Latest news with #UtilityandReviewBoard
CTV News
6 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
Nova Scotia Power seeking to overturn $10M fine
Nova Scotia Power is appealing a $10-million fine for allegedly failing to hit its renewable electricity standards. The power utility is asking the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board to overturn the fine from the province, which was issued in 2023. The Department of Energy says it fined Nova Scotia Power $10 million for failing to meet the Renewable Electricity Standards from 2020 to 2022. 'We need to green our grid so it's important that the Renewable Electricity Standards are met – and that Nova Scotia Power is held accountable if they are not,' an emailed statement from the department reads. 'The fine comes from shareholders, not ratepayers.' According to the Renewable Electricity Regulations, the Renewable Electricity Standard for 2020 required the utility to supply customers with renewable energy that was equal or greater to 40 per cent of the total amount of supplied electricity. The public hearing for the appeal started on Monday and could continue into Friday if necessary. For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
CBC
17-04-2025
- Business
- CBC
Halifax Water plans major upgrades within Windsor Street exchange project
Halifax Water is planning multi-million dollar infrastructure upgrades as part of the Windsor Street exchange redevelopment, including the replacement of "high-risk" pieces vital to delivering water to the peninsula. Earlier this month, the utility asked the Nova Scotia Regulatory and Appeals Board (formerly the Utility and Review Board) to approve $69.2 million in construction and design costs for multiple infrastructure changes. In their application, Halifax Water said these upgrades are needed within the next few years, so it makes sense to complete the work while the area will already be under construction. They said integrating the work will save taxpayers money, and have less impact on the public. About $43 million in construction costs will be spent on local water, wastewater and stormwater upgrades to replace aging pipes that are nearing their end of life. Pipes will be better aligned with the new roadway layout, the application said, in some cases moving infrastructure under the street rather than needing easements to cross private land. About $13.7 million will be used to replace the North End Feeder (NEF) transmission main, which is a pre-stressed concrete cylinder pipe that supplies most of the water to the peninsula's north end. It was built in the mid-1970s and is entering its 48th year, with a lifespan of about 50 to 75 years. The application said this transmission main is considered "high risk" because it's not easily accessible as it's located in a deep tunnel below sea level. The pipe is under "significantly high pressures with unknown condition and would be catastrophic if it were to fail," Halifax Water said. A new transmission main will be installed at a shallower depth along a different alignment to the existing pipe, to handle expected increases in water demand and allow the system to operate even with one of the mains out of service. The remaining $12.2 million will go to a sewer separation project to support the planned housing growth in the Young Street area. A new stormwater pipe will go from the end of Kempt Road through the Windsor Street exchange to connect to an existing pipe on Bayne Street. Millions more dollars in upgrades will be needed for both the Young Street sewer separation and North End Feeder main outside of this project, but the utility said they will request approval for those funds at a future date. Halifax Water said most of the construction costs will be funded by debt, but the utility has also applied for federal funding under the Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund (CHIF). They are awaiting the result of that request. Municipal staff have said construction on the overall Windsor Street exchange redevelopment will start this year. Halifax is redesigning the important intersection to improve truck and car traffic through the area, and create a new multi-use path for cyclists and pedestrians. Some transit-only lanes will be created, but two-way bus lanes will come during the second phase of the project in a few years because the road must be widened. The entire $150-million project is being cost shared with the federal and provincial governments, Halifax Water and Port of Halifax. The Halifax municipality's share is about $53 million.
CBC
21-02-2025
- Business
- CBC
N.S. government seeks to resolve disputes over land access
The Nova Scotia government tabled legislation Thursday intended to resolve disputes among neighbours over property access. The Temporary Access to Land Act creates a process where a property owner can apply to the Utility and Review Board for an order allowing temporary access to an adjacent property. It would allow for the completion of construction or maintenance work when there is no other way to do the work and it "aligns with prescribed provincial priorities." It would apply to commercial, institutional, industrial and large apartment buildings, but not single-family dwellings or duplexes. "We know that in 99 per cent of all cases when there are issues between property owners, there is a resolution found," Municipal Affairs Minister John Lohr told reporters during a bill briefing. This legislation is about creating a mechanism to resolve disputes in the small number of cases where an agreement cannot be reached, he said. "It is only for a case where there is absolutely no other way to get access to do work that's needed to be done," he said. Requirement for compensation To obtain an order, an applicant would have to prove they made a genuine effort to reach an agreement with their neighbour and could not. An order would be valid for up to a year, although the UARB would have the ability to renew it. The board will also be charged with defining compensation for the affected property owner and requirements for restoration of a property to its previous state if there is any damage. "It depends on the circumstances," said Lohr. "It may mean that it would be a bond that would be posted." Lohr said there's been a feeling within his department that sometimes this has been an issue, although he said the bill did not come about as a result of a specific request from developers. "It could be about a road construction program, too. It could be about a large development." The bill would have a three-year sunset clause from the date it is proclaimed into law, although there would be the ability to extend the expiration date through a regulation change.
