Belledune generating station focus of political jousting in N.B.

New Brunswick's Progressive Conservatives and Liberals may have found a rough consensus on climate change policy, but that didn't stop themfrom partisan finger-pointing Friday over the phaseout of coal at N.B. Power's Belledune generating station.

Premier Blaine Higgs and his ministers traded accusations and counter-accusations with Liberal MLAs over the federal government's decision not to give the Belledune plant a 10-year extension on burning coal.

That decision means the province and N.B. Power have just more than eight years to find another source of electricity to make up for the power generatedat Belledune.

But rather than debate those alternatives, the Liberal opposition made accusations that Higgs hadn't even asked Ottawa for the extension.

"There was never any official request in writing to the federal government to extend, by 10 years, the operation of Belledune, using coal," leader Roger Melanson said in question period.

"I want to see it. I do not believe what this government is saying. I want to see it on paper."

In fact, in June the province published draft regulations online on capping greenhouse gas emissions from electricity generation. It said publicly those rules "will form the basis of the province's equivalency discussions with the federal government."

Those proposals, which would have spread the same cumulative volume of emissions out to 2040, were also reported on at the time by media organizations.

"The leader of the Opposition may think he's got a revelation here, but it really isn't," Higgs said. "It may be in the [newspaper], so we could cut it out and send it to you, or send it online."

The premier also took his own share of partisan shots at the opposition.

"The Liberal philosophy is always coming at it from the other end: how much money do you have to spend, regardless of how many projects you have that make sense to spend it on?" he said.

The contentious exchanges belied the general consensus between the two parties on the broad brushstrokes of climate policy. Both the PCs and Liberals:

• Have accepted that Belledune can't burn coal past 2030.

• Agree on an emissions reductions target of 10.7 megatonnes by the same year.

• Support the "Atlantic Loop" concept that would see a five-province regional power grid share more non-emitting hydroelectric power.

• Have instituted carbon pricing to create incentives to reduce fossil fuel consumption.

• Have subsidized small modular nuclear reactors as another alternative to fossil-fuel based electricity generation.

Higgs acknowledged the policy congruence but added: "Whether you can ever harness those similarities in a meaningful way is the debate."

On Friday it appeared they could not.

The Liberals also accused the government of concealing when they knew Belledune would not get an extension, an allegation that was harder for the premier to refute.

The premier told reporters that for months, Ottawa "absolutely told us they're not interested in talking about anything to do with an extension on Belledune" and that a final, definitive "No" came three or four weeks ago.

"They just continued not to even address our suggestions or proposals that we've had around an equivalency agreement. The 'No' has been consistent from Ottawa."

But the premier couldn't explain in that case whyEnvironment and Climate Change Minister Gary Crossman wouldn't say that earlier this week.

Crossman said Tuesday he met Nov. 19 with his federal counterpart Steven Guilbeault and "did ask about flexibility, and we're looking forward to the next meeting coming up, hopefully in the near future."

Higgs said he wasn't sure why Crossman didn't reveal what the province already knew at that point.

"You'll have to ask him that because I don't know about the conversation on Tuesday. I know Ottawa has never entertained our equivalency agreement discussions or negotiations."

Confirmation of the Belledune decision came Wednesday in response to a question to Guilbeault's office from CBC News.

Higgs said without Belledune operating, N.B. Power could be forced to raise power rates for consumers by 15 or 20 per cent

But he also said that the Atlantic Loop could provide enough electricity to make up for the plant's lost generation.

The loop would link huge power dams in Quebec and Labrador with electricity grids in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, allowing emissions-free electricity to move back and forth between five provinces to meet demand.

In a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Oct. 25, Higgs asked the federal government for $5 billion to help New Brunswick and other provinces upgrade transmission links.

On Friday, the Liberals demanded that Higgs commit at least some of that money to help the economyin the Restigouche-Chaleur region, where the closure of the Belledune plant would cost about 100 direct N.B. Power jobs and even more indirect positions.

Higgs said his government is committed to helping the economy in the area, but he said past governments have made costly mistakes by forcing N.B. Power to undertake expensive projects when a business case didn't exist.

"We may very well be able to invest it, hopefully in the region, for future generation, but it needs to be something based on decision-making criteria that say this makes sense for the taxpayers and the region," he said.

Green Party Leader David Coon said the Chaleur region would be an ideal setting for new clean energy generation, including solar and wind power.

"It's a fantastic opportunity," he said. "We just need the imagination to seize it and the resources to pursue it.".

After the sharp PC-Liberal partisan exchanges Friday, Coon pointed out Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston took "a very different approach" in early October by convening a meeting of all provincial party leaders and federal MPs to discuss the Atlantic Loop.

"It really lands, to me, at the feet of the premier for not inviting everyone in to the circle to let us know what's been going on."