Bill 9: An Act to Amend the Electricity Act

The primary entity directly affected is NB Power, New Brunswick's Crown utility, which must set up and maintain a dedicated deferral account for nuclear pre-development spending covering site studies, regulatory planning, Indigenous and community engagement, and technical work. From April 1, 2030, the accumulated costs — including financing charges — will be folded into NB Power's revenue requirements and passed through to ratepayers via electricity rates. This means virtually every business operating in New Brunswick that pays an electricity bill could see a rate impact once cost recovery begins. Larger industrial or commercial electricity consumers, such as manufacturers, data centres, or resource-sector operations, are most exposed given the scale of their energy costs, but even small retailers and office-based businesses will feel it through their utility bills.