The Electricity Act states that NBSO is responsible for maintaining the adequacy and reliability of the integrated electrical power system. NBSO ensures that real-time resource adequacy is maintained through its instructions to generators, load forecasting, outage coordination, and day-ahead planning.

NBSO performs future resource adequacy assessments in accordance with the New Brunswick Electricity Market Rules. NBSO conducts and publishes quarterly 18- month resource adequacy assessments and annually publishes a long-term resource adequacy assessment through the 10-Year Outlook report.

Through its resource adequacy assessments, NBSO determines and allocates capacity obligations to Market Participants. Compliance with these capacity obligations is monitored by NBSO, and NBSO is empowered through the Market Rules to issue financial penalties and sanctions to Market Participants that do not provide their allocated capacity to the electricity market.