NS Power - Interconnection Request Queue

We are still waiting for an announcement from Nova Scotia Power Inc (NSPI) as to whose applications towards their Request for Proposals (RFP) have been accepted. This morning I finally got a direct response from NSPI simply saying they do not "have any further information to provide at this time, as the formal evaluation process is not yet complete".

However, after fixing a computer glitch, I have found some interesting information from their most recent Interconnection Request Queue (IRQ).

There have been some changes since I started printing off current IRQs, which I now see appear to be updated every two weeks or so. So far, I do not see where older reports are archived.

I was given copies for March 30th and May 7th and, since finding the correct site, now have reports dated Sept 19th, Sept 27th and Oct 16th (http://oasis.nspower.ca/documents/QUEUE_Oct16_2007.pdf).

March 30th's IRQ had 23 sites offering 1459 MW of power. Pugwash site (ID# 56) listing for 60 MW power and status "Feasibility Study in Progress" and 9th in the queue.

May 7th has 32 sites offering 1887 MW

(August 31st - closing date for RFP for 130 MW power)

Sept 19th lists 34 sites offering 1917 MW. Pugwash site status: "Feasibility Study Complete" and now 8th in the queue.

Sept 27th lists 34 sites offering 1870.4 MW. Pugwash site now listed as offering 34 MW power. (Property where 9 turbines were planned was sold).

Oct 16th lists 26 sites offering 1398 MW. Pugwash site status: "Interconnection Request Withdrawl Pending"

All the sites that have dropped off the October list since September were previously listed as having status "Interconnection Request Withdrawl Pending". There were others with the same status in September but are now listed "Interconnection request Valid" (Higgins Mountain), "Feasibility Study Complete" (ID#46, Colchester Co, ID# 84 Pictou Co)) or "Impact Study in Progress" (ID# 67 Annapolis Co).

The only other sites that have downgraded from "Feasibility Study Complete" to "Interconnection Request Withdrawl Pending" is one in Colchester County (ID# 82) and one for Amherst (ID# 128)

In May, the first 18 sites in the queue are listed as "Feasibility Study in Progress" or "Complete" and all but site #100 (which was 21st and is now no longer listed at all) were listed as "Interconnection Request Valid". Many of these have since dropped off the list or are now listed ""Interconnection Request Withdrawl Pending".

What all this means is not entirely clear. The definitions used by NSPI seems to have changed somewhat over time.

What it looks like is that the Pugwash site is no longer being offered to NSPI. This could be for any number of reasons, but it does not necessarily mean the project has been abandoned. It could just mean they are looking for a different customer - one which is not so fussy about where they get their power and how it affects the local people

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It is quite a convoluted process to find this queue list. A long time ago I was given the impression that this was not publicly available. It is, but you need to know how to find it.

To find current IRQs go to the NSPI site http://www.nspower.ca then do a search for "OASIS". Click on the first search result: "Nova Scotia Power - About NSPI - Transmission & Distribution - Grid Interconnections" which takes you to
http://www.nspower.ca/about_nspi/t_d/grid_interconnections.shtml Look at the menu on the right and click on "Open Access Same Time Information System (OASIS)" The menu on the left has "System Reports and Messages" The next page middle section headed "System Reports" has "Generation Interconnection Queue" listed at the bottom. That opens a .pdf file with the current IRQ (http://oasis.nspower.ca/documents/QUEUE_Oct16_2007.pdf). In an attempt to avoid this long route in, I tried going backwards and then on the IRQ link again. This only took me back to the previous IRQ (Sept 27th) but not to the most recent.