Is this an offer we can’t refuse?

There is a natural resistance to change that resides deep inside every one of us. Researchers indicate that acceptation of change is easier when the decision is fully explained – how it was made, why it was made, what the alternatives were, and how it will impact the corporation (in this case, province) and individuals. Based on public reaction so far, the information campaign of the government may have been deficient.

It’s been difficult for many to “buy-into” the sale of NB Power due to the change in story. For years, NB Power has been praised as a crown jewel, one that contributes greatly to the well being of the province. Now we have the spectacle of the government turning on the company, suggesting that is mortally debt-ridden, that it has been mismanaged for generations, and we need to sell it off. If the first story is now a lie, then is the present story actually the truth?

The demonization of NB Power may have merit to some extent, or be necessary to provide the “why it was made”, but it is at the political level where the buck should stop. It is the political classes who have insisted that necessary rate increases be rolled back, that their friends be hired, or not generally allowed professional management.

If NB Power is operated as a business, then it cannot respond to political influence and it’s only benefit to the province is via lower rates. On the other hand, if it submits to the chicanery of political influence, then it becomes ineffective and perhaps a burden on the public by its indebtedness. This is the classic conflict of the capitalist versus state-owned enterprise. While either can work, the principal difference is that financial discipline imposed by the state is less rigorous than the private model.

What is interesting is the path of two public utilities. In the 60’s, Quebec Hydro became the sole developer of new hydro facilities, started nationalizing the patchwork of power companies and created a huge state-owned revenue generator for their province. In 2008, HQ paid a dividend of $2.25 billion built on the wealth of hydro power.

Here, in New Brunswick, we have been on the downhill trail financially for the past thirty years for a number of reasons. In a number of instances, starting with integration of Lepreau into the rate base, inadequate rate increases encouraged debt to soar. There is a saying by mechanics that you can pay me now or pay me later. Well, we’re at that “later” time, it seems.

Our government has been negotiating with Quebec for the better part of a year and recently unveiled a framework for an agreement, called a memorandum of understanding (MOU). It is now signed and further discussion will bring forward a detailed agreement for signature in the spring of 2010.
So let’s talk about the deal as it has been presented to us. HQ proposes to pay us $4.75 billion dollars for the assets of NB Power that it wants. This includes the hydro plants such as Mactaquac, among others, the transmission and distribution system but not the thermal plants such as Dalhousie, Grand Lake and Courtenay Bay which will be closed. Coleson Cove (heavy oil) and Belledune (coal) will remain the assets of New Brunswick but be contracted to supply power at the request of HQ when needed. When judged no longer necessary, they will be decommissioned at New Brunswick’s expense.

What brings some real benefit to New Brunswick is that HQ will sign a supply contract to deliver two blocks of power annually – firstly, 4.5 Terrawatt-hours for industrial customers above 100 kW minimum demand (HQ rate M), and above 5000 kW (rate L). The existing rates would drop about 30% upon signing (6.99 cents to 4.79 cents per kWh), and follow HQ increases for the first five years
After five years, the rate increases would be determined by several items. The energy component would rise by the New Brunswick Consumer Price Index (CPI-NB).

Although the CPI has typically run at 1.9% in recent years, it could rise considerably higher in inflationary times. Given the printing presses pumping out US dollars south of the border, we could be in for significant inflation in the near future.

As well, any power usage greater than the 4.5 TWh heritage pool would be supplied by prices bid in a competitive process governed by the EUB, our public regulator. We don’t know much about this process but we can safely assume that the price would tend to increase rates of the original pool. The transmission and distribution component of the rates would be determined by the EUB based on giving HQ a return on its investment in those facilities. How much will this add to the “1.9 %”? Given that we must upgrade the links with HQ, it could be significant.

We do know that the savings in the first year to industries is $91.6 million or roughly 80% of the benefit, according to a CBC report. According to the President of HQ, Thierry Vandal, it was New Brunswick who decided how the division of benefits would be accorded. If we were to consider only the industrial benefits package, this would indeed be an offer quite difficult to refuse. But there is much more to this story.

NB Power sale to Hydro Quebec – The jury is still out

Like a few brave souls, I haven’t yet made up my mind on the possible sale of NB Power. To me, one should listen to all of the facts first.

Most New Brunswickers have one concern about the proposed sale of NB Power to Hydro-Québec: what will the impact be at their power meters?

Last week, it wasn’t immediately clear to me what motivates the Hydro-Québec purchase of NB Power. After all, we’ve been next door since forever; we’ve traded power back and forth (mostly towards N.B.) and I’m sure it’s been good for both utilities. So why the purchase proposal at this point?

Since then, I’ve done a little research – looking into Hydro-Québec’s strategic planning document on their website. They foresee an 8.5 terawatt-hours reduction of sales to industry and business based on the recent economic downturn. That figure is equivalent to 60 per cent of NB Power’s total annual load. Most interesting is that 25 per cent of the reduction is from the pulp and paper sector in Quebec (2.2 Tw-h). Industry in New Brunswick sees the lower priced energy coming from HQ as part of the solution to their survival. In the Quebec example, lower power rates alone do not guarantee survival.

According to Hydro-Québec, with upcoming expansions in their capacity, “by 2013, we will have nearly 24 TWh at our disposal.” The plan is to export more to Ontario, New England and even into the American Midwest. Now New Brunswick will feature more significantly.

Close to 40 per cent of Hydro-Québec’s profits come from export sales. That’s only natural when your average cost of production is presently 2.2 cents per kWh and the retail cost of energy in New England is roughly between 15 and 20 cents U.S. for residential rates. However, the average retail cost of energy in New Brunswick is only 9.5 cents, giving a lower return than in the U.S. Perhaps New Brunswick is an export road to New England – or, as Newfoundland suggests, perhaps this is a way to tie up existing capacity through New Brunswick.

Historically, N.B. has exported considerable power through its major tie line with Maine. Seeing further possibilities, it constructed a second line in coordination with U.S. utilities in recent years. According to new rules by FERC, the regulatory agency of the U.S. government, utilities must provide access to other utilities to transmit power across their network (for a regulated fee, of course). The auction of capacity on the new line was reserved by Hydro-Québec in 2008 for an annual fee of $10 million. Bingo – the new transmission line blocked off, even though it is little used at this moment by Hydro-Québec. Now, if the proposed sale of NB Power goes through, the original export transmission line is in the hands of Hydro-Québec.

The first benefit to Hydro-Québec is that N.B. will serve as a flexible market for Quebec’s hydro power, ramping up or down local plants as required by Quebec system operators to make the most profit. Plants like Coleson Cove, which burn expensive fuel, will be under contract to Hydro-Québec, probably for winter peaking power. Theoretically, it should operate fewer hours, and that’s a good thing.

Secondly, the proposed agreement would secure a large part of the New England market for Quebec hydro power. That means that P.E.I., trying to export 500 MW of wind power, or Newfoundland with dreams of the Lower Churchill project, will be at the back of the bus. One exporter to New England means no pesky competitors to drive down margins.

Newfoundland could request more capacity from New Brunswick (as per FERC rules) and it would eventually happen, but south of the border, it could be blocked in by a lack of transmission capacity in the U.S. There have been numerous examples of public opposition stalling lines, causing bottlenecks across the U.S. – ironically demonstrating how U.S. law may be more effective in Canada than in their own country.

Perhaps the most significant impact, by delaying transmission paths for Newfoundland either through Quebec or New Brunswick, is the financial uncertainty that accrues to Newfoundland’s financing of the Lower Churchill project, a project that could cost up to $10 Billion and provide 2800 MW’s of power (16.7 TWh).

The legacy of the original Churchill contract between Newfoundland and Quebec remains until 2041. It’s a complicated story, but suffice to say that nobody has disputed Danny William’s assertion that $22 billion of the benefits have gone to Quebec and $1 billion to Newfoundland. The business purists among us would say that a deal is a deal, but shouldn’t we, among provinces, brothers and sisters, search for a greater justice than simple legality? Can I feel comfortable as a Canadian if either Quebec or Newfoundland were unjustly mistreated?

Quebec deserves great credit for their vision and perseverance to develop the hydro resources of its province. However, the lessons learned by Newfoundland have relevance to any contract that New Brunswick may sign with Quebec. As well, for us to sign a contract without ensuring that the aspirations of Newfoundland are fully addressed is detrimental to my vision of a just Canada. In the absence of leadership from the federal government, it remains crucial that Premier Graham modify this agreement in a way that respects all members of this confederation.

What is tragic in this energy competition is that we (in Atlantic Canada) will need all of the hydro power that we can find in coming years to replace fossil fuel for heating homes and businesses in New Brunswick (20%), Nova Scotia (65%), PEI (80%) and Nfld. We burn 1.4 billion litres of furnace oil each year in Atlantic Canada. That’s equivalent to 12.7 TWh or close to the output of the proposed Lower Churchill Falls project. The needs of Atlantic Canada could use most of it’s output before even sending it south of the border. It’s not a case of whether we must have only one winner, Quebec or Newfoundland. We need both and right now.

My next column will look at the deal being offered.

Let’s look at the facts

The announcement of the tentative agreement to sell NB Power is a game changer on the Atlantic Canada political scene, with severe reverberations hitting Newfoundland and to a lesser degree, Nova Scotia. Only Quebec, the originator of the storm, seems immune. Of course, Quebec is 10 times larger than New Brunswick, so the $4.75 billion proposed purchase of NB Power is relatively small potatoes compared to Hydro-Québec’s debt of $35 billion. With total assets of $67 billion their debt-to-asset ratio of 53 per cent is quite healthy.

One of the facts of business life is that most businessmen don’t make difficult choices until it becomes absolutely necessary. Shawn Graham, as CEO of this province, is no different. Nearing the end of his first mandate, he has two financial problems looming – first, the provincial deficit is ballooning and $1 billion may be added for the current year.

Secondly, delays in the refurbishment of Point Lepreau have delivered extra costs to NB Power for the purchase of replacement power. This would make a rate hike unavoidable, and certainly unwelcome before an election.

Given that discussions began early in 2009, it is likely that a sale of NB Power was seen as the neutralizing agent to fix these potentially fatal electoral roadside bombs.

Let’s look dispassionately at the proposal. What is the reality, what is just spin and what is just not true? There are many talk radio shows going on and I’ve listened to a few. Citizens are concerned and want answers.

One of the recurring themes of callers is the idea that Quebec is suspect and their hydro company cannot be trusted to provide power to New Brunswick. We might call it fear of the unknown or fear of significant change in our lives, xenophobia or in some cases Francophobia.

Leaving aside the Quebec-Newfoundland issues related to Churchill Falls for the moment, most observers would say that Hydro-Québec is a well run-utility that is professional and technically competent. Like all large organizations within the state sector and often the private sector, the productivity of employees may leave room for improvement. This also is the case at NB Power, which has consistently avoided making those tough management decisions. (NB Power does find the time to address and implement management bonuses.)

Hydro-Québec regularly delivers power or contracts with utilities south of the border and one doesn’t hear of broken contracts or poor performance. In fact, given the worst case of a separate Quebec outside of Canada, wouldn’t it be extra important for credibility of the new state to fulfill all contracts signed by state organizations like Hydro-Québec?

Could we set aside the Quebec-baiting or fear factor and understand that our own failure to manage NB Power is not the fault of Quebec or their utility?

A second theme mentioned by the government and by some citizens is that NB Power’s debt is unmanageable and we would be unable to reduce it. Not so. For example, under the management of Jim Hankinson between 1996 and 2001, NB Power reduced net debt by $423 million. There is a natural pattern of capital expenditures on new plants in some years and subsequent debt reduction in following years. It happened again after the Coleson Cove rebuild. What remains crucial is good operational cost control and that ongoing capital costs are cut to allow debt to shrink quickly after a major project.

If we compare NB Power’s rates with many others, we can see that the rates are very reasonable. Residential rates in N.B. are 11.66 cents; N.S. is 12.88, and P.E.I. at 17.3 cents; Calgary charges 12.13 cents and New York, 25.3 cents. Only the provinces with significant hydro power, such as Manitoba, B.C. or Quebec, are lower. The same is true for large industrial rates. Ontario charges a cent and a half more than N.B., and who has more industry than our Upper Canadian brothers?

Let’s not fool ourselves that debt at our utility was the reason for the sale or the most important factor. But ever since the building of Lepreau, we haven’t wanted to pay the real cost of electric power, and political leaders from Richard Hatfield down the line wouldn’t bite the bullet and allow rates to rise to lower the debt level. As well, management at NB Power hasn’t controlled costs on a consistent basis. The debt is high but manageable on every level but political, it seems.

We’ve only begun the peeling of this particular onion. This story is quite complex for one column, so let’s look at the self-sufficiency agenda, emissions, peak oil, Newfoundland and lower power rates, on another day. Hopefully, our eyes won’t water too much when we discover the rest of the story.

Why solar thermal energy still shines

Is the sun a renewable resource?  Well, technically it isn’t, as it will burn out in about five billion years.  But for all practical purposes, 5 billion years is the same as a renewal source.  In contrast, world oil production started in 1859 and will start declining sometime in the next five years.  So, what’s the most reliable natural resource to provide our hot water from for our homes? The sun, oil wells, or electricity?

Remember that electricity in New Brunswick is roughly 60 per cent from fossil fuels.

If you chose the sun, you may be on to something sustainable.  People thinking about solar energy systems may confuse solar thermal with solar photovoltaic (that provides the electricity for your calculator).  One of the types of solar thermal uses a liquid, propylene glycol, to avoid freezing concerns while effectively transferring heat from the sun to your hot water.

A typical collector consist of a number of black-painted aluminum fins or plates bonded to copper tubing in a box that’s covered by a tempered glass cover. The glycol is pumped through the collector on a roof or wall, absorbs heat and transfers it, through an exchanger, to a storage tank for use when required. The interesting part is that there’s no charge for the energy provided by the sun, so it’s inflation-proof.

At the surburban home of Gordie Smallwood of Moncton, you can find a solar thermal system he’s built with reclaimed collectors. The collector area on his roof is 160 square feet (roughly 8 x 20 feet). That’s bigger than your typical system. His hot water is totally solar heated, with the excess going to partially heat the house.

As Gordie explains, “this is not rocket science. The technology has been around for a long time and there are lots of good manufacturers out there.” The day I saw his unit, the collector output was at 140 degrees Fahrenheit.

I also spoke with Gordon MacDonald of Harvest Energy Solutions about solar thermal. He suggested that people take all of the energy conservation steps that they can as a first step to energy independence, being the biggest bang for your dollar. Each site has challenges as the building may not have a good southern orientation, the angle of the roof may be less than optimum and shading may exist. The roof structure should be in good physical shape to support the weight of the collectors, and space is required for the storage tank, among other considerations.

The cost of a system will vary depending on your requirements – how much heat can you effectively use? For example, the heating demand of a home varies greatly in a winter and is not required at all in the summer. However, hot water heating requirements are relatively stable throughout the year and therefore more economic to design for.

Apparently, commercial and industrial users of large quantities of water are the big winners with solar thermal, as the economies of scale kick in and many companies use hot water only during the day, minimizing storage requirements. Paybacks are quick.

So, if there is an economic advantage, why aren’t more residences and businesses using solar thermal? Very simply, initial installation costs are in the thousands of dollars, and you can rent an electric water heater from N.B Power for less than $10 a month. Which would most people logically choose? Lower first cost wins almost every time. In addition, there are few installed systems in New Brunswick to serve as comfort for those of us who only believe in what we see. Lastly, with a small number of retailers and trained installers, you may understand why solar hasn’t heated up our interest.

The federal government has several programs that reduce payback time and stimulate the industry. The EcoEnergy Retrofit program provides $1,250. The temporary Home Reno Tax Credit has a maximum benefit of $1,350. And there may be others. Be careful to ensure that you qualify and that you follow all the right steps.

In Kingston, Ont., the utility will provide a two-panel unit for $49 a month. Larger sizes are slightly higher. You can also purchase the system for $5,000, not including installation. Other utilities in Canada are getting involved as well, including Manitoba Hydro, Enmax and FortisBC.

What could New Brunswick do to encourage solar water heating? NB Power provides hot water tanks that use electricity at a monthly rental rate. That electricity mostly comes from non-renewable sources (oil, coal, and natural gas). The province could require NB Power to lease solar thermal hot water systems, as well. At 10,000 new systems per year, that’s 20,000 collectors or more. These could be produced locally if we chose to do so.

If you include all of the installation work, you have the start of a new green industry in New Brunswick.

It’s all in the Performance

Recently, a small industrial owner asked for advice.  He was thinking about converting equipment from oil to electric as a way of saving money.  A quick look at his electric bill indicated that his average cost was 16 cents per kWh, which is relatively high.  His rate for furnace oil was actually lower than his kWh rate and conversion to electric would only worsen his situation. Although most business people are very smart, few understand the complexities of the small industrial rate and the variable first block.  NB Power’s rate design is intended to flatten demand but does it achieve anything but costing some customers more money? The solution chosen by this industrial customer was to reduce the size of compressors and install ground source heat pumps for space heating.  This case made me reflect about NB Power’s lack of progress on rate reform and much more.

In the rarified altitude of NB Power’s 9th floor, there are bigger fish to fry than rates today.  The Lepreau refit, with fuel costs at $1 million per day, must be weighing heavily on David Hay’s mind.  It’s now three months late or $90 million over budget.

His salary and bonus has been in the news virtually every day.   Over at Nova Scotia Power, their CEO is paid $600,000 per year.  Remember Jim Hankinson, the well-respected CEO of NB Power from 1996 to 2002?  He’s now working as CEO at Ontario Power Generation for $1.6 million a year.  That’s one of the companies generated when Ontario Hydro was broken up by the privatization / de-regulation ideology prevalent several years ago.

Although his salary is high by New Brunswick standards, perhaps we should be asking another question – Is David Hay doing the job that he is hired to do in a competent manner? And to be fair, how are the groups directly associated with NB Power playing their roles.  – The Energy and Utilities Board, The Department of Energy and Efficiency New Brunswick.  Are they doing a good job?

The Minister of Energy Jack Keir is ultimately responsible for NB Power.   Mr Keir has indicated that he wants to have NB Power run as an efficient business and operate at arm’s length to the government.   Let’s take the issue of company structure, something that is really outside the domain of CEO Hay.  The previous Conservative government split the corporation up into 5 units and incurred multi million dollars costs for no obvious benefit.  This Liberal government has given no clear direction to NB Power to re-integrate the corporation and reduce costs.  A report was commissioned back in July 2008 with Bill Thompson and Bill Marshall as the authors.  Has this report been given to the minister?

The Department’s major interests are the new refinery and private sector financing and building a second Lepreau unit with power to be sold to New England states.  There are a few problems blocking this project: inadequate transmission capacity south of Maine, no long term contracts signed from US utilities, an unfinished design for the new ACR-1000, and an uncertain future for AECL.  As well, the earliest in-service date would be 2017, the construction cost could be $7.5 billion dollars, and the possibility of cheaper photovoltaic energy being available to customers before that date may be the financial ruin of utilities who buy into the deal.  Aside from these immense obstacles and uncertainties, apparently it’s going well.

If we look over at the EUB and it’s predecessor’s performance over the past twenty years, most objective observers would agree that it has failed to reform and regulate rates.   A couple of examples – Any rate increase below 3% is not subject to review and the revenue-cost ratios are consistently out of the range suggested by the EUB.  Large customers get better rates than small customers and on it goes.  Our energy watchdog is just a cute poodle but it’s not all their fault.  Let’s face it, government wants it that way – An agency with responsibility but little authority.

The folks at Efficiency NB want to see more efficient use of energy and that’s exactly what we need both for NB Power and the citizens of this province.  Roughly three years into their mandate, we see little solid evidence that the agency is achieving its goals.  What percentages of homes in the province have been upgraded?   1%?  2%?    Their annual reports are astoundingly short on detail and context.

So, are EUB, DOE, ENB, NB Power doing a good job?  Respectively, how does ineffective, incompetent, ineffective and not good enough, sound to you?

May I make a few quick suggestions?

1) Give the EUB authority or eliminate the EUB and roll its functions into the Energy Department.  Without real rate reform, we have no incentive to conserve.

2) Premier Graham needs to accept that the energy hub is unlikely to produce anything of value, and re-task the Energy department to do its real job. A maybe solution in 2017 doesn’t cut it.

3) Efficiency NB has not lived up to its mandate.  It has no sense of urgency, and requires attention from government.

4) The Energy Minister should be the chairman of NB Power’s board of directors.  Recombine the corporation into one business unit.

Our modern society provides amazing benefits that result from the incredible energy of liquid fuels such as oil.  Our level of usage is not sustainable and change must begin immediately if we are to re-organize our very survival. The Graham government needs a complete energy reboot.  The question is whether he will press the button or whether the people will do it for him in 2010?

Are we being fuellish?

A NB Power meter reader leaving a truck running while reading meters inspired a citizen to contact the Moncton Times and Transcript.  A story complaining about the choice of vehicle and the apparent lack of concern for the extra cost of fuel drew mixed responses from readers.   Of course, running a business is complicated but energy should not be ignored especially when we are nearly at peak oil.

Utilities know that the day of the meter reader is nearly over.  The number of “smart” meters is increasing each year both at NB Power and Saint John Energy, or it should be.  Apparently, NB Power has 100,000 of these time and energy savers.  One definition of a “smart” meter is one that can measure various quantities like kWh’s, and transfer that information wirelessly back to the utility. There are various technologies that suppliers use but the idea is the same – accurate billing at a lower cost by using new technology with less manpower, vehicles and fuel.  NB Power’s technology requires only that an employee drive by the neighbourhood to receive the signals.

Saint John Energy has an interesting advantage due to compact geography permitting the smart meters to talk directly to the office giving kWh, indication of voltage level and indirectly, whether the power is off at a particular location.

So what is the business case payback now for a massive changeout program? Certainly it is less expensive to simply replace old meters when they are outmoded or broken.  Should we proceed at a faster pace given the cost of fuel and greenhouse gases?

Over the past year, large increases in the cost of fuel for meter reading have likely improved the economics.  Secondly, a 20% decline in the price of crude this month shows that conservation will lower prices.  In fact it doesn’t take a huge reduction in volume to greatly affect what we pay.   Could an accelerated change in meter reading system be a part of an effective conservation effort?  The cost of West Texas intermediate crude averaged $72 in 2007 and may average $119 or higher in 2008. This is a difference of $47 a barrel or a $1.47 trillion dollars increase in cost for the people of the world.  The people of Canada are paying $34 billion more this year as a direct result of inadequate conservation putting pressure on lagging production levels. (2M barrels a day x 365 days x $47)

Could NB Power by itself drive down the world price of oil?  Unlikely, although they do burn a large amount of oil and fuel.  The effort has to include each of us, including companies like NB Power, making serious efforts to choose a smaller footprint.   When I once asked a vehicle coordinator why NB Power was supplying half tons for some employees, the answer given was trucks have a better resale value.  Well, that doesn’t appear to be the case now.  Michel Losier notes that NB Power has 11 hybrid vehicles.  What percentage would that be among the hundreds of vehicles in their fleet?

There are other examples of a lack of recognition of the importance of conservation – An employee lives in one city, but travels morning and night to work in another city at company expense.

Rainy days have seen NB Power’s larger vehicles cruising around burning diesel instead of being parked.  This is a productivity issue, as well as lack of respect for the world’s non-renewable resources. NB Power indicates that they are doing their best to encourage the proper use of vehicles, fuel, and productivity.  These are serious issues no doubt, and pose a number of million dollars in savings each year.  But these are small potatoes really when you look at the cost of coal and oil rising like a meteor.

An interesting commentary came from the Energy and Utility Board on June 26 of this year.  In a report to the minister, they virtually threw up their hands stating that the information provided by NB Power did not permit them to offer a valid opinion on whether the recent 3% rate increase was justified.  What is it between NB Power and the EUB that they can’t transfer needed financial data in a simple and understandable way?  Is NB Power running a shell game or is the EUB a poor communicator of their needs?

The Minister of Energy indicated that he doesn’t have a solution yet for this company that acts as an integrated utility but is legally split into several companies.   It would be interesting to have an Energy minister who addresses this and other serious problems, but more and more, it appears we will have to wait until 2010.  The EUB might think about adding regulation at Saint John Energy, where there are some issues similar to NB Power.

* Minister Jack Keir announced on Friday that “two experts”  William Marshall and William Thompson will study the situation related to NB Power’s corporate structure and make recommendations in a month.  William Thompson was Deputy Minister of Energy overseeing the breakup of NB Power from an integrated utility.   …. It’s nice to be trusted to fix what you broke.

The Real Desperados

The Eagles landed on August 2 in Moncton.  Appearing on stage with their suits and ties they didn’t appear to me to be desperados.  At over a hundred dollars per ticket, and they likely get a large cut of the take, these guys fall into the pirate category.  But they are a professional band and they make great music.  The other bands were excellent as well.

First of all, I’m not a hard core Eagles fan but you run out of excuses for not going to these concerts and compromise is the nature of life.  So I accompanied a real Eagles fan and tried not to be a stick in the mud, especially when we were … trudging through the mud.  Let me give you a tip.  Surrounded by 65,000 people or what seems like a million people in the twilight, and you see a large gap in the crowd, it’s not a carefully maintained transportation corridor.  No, that’s the mud field.

Having a technical background can be a curse when you should be just enjoying the moment and swaying with the music.  You see the infrastructure and wonder how it could be better organized.  Hundreds of people lining up to buy beer tickets, then lining up again to get the beer and you drink it in a beer corral.  Only in New Brunswick where the liquor laws are, shall I say, unique.  Lining up 50 deep to buy pizza.  Maybe there isn’t a way to satisfy the needs of such a large crowd.

What amazed me were the excellent LED screens that provide a gigantic view of the bands on stage for most of the fans who are too far away to actually see the band as other than minuscule figures in the distance.  It struck me that we retain an illusion of being at a concert with the band when in reality, only the front, perhaps 5000 people, are actually there.  The rest of us are watching a super big TV in a field with super audio speakers and the band could just as well be in California or Los Vegas or Timbuktu.

We ended up next to a fisherman from Grand Manan and behind some Newfoundlanders who traveled a long way.  We all had a great time but will we still be able to drive those distances to concerts in the future.  How are we going to maintain the good things we enjoy today or perhaps improve on them? Is the Magnetic Hill concert model really sustainable in the long term?

Suppose that we had smaller outdoor or stadium venues in five, six or more New Brunswick sites and likewise all across North American and the world.  We might have large screens and good audio speakers in place at those sites with the technology to have the bands play at various locations somewhere in the world.  The signal is shared worldwide.

If 1000 sites around the world had 5,000 people paying $10 a head, it would bring in $50 million in one day.  That seems to be reasonable money for any event or promoter for a one-day project.  People could walk, bicycle or bus to local events.   Local bands get to play as part of the package and get great exposure either just locally or perhaps internationally.  We saw part of this technology implemented in the worldwide Live Earth concert in 2007 where a 24-hour concert with 150 artists was shown around the world.

You can say I’m a dreamer and I might be the only one.  Purists will argue that it’s not the same if the bands aren’t physically on site and they may be right.  Down the road though, we may not have a choice, as fuel costs reduce the viewing audience to less than required by promoters.  Perhaps it’s the time to think about our options.

I ran into a NB Power employee at the concert.  Although he looks like a desperado, he assured me he wasn’t getting a bonus.  It triggered a crazy thought.  Are there desperados here in New Brunswick? Are executives at NB Power saddling up for a bag of gold equal to 25% of their salaries?  OK, call it a bonus incentive scheme if you wish.  It seems to be an inside job though, as Chairman McGuire wants them to take the money.  He’s afraid they may leave the gang and he wants them to meet targets (that they will probably set themselves).   The amount of the increase is too small to be seen in rate increases so it doesn’t really affect New Brunswickers greatly.   I find the logic of his arguments to be less than convincing and lacking a little common sense in these tough economic times.

Those NB Power executives I know are very smart and hard working.  The money isn’t the important thing for them. Why were the Deputy Minister’s bonuses announced a week later?  Did they scream me too or were they the real reason for the program?  Was NB Power just the convenient punching bag? So who’s pushing this boondoggle?  Will the real desperado please stand up?

Will wood replace oil?

The cost of oil is rising and will continue to rise. At what price do we say enough is enough and abandon oil as a home heating fuel? That’s a decision that each person has to make. Do governments have a role to play in ensuring warm homes via reasonable heating choices in Canada? Most of us would say yes.

Governments may be still unaware of the nature of this emergency. They can recognize hurricane or flood damage. If there were no fuel it’s would be easy to understand. But rising prices can be tricky. Is it a permanent condition? How bad will it get? The funny thing is that world oil production hasn’t even started to decline yet. It’s just a little less than demand. Imagine when the real decline starts. So let’s talk about our vulnerabilities.

80% of homes in PEI, 25% in New Brunswick and roughly 65% of Nova Scotia use oil as the heat source. Approximately 1.3 billion liters of fuel oil are burned each year in Atlantic Canada. At last years price of 91 cents, that was $1.2 billion. At present day prices of $1.43 / liter, the new bill is $1.86 billion, a difference of $660 million. Next year, who knows? If families locked in a good price last fall, the sticker shock will only hit them later this year.

Over the next few years there will be a large-scale migration from unaffordable oil to other sources of heat due, as peak oil becomes a reality. There will be a burning platform with people diving to another fuel. The key question is what the alternate heating source will be and what are the implications of this massive shift?

First of all, we should realize that the limited Enbridge network will provide little relief outside of portions of Fredericton, Moncton and Saint John. Unfortunately, Efficiency NB hasn’t existed long enough to make a dent in the efficiency levels of our antiquated housing stock. Elizabeth Weir and Enbridge recently announced that they are contributing $2250 / $7,000 towards a $10,000 per person conversion program from electric heat to natural gas.

To put our oil refugee’s plight into perspective, 1.3 billion liters of fuel oil is equivalent to 11.5 billion kWh’s or 11 times the annual usage of Saint John Energy. It is 61% of the output of NB Power’s system. The peak that it would create on the Atlantic grid would be 2500 MW or more, which is equivalent to four new Lepreau 1 units or 2.5 units of the new AECL 1000.

Looking at a wood alternative, we would have to cut 2.8 million cords of wood to replace this volume of oil. To compare, the existing residential usage of hardwood in New Brunswick is roughly 500,000 cords each year.

But what about New Brunswick? My guess is that 60,000 homes are heated with oil. Assuming an average usage of 2500 liters per home, that’s 150 million liters or $214 million out of NB consumers pockets annually at today’s price. The replacement of this energy by electricity would require 1.4 billion kWh’s, from a power station of 420-Megawatt capacity, which is similar in size to the Belledune coal station. Note that this oil is consumed in the winter causing a large peak load. The cost of Belledune plant was $1 billion, if I remember correctly.

Francis McGuire, chairman of NB Power’s board indicated recently that even if the private sector doesn’t build Lepreau 2, then NB Power could proceed on it own by 2022. Has NB Power considered where New Brunswickers using oil heat are going to jump when the price of oil is $250 a barrel? Last time, it was towards NB Power. How would NB Power make up for the kWh shortfall? By burning heavy oil at Coleson Cove at a loss?

Jack Keir, Minister of Energy, has been suggesting Lepreau 2 as an economic development tool leveraged by private investment. Are the promoters presently waiting for government to meet some conditions? It’s a moot point as its completion date is too far into the future for application to the present problem.

Using wood as a solution requires an additional 332 thousand cords to be harvested annually to displace the New Brunswick fuel oil requirement. This shouldn’t be a problem with mills shutting down. Pellets and briquettes can use softwood that is compressed to provide the same heat density of hardwood, with less moisture content.

Wood heat could very quickly meet the requirements of a conversion program. The reduction of oil purchases of 943,000 barrels would retain $137 million a year in the New Brunswick economy as opposed to sending it offshore. Over the years, this would be the equivalent of investing over a billion dollars in the local economy. If Efficiency NB extended their offer of $2,250 to oil heat customers converting to wood, it would go a long way toward alleviating the problems of oil prices. The cost of the providing stoves would be $135 million (60,000 x $2,250), probably spent over a number of years.

The use of EPA rated stoves ensures an efficiency of 70% and emissions that are less than 10% of previous generation stoves. In urban areas, the use of pellet or briquettes may have to be mandatory with round wood as a rural option.

We are at the beginning of an emergency, perhaps a low intensity war. This change from low cost energy to high cost energy will sap our resources, leave us poor and eventually cold. If we fail to adapt to the heating oil challenge as well as the other aspects of peak oil, we lose. Do you see the leadership that we need to ensure that we don’t freeze in the dark?

Oil Crisis calls for innovation

In previous articles of this series, I suggested that high oil prices are a significant danger to electrical rate stability and we need to take energy self-sufficiency seriously. A big tilt towards high efficiency, low emission wood burning is a start. There are many other ideas, some with little or no cost that can make a big difference. You may find some items a little boring and technical so just skip over any items that don’t interest you.

2) Institute a province wide changeout of Christmas lighting to LED technology. Based on the figures in my article of January 07 entitled “The value of thinking small”, NB Power could save up to 35,000 barrel of heavy fuel oil a year ($2.8 M @ 80 / barrel). In addition greenhouse gases are reduced by 18,000 tonnes a year (worth $450,000 @ $25 / ton)

The cost of a changeout program would be about $5 million with a payback of less than two years. Saint John Energy made a start in this direction in November 2007

3) Advance legislation on light efficiency from 2011 to 2008.
Going from incandescents to higher efficiency lighting isn’t rocket science. It doesn’t cost a lot to government either. The government of Shawn Graham has indicated that it will legislate the issue in 2011. Why wait for 2011? Ireland is implementing legislation in 2009.

The value of conversion to higher efficiency lights is probably in the range of 188,000 barrels of heavy oil but could be more or less. The annual fuel savings to NB Power could be as high as $15 million. Subtract lower kWh sales of $9.3 million and you have a net benefit to NB Power of $5.7 million.

4) Introduce Electric Thermal Storage (ETS) furnaces or heaters similar to those used in Nova Scotia or Quebec. Supplying electricity poses some difficulties because the demand changes greatly over the course of 24 hours. There is very little demand at night when people are sleeping and much higher when everyone showers or is getting ready for work in the morning. Peak load timing may vary depending on the components of commercial or industrial load.

Utilities meet the varying load curve with the lowest cost generation first, such as nuclear or hydro, followed by coal, with natural gas, oil and diesel being the last to run. The sequence may vary somewhat depending on the cost structure of each utility. Not surprisingly, flattening the load curve can pay big dividends. The ETS device turns on and stores heat in a ceramic brick core during the night when the electrical load is low and releases heat as required during the day. Nova Scotia has implemented a time of use scheme where the power rates are much lower at night facilitating these devices.

Not every building will be converted off electric heat. This technology has a place in the mix of solutions. This EUB may wish to investigate.

5) Revisions to demand charges on commercial and industrial customers.

Utilities like NB Power introduced a demand charge to certain classes of customers to entice customer to flatten their load. In most cases the result has been less than satisfactory. The demand meter records the monthly peak and a charge per kW is added on the bill. Although the customer cannot mathematically reduce his demand below the average demand he is charged between 0 kW and the average demand.

A better approach would be to charge demand on only the difference between the peak and average monthly demand because that is what the customer could actually affect. Done with a higher $ / kW and a revenue neutral approach, it would actually encourage more customers to invest in load control. This may interest the EUB.

6) Review the specifications for wind turbines supply contracts.
The use of wind turbines has the potential to reduce the use of heavy fuel oil in the province. However, there are some technical problems to overcome before more than 10 or 15% of the system load can be supplied by this technology.

First, most types of wind turbines are induction motors, which cannot supply “vars” to the system and create stability problems under certain conditions. One company at least, Enercon, builds a synchronous generator with no direct coupling to the power system. Power electronics simulate the attributes of a typical power generator including var supply. This might permit higher system participation assuming the other issue of scheduling of the wind can be resolved to some degree.

Not the last or the least of ideas is the use of combined heat and power (CHP), which will be the subject of an article soon. But the journey of a thousand kilometers begins with the first step. We are ready to take that first step but in what direction? The Department of Energy has, as its prime function, the security of supply and the reasonable cost of the energy supplied to the citizens of New Brunswick. There is little spare oil production capacity in the world according to some OPEC sources.

Our department seems to hold the belief that the near doubling of crude oil prices has little significance and that the market system will soon correct the temporary supply problems. From the outside, it appears that the principal departmental activity is marketing the energy hub concept – exporting of power or energy.
The recent appointment of Shelley Rinehart, whose expertise is in marketing, would seem to confirm that.

The government is 17 months into its mandate without an up to date energy policy. The issue of rising oil prices and particularly heavy oil cost for NB Power may become an albatross around the neck of Shawn Graham, his own “Hurricane Katrina” on a scale that will mark his legacy.

Build a wood-fired energy market

My previous article pointed out that a $2 billion dollar problem is developing at NB Power.  No, it’s not Orimulsion again but it’s related.  That previous $2 billion incident was the loss of long-term savings between low cost Orimulsion fuel and the world price of oil that evaporated when the agreement with Venezuela went sour.

Since then, the price of crude has gone through the roof.  Back in 2002, heavy oil was $15 a barrel and today it’s roughly $60.  It’s going considerably higher as the utility’s18-month hedging of prices moves along.  NB Power hedges to know well in advance what it will pay down the road.

The increasing price of heavy oil will cost $100 million extra this year and perhaps $175… or $200 million next year. NB Power has been pointing out that its oil costs are rising.   They have been working on displacing oil with a small percentage of petroleum coke and that could save $60 million.

The Energy department has not yet revised its energy policy but perhaps we will see some new ideas in the spring.  In the meantime, I have a suggestion today that will set us on the right direction for self-sufficiency.

Get a large number of NB Power’s electric heat customers off electric and onto wood or natural gas.  The essential elements are:
* A customer will buy or be leased a high efficiency, low emissions stove from an approved list.
* The kWh reduction between the months of October and March on the customer’s bills will be reimbursed at a rate to be determined, perhaps 3 cents.  For example, if the customer bills were reduced by 15,000 kWh, then the rebate would be $450.  This rebate would continue for four years.  The funds for the program might be split 50/50 between NB Power / Government.

The program would encourage customers to participate by effectively paying a substantial portion of the heating appliance over the time period.  NB Power would benefit over the long term by a lower oil bill.  The provincial government would benefit from the multiplier effect of the money staying and circulating in the province as opposed to being sent offshore to oil-rich countries.  As well, the reduction of greenhouse gases could be considerable.

Let’s look at an example to understand it better.  Supposing NB Power had 20,000 participating customers each of whom would save 15,000 kWh in year 1.  That becomes 300 million kWh / year savings.  It would reduce NB Power’s oil bill by 483,870 barrels a year (10% of oil burnt) or $38.7 Million dollars (at $80/barrel).   KWh sales would diminish by $24 million and the subsidy program would cost them $4.5 million for a net gain of $10.2 million.

The cost to government (year 1) would be $4.5 million.  The $38.7 million dollars formerly spent on imported oil now remains in New Brunswick mainly for labour and machinery to cut / split wood, and delivering the product to NB homes.  Refocusing the money back into the community brings enough income tax to the government to pay for the subsidy program.  Each year, the program grows by 20,000 until the fifth and final year when the subsidies begin to taper out.  It is conceivable that NB Power’s oil consumption could be cut in half.  The inclusion of commercial and industrial customers in this program will ensure these savings goals are reached.

The possibility of selling 20,000 stoves a year should be adequate incentive to install a manufacturing plant in NB. (20,000 @$2500 = $50 Million)

As increases in demand for wood fuel increase and this is not a small program, government may consider providing support for community-based pellet or briquette plants at a number of locations around the province.  This could take the form of loan guarantees or product purchases for a short time.

George Jenkins, a forest researcher, indicates that a significant number of local plants could be supported by the softwood biomass in the province.  It also appears that the economic damage due to the downturn in the lumber and paper industry could be alleviated by the relatively small investments in this plan.

New Brunswick is vulnerable to large increases in the cost of electricity in the near future.  A plan of this size could cut future power rate increases in half, put people back to work in the rural areas of the province, and reduce greenhouse gas by as much as 1.2 million tonnes per year.

NB Power’s total investment of $90 million, spread over 8 years, is totally paid for by reduced oil purchases.  The Province’s investment is also $90 million over the same period, plus investments ensuring the supply side is ready for the sharp increase in demand.

The direct economic development impact of this plan is $820 million.  Would these dollars contribute to self-sufficiency in Dalhousie and Miramichi where the mills are closing as well as other small communities that have lost their sawmill?   The alternative is to sit and watch an extra $2 billion dollars in fuel costs fly out the window to Saudi Arabia or Venezuela between now and 2016.

The next article will provide other suggestions.