favor the former. For the residents of Edmundston and the neighbouring municipality of Haut-Madawaska, the consequences of this disparity are measured in hours of darkness and significant economic disruption.
Eric Marquis, who recently secured re-election as Mayor of Edmundston, noted that the outages are not merely an inconvenience but a systemic threat to community stability. He observed that when the line fails, the outages tend to be prolonged, specifically during the warmest or coldest times of the year when the grid is under the most stress.
“So each and every time it happens, we know that it’s for a long time and we know it’s really problematic for our community, our businesses, our hospitals,” Marquis said.
The infrastructure gap is a long-standing issue. According to Marquis, Line 70 has been flagged for necessary replacement as far back as 2005, yet the utility’s current roadmap prioritizes the poles and lines serving the American market.
Economic volatility in the Northwest
The impact of unreliable power extends far beyond residential discomfort, cutting deep into the economic fabric of the province’s northwest panhandle. In Haut-Madawaska, a municipality formed through the 2023 local government reforms, the instability of the grid is viewed as a direct threat to industrial investment.
Nancy Ann Landry, the mayor-elect of Haut-Madawaska, emphasized that the repeated failures of Line 70 are causing “disastrous economic losses” for local industries. The region is home to a significant poultry processing sector in Saint-François-de-Madawaska, an industry that relies heavily on consistent power to maintain food safety and operational continuity.
“And we, in the Northwest, are completely ignored by this crown corporation,” Landry stated, noting that the outages affect everything from local pharmacies and nursing homes to large-scale industrial employers.
Landry expressed a nuanced position on the utility’s obligations, noting that while the municipality does not dispute the importance of serving Maine, the local infrastructure must be the immediate priority. She reported that the municipality was informed that upgrades to Line 70 could potentially take five years to complete—a timeline that local leaders find unacceptable given the current frequency of failures.
N.B. Power responds to claims of neglect
N.B. Power has pushed back against the narrative that it is unfairly prioritizing international customers over New Brunswick residents. Philippe Landry, the interim vice-president of operations for N.B. Power, stated that the work on the lines toward the United States is driven by the specific need to replace aging poles.
He denied that the utility is prioritizing certain lines over others, maintaining that work on Line 70 is ongoing. However, the utility has been less forthcoming with detailed timelines for the local community and a spokesperson was unavailable for a direct interview following the initial outcry.
The complexity of the region’s energy profile adds another layer to the debate. While the City of Edmundston manages its own local distribution and generates a portion of its own electricity through two hydro facilities, it remains heavily dependent on N.B. Power via Line 70 for its total energy requirements. This leaves the city’s critical infrastructure—including hospitals—vulnerable to the reliability of a single, aging transmission link.
The cross-border energy dynamic
The relationship between New Brunswick’s energy grid and the state of Maine is a vital economic artery. In northern and eastern Maine, 58,000 residents rely on N.B. Power for their essential services. Because these areas are not connected to the larger-scale regional power grid in southern Maine, they have no alternative source for electricity.
This dependency has previously entered the realm of provincial politics. Last year, Premier Susan Holt opted against using power supplies to Maine as a retaliatory measure during trade tensions with the United States, highlighting the sensitive nature of this energy corridor.
The current dispute reflects a broader tension in energy policy: the balance between maintaining essential domestic infrastructure and managing the commitments of a utility that serves as a key regional energy exporter.
Moving forward, local officials are seeking concrete answers. Mayor Marquis has confirmed he will meet with N.B. Power in the coming weeks to demand a definitive timeline for the replacement of Line 70. The outcome of that meeting will likely determine whether the northwestern panhandle can finally move past years of energy instability.
If you have information regarding local utility service or infrastructure concerns, please share your views with us.
