HALIFAX: The following is a statement from Premier Tim Houston in response to the decision by the Nova Scotia Energy Board regarding Nova Scotia Power’s rate-hike request.
“Today, we learned that the independent Nova Scotia Energy Board – effectively the judge and jury on power rates – agreed with Nova Scotia Power and approved what they asked for.
“While I respect the independence of the board, I strongly disagree with this decision. It is out of touch in every way.
“I expected more from the board, particularly after such an extensive hearing where expert after expert presented clear evidence on why the board should exercise its authority and reject Nova Scotia Power’s request.
“At a minimum, they could have deferred the decision and required Nova Scotia Power to return with a more reasonable and fair proposal that reflects the reality Nova Scotians are living every day.
“They didn’t even do that.”
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Premier Houston continued.
“Nova Scotians have every right to feel angry and let down by a board that had a clear opportunity to protect ratepayers.
“At a time when people are already dealing with the fallout of a cyber breach that put their personal information at risk, billing systems producing estimates they don’t trust, and real anxiety about what their next power bill will look like, now is not the time for a rate hike.
“Even if Nova Scotia Power failed to recognize this, the board had the evidence it needed to do so. Instead, it rewarded bad behaviour.
“So where do we go from here?
“Nova Scotians deserve reliability, transparency, fairness and choice.
“This decision only reinforces that the best path forward is more choice, more competition and less reliance on Nova Scotia Power.
“That’s the direction we are working toward.”
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“It’s why we are advancing onshore natural gas development so Nova Scotians can ultimately have the option to choose gas.
“It’s also why we are pursuing the Renewall Energy Inc. Mersey River Wind Project, which represents meaningful progress toward breaking the Nova Scotia Power monopoly.
“This project in Queens County will provide Nova Scotians with a real alternative to Nova Scotia Power. While that power is about a year away, it is coming – and it’s real.
“This project means that 50,000 to 60,000 homes will have a choice of which company they buy their energy from. This is a real start along the way to breaking the monopoly.
“You can learn more and sign up here: https://www.renewallenergy.ca
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N.S. Power issued a statement on Wednesday morning after the Nova Scotia Energy Board (NSEB) released its decision on the General Rate Application filed by Nova Scotia Power in September 2025.
The statement from N.S. Power’s President & CEO, Vivek Sood reads as follows:
“We’re committed to improving reliability and delivering service our customers can count on while keeping rates as low as possible – and we have concrete plans in place to meet these commitments.
“As we’ve seen this winter, continued investments in the electricity grid are critical, both in terms of the reliability of our system during storms and the supply of electricity during extreme cold snaps.
“Today’s decision by the Nova Scotia Energy Board allows us to continue the important work our teams are doing in communities across the province to meet our customers’ expectations.”