Mactaquac Dam becomes an election issue

The future of the Mactaquac Dam became an election issue in New Brunswick Thursday.

The power-generating dam is aging and will be unusable in 15 years. Estimates for replacing it run past $1 billion.

Progressive Conservative candidates David Alward and Brian MacDonald stopped at the dam Thursday; Alward launched his 2010 campaign at the same spot.

In 2010, he focused on the previous Liberal governments decision to sell NB Power, a decision many feel contributedto their defeat.

Most certainly the assumption shouldn't be made today in 2014, but we know that Mactaquac plays a vital role in our energy portfolio, and in a growing renewable portfolio, so that's certainly an important aspect that has to be taken into consideration, Alward said Thursday.

• NB Power invests $2.3M to study Mactaquac Dam

The Liberals, NDP and Peoples' Alliance say they lean towards keeping the dam running, either through rebuilding or refurbishment.

The Green Party says it needs to know more before making a decision.

NB Power offers three possibilities:

• remove the dam and restore the river
• maintain the earthen dam but no longer generate power
• refurbish or replace it at cost of a up to $2 billion

NB Power hopes to have the three options reduced to one by 2016, and is looking for an answer on the future of the damby 2019.

In 1967, it was celebrated as a dam that would last a century and be a nearly perpetual source of clean energy.

But a chemical reaction with the rock used as aggregate causes the concrete in the dam toexpand. That will make it inoperable by 2030.