Powering a green Nova Scotia, together.


 

We’re on a path to building a cleaner, greener future for our province. It’s why we’re phasing out coal and working towards 80% renewable energy by 2030.

Like any goal worth striving for, there is a lot to consider. As we transform how we make and deliver energy, we know it’s critical that we listen to our customers and our communities. Because to build a greener Nova Scotia, we need to work together.

The benefits of transitioning to renewable energy


Blue leaf icon

Lower emissions

As we work to remove carbon from electricity and transition our power plants away from coal, we’re combatting climate change, lowering emissions and creating a cleaner environment.
Blue spark icon

New, green jobs

The shift to renewable energy will create green jobs for a green economy, with the economic impact extending across the province to both urban and rural communities.
Blue house icon

Greener homes and communities

Help make a difference for the environment by powering your life with electricity. As we grow our renewable energy, electric devices, appliances and vehicles are getting greener over time.
 

our energy stats


In 2021, close to 30% of our electricity came from renewable sources. Now, we’re working towards 80% by 2030.

 

How we’ll reach 80% renewable energy


We have a responsibility to provide our customers with reliable electricity, every day. It means that as we grow our renewable energy, we need the right mix of solutions to make sure electricity is always there when you need it.

Solar power can help us add more renewable energy to the grid, contributing to a greener future for the province. In 2021, we launched our first community solar garden—a simple way for all Nova Scotians to have access to solar energy, without having to install their own panels.

Wind is a cost-effective source of clean energy that will play a crucial part in our transition. We’re lucky to have an abundance of it in Nova Scotia! Through a partnership with Mi’kmaq communities, we’re working together to bring new, low-cost wind energy onto the grid, in addition to the new wind projects by independent power producers that will be an important contributor to achieving our clean energy goals. 


Because wind and solar energy are intermittent, batteries have an important role to play. We can’t depend on the wind to blow or the sun to shine exactly when we need to meet the needs of customers.

We’re planning to continue working in Bridgewater, Onslow and HRM to add new energy storage, which includes both grid-scale and residential battery storage. With funding from the Government of Canada, this will allow us to store wind energy and deliver it to the grid when the wind isn’t blowing.

Natural gas is a fast-acting source of energy, meaning it can be activated quickly as a reliable back-up. This will help us make sure electricity is always there when you need it.

We're looking at converting a small number of our coal facilities to natural gas, as an interim solution, while ensuring we’re planning for the potential future use of green hydrogen. Green hydrogen is created using renewable energy instead of fossil fuels and could help us reach near-zero greenhouse gas emissions in the future. 

By strengthening our transmission line connection to New Brunswick, we will have the ability to connect to clean energy sources in other provinces like Quebec, while ensuring we always have a reliable supply of energy, imported from within Canada.

Modernizing our grid

A modernized grid will provide you with more convenience, options and control, while accommodating more clean energy. This includes more data at your fingertips about how you use energy, more services and energy solutions, and improved reliability.

 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS


 
How does solar play a role in Nova Scotia’s clean energy transition?

Solar is a part of Nova Scotia's future. We launched our utility’s first community solar garden in Amherst. It produces about 2700 MWh of electricity a year – enough to power about 240 homes. This pilot project is providing us a better understanding of the benefits for both customers and the grid to help form future decisions. You can learn more about this at: nspower.ca/communitysolar.

Don’t you need coal as a reliable back-up source of energy?

 

Coal has been an important part of our history here in Nova Scotia, but we know it can’t be part of our long-term future. As part of our path to 2030, we’re removing coal from our energy mix, and transitioning to renewable energy.

A critical part of this transition is ensuring that we can continue to meet demand and deliver reliable electricity to our customers, every day. This will take a mix of solutions, one of which is on the conversion of two of our coal units to natural gas, while ensuring we’re planning for the future and the potentially eventual use of hydrogen for these units.

Natural gas is a fast-acting source of energy, meaning it can be activated quickly as a reliable back-up. The potential for hydrogen is incredible--not just for utilities, but many other applications, including buildings and transportation. Hydrogen can be produced from diverse local resources with the potential for near-zero greenhouse gas emissions.

 

 

NEED SOME ADDITIONAL HELP?


NSP_Site_Icon_XXXXXXXX_Grey_50x50_10

Find Quick Answers

Browse our FAQ

NSP_Site_Icon_XXXXXXXX_Grey_50x50_12

Contact Us

By email or phone