Overview
- Premier Susan Holt announced the review on Wednesday, launching a five-month public process that could recommend lifting the decade-old fracking ban and will deliver findings in January 2027.
- The government says rising costs, projected budget shortfalls and recent U.S. trade measures drove the decision to reassess whether local gas can provide revenue and greater energy autonomy.
- Ministers pledged that First Nations consultation will be central to the process and that no fracking would proceed unless regulators and communities are satisfied it can be done safely.
- There are currently no private-sector projects ready to start, the government noted, while New Brunswick estimates about 77.9 trillion cubic feet of recoverable gas and a 2019 Sussex exemption already allows limited local extraction.
- The move splits opinion: Progressive Conservatives and some industry groups support reopening debate for jobs and royalties, while environmental and community groups warn about groundwater, wastewater and health risks that would require new infrastructure and strict oversight.