New Brunswick residents press renewable energy plan

Some New Brunswick residents have delivered a petition of 650 signatures supporting a citywide community energy aggregation program that would allow residents and businesses to purchase 100 percent renewable electricity by the year 2035.They are seeking to establish the creation of the New Brunswick Community Energy Aggregation program. This would enable the city to purchase energy at discounted bulk rates, and to set guidelines about the sources of electricity used by city residents.

The residents cite threats posed by climate change, as well as pollution generated by fossil fuel energy projects, as reasons for taking action. The New Brunswick City Council can either decide to pass the ordinance, or put the question to voters in the November election.

The project has been spearheaded by the New Brunswick office of Food & Water Watch, a national advocacy organization.