Energy Minister Jonathan Wilkinson is meeting in Ottawa today with the premiers of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick as the federal government looks to help both get off coal power by the end of the decade. Wilkinson rises during Question Period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Thursday, Sept. 21, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Patrick Doyle
OTTAWA – Energy Minister Jonathan Wilkinson is meeting in Ottawa today with the premiers of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, seeking an agreement to help the two provinces get off coal power by the end of the decade.
Wilkinson invited Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston and New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs to Ottawa in August after publishing a draft of federal clean electricity regulations.
The regulations require all electricity produced in Canada be free of greenhouse gas emissions by 2035.
Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Saskatchewan are the only provinces that still rely heavily on burning coal for electricity.
The meeting comes less than a week after Nova Scotia pulled back on the idea of building new electricity connections with New Brunswick and Quebec, citing ballooning costs and a lack of commitment from Quebec to share more power.
The Atlantic Loop was intended to build new electricity links to share hydro power from Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 16, 2023.
