Page 13 - Atlantic Loop News Today

Premier Tim Houston says bills passed by his caucus will modernize the way the government works, but opposition members believe they will create unintended consequences.

The Nova Scotia Legislature passed a government bill to cap power rate increases Tuesday, but opposition MLAs remain concerned that unintended consequences could lead to long-term pain for utility customers.

The Atlantic Loop would enable the delivery of hydroelectricity from Labrador and Quebec into Maritime provinces that rely mostly on fossil fuels. But the company behind the project has hit the brakes because of electricity rate caps introduced by the N.S. government.

Premier Tim Houston says legislation his government is using to limit rate increases for Nova Scotia Power could be used again if he decides it is required.

A proposed bill to cap rate increases for Nova Scotia Power for the next two years may bring short-term satisfaction for ratepayers, but would create a number of long-term problems, according to business and consumer advocates and the company alike.

"It may well be that we aren't able to find a fully collaborative pathway, but I'm not there yet." Provinces regulate Canada's electricity utilities, but the federal government has some jurisdiction over the environment. Wilkinson said the net-zero goal and grid expansion is his department's top priority, and expects Ottawa to increase financial support for provinces in next year's budget.

Abundant hydropower in Canada, the world's third-biggest producer of the low-emissions electricity source, gives it a headstart on cleaning up its grid in a global drive to electrify vehicles and buildings and slow climate change. But capitalizing on that advantage is complicated by the fact that Canada's 10 provinces regulate utilities independently and trade little renewable power among themselves, even if hydro-generating provinces border on those producing high emissions.

Abundant hydropower in Canada, the worlds third-biggest producer of the low-emissions electricity source, gives it a headstart on cleaning up its grid in a global drive to electrify vehicles and

HALIFAX - The federal minister of natural resources says Nova Scotia Power's decision to "pause" its participation in a proposed megaproject aimed at ending reliance on coal is just a temporary setback.

Nova Scotia Powers decision to "pause" its participation in a proposed megaproject aimed at ending reliance on coal is just a temporary setback, says the federal cabinet minister charged with moving the electrical grid off fossil fuels.