Our Insights Podcast this week features a conversation with Ryan Mitchell, the CEO of Saint John Energy, one of nine independent municipal electric utilities in Atlantic Canada. Saint John Energy was created in 1922 and is owned by the City of Saint John. The company serves 38,000 customers and has a staff of 125. About 85% of its power is purchased from NB Power on a wholesale basis, while the remainder is from a ten turbine wind farm owned by a third party. The utility prides itself on its reliability which is ranked amongst the highest in Canada according to Mitchell, partially due to the benefits of having a lot of underground infrastructure. The company offers the lowest rates in Atlantic Canada. The company is in the process of updating its smart meters and Mitchell talks about the future possibility of time of day rates for use to manage peak demand. He also talks about the need for more capacity to support economic development in the Saint John area. The company capital budget in the coming year is about $20 million. This is an interesting look at a mostly unknown segment of the electricity market in the region.
What is Insights with Don Mills and David Campbell- An Acadia Broadcasting Podcast?
This podcast combines the experiences of an economist, David Campbell and a social scientist, Don Mills, to explore the challenges and opportunities facing Atlantic Canada, to promote data-driven decision making among policymakers and to encourage a wider dialogue and debate leading to greater prosperity for the region. Expect to hear interviews with the top influencers, business leaders and decision-makers across Atlantic Canada to inform, educate and expand the conversations on the key issues facing the region.