Why can’t Nova Scotia phase out of fossil fuels faster?
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Nova Scotia NDP leader Claudia Chender wonders why the provincial government doesn’t rewrite the agreement. In March 2022, she introduced a private member’s bill to direct the province to study the “advantages and disadvantages” of bringing Nova Scotia Power—either in whole or in part—back under public ownership.
“This government came to power telling people that they were going to do their homework, and that all options were on the table,” Chender told The Coast in February. “And so one of our responses to that was to say, ‘Great, here’s some homework. Let’s understand the ownership structure of our utility, what it is and what it could be, and how it would best serve Nova Scotians.’”
She believes there are “lots of reasons” why Nova Scotia might want to reassume control of its power grid—“particularly when it comes to adding more renewable energy to that grid and having an open competition for where that renewable energy comes from. Because right now, Nova Scotia Power really holds the keys to that kingdom.”
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Chender proposed such an amendment in a separate private member’s bill, also introduced in March 2022. It went into second reading last November. (Timberlea-Prospect MLA Iain Rankin supported the bill, calling it a “positive thing to broaden a mandate for the Utility and Review Board,” and saying it would “move the needle towards the public interests.” The bill faced stiffer opposition from the governing PC Party, whose MLA Kent Smith, representing Eastern Shore, said, “We’re not going to advance this piece of legislation in the exact way that the Opposition would prefer, but we have taken a multitude of steps to lower individuals’ power bills.”)
Chender has been diplomatic in her response to how her bills have been received.
“We’re still hoping that the government makes good on their promise of doing their homework,” she told The Coast in February.
“I really believe that people want power that is affordable, reliable and green,” she added. “And right now, we’re not really getting any of those.”
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