I can't say I disagree with the Government's plan to serve all of New Brunswick w/ high speed internet. Whether you can thank Jack Carr's human rights complaint is debatable. It will also be interesting to see how they go about connecting everyone to the high speed grid, and what exactly the government will define as "high speed" internet.
More important, though, is that 93% of New Brunswick energy customers do not have access to what is described as the cleanest, greenest, and cheapest fuel: natural gas. Enbridge signed a 20 year distribution conctract with NB in 1999. Since then, they've made natural gas available to 29,000 customers. By comparision, NB Power serves 373,000 customers. In 9 years in operation in the province, and by picking up all the low hanging fruit, Enbridge can only claim 7% market penetration.
Natural gas is now available in limited parts of Greater Moncton, Fredericton, Saint John, Sackville, St George, and St Stephen. In Fredericton, natural gas is not available in Marysville, New Maryland, Pepper Creek or Silverwood. Most of the west side of Saint John cannot connect to the grid, nor can large chunks of Dieppe. If you live anywhere north of Fredericton, you are completely out of luck.
This province is still heated mostly by oil and electricity (produced by burning diesel fuel at Coleson Cove). If Enbridge is not willing to connect customers to the grid, the market should be opened up to competition. Anyone who bought the Telegraph-Journal over the weekend will have seen a large ad from Irving Wallboard and Flakeboard making the same argument.
We are positioning NB as an energy hub to the northeastern United States. To promote this goal without focusing on essential energy demands at home is irresponsible. The vast majority of NB relies on highly inefficient baseboard electricity and costly fuel oil for home heat. We deserve a better option. If Enbridge cannot supply that option, allow somebody else to try.
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