Government Amends Electricity Act

Government is amending the Electricity Act to make it possible to add more clean, renewable energy to Nova Scotia’s electricity system.

The changes will create the Green Choice Program that gives large electricity customers the ability to purchase clean electricity from new, renewable energy projects through an independent and competitive process.

This will enable Nova Scotia to move forward with its agreement with the federal government to procure 100 per cent renewable electricity for all federally owned facilities in the province by 2022.

“Making our electricity system more flexible will create green economic growth and new jobs in communities across our province,” said Energy and Mines Minister Derek Mombourquette. “We know that the federal government and others want to be part of our cleaner energy future, and this will build on Nova Scotia’s position as a national leader in fighting climate change.”

Regulations will be developed to establish controls that help protect ratepayers.

Quick Facts:

• Nova Scotia has set the most ambitious goals in Canada for cutting greenhouse gas emissions – 53 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030, and balancing greenhouse gas emissions with greenhouse gas removals and other offsetting measures, or net-zero, by 2050
• Nova Scotia is in the middle of an unprecedented period of electricity rate stability that will continue until at least 2022
• renewable energy use in Nova Scotia has more than tripled over the past 13 years. In 2021, more than 60 per cent of our electricity will come from renewable sources

Additional Resources:

Electricity Act: https://nslegislature.ca/sites/default/files/legc/statutes/electricity.pdf

Nova Scotia’s Electricity Plan: https://energy.novascotia.ca/electricity