We work around the clock to make sure we’re producing the right amount of power for Nova Scotians.
We forecast how much electricity we expect our customers to use at any given time. These forecasts are based on our past experience with similar times of day and times of year. Other things that help us decide which plants to run at what time are our environmental targets and keep our operating costs low.
Our power plants fall into four different categories when it comes to how they are used to generate power:
Plants used to provide base load operate all year, except for planned maintenance shut-downs. Generating units in these plants can change the amount of electricity they generate based on hourly customer demand. Our base load units are fuelled primarily by coal and petroleum coke.
Plants needed for intermediate load requirements meet demand during peak business hours of the day and the colder months of the year. Our intermediate load units are fuelled by oil and natural gas.
Peak load units operate only at the time of highest demand - the coldest, darkest days. They can start up and shut down efficiently and have lower construction costs than other units, but can often have high fuel costs. Our peak load units are fuelled by oil, natural gas, hydro and wind.
Plants that can't be counted on at specific times are non-dispatchable. Examples are wind and tidal generating facilities because power can only be generated when the energy source is available - when the wind is blowing or the tide is on the turn.