New plan will see utility pay customers for surplus electricity
Nova Scotia Power wants to start paying customers for surplus electricity generated from renewable sources.
This is good news for one of the region’s largest landlords. Killam Properties Inc. wants to be able to install more and larger turbines at its properties around the province.
"That would encourage us to take a serious look at adding new turbines at areas where there is good wind," company president Philip Fraser said Monday.
This year, Killam installed two wind turbines at its 300-home trailer park in Lake Echo to generate electricity for the community’s street lighting, water supply and water treatment facilities.
"If we actually produce more, we would be offsetting our consumption and reducing our power bill," Fraser said.
He was reacting to Nova Scotia Power’s announcement that it has filed a proposal with the provincial Utility and Review Board to expand a program referred to as "net metering."
Net metering allows customers to generate electricity from a small renewable source to meet all or part of their own power requirements. Nova Scotia Power has offered this option to its customers since 1989, and more than 80 residential and business clients across the province participate, the utility says.
A new proposal would allow producers to generate one megawatt of electricity, up from 100 kilowatts, to reduce the amount of their power bills.
"Net metering is a great way for our customers to make a direct contribution to the renewable electricity transformation taking place in this province," said Robin McAdam, Nova Scotia Power’s vice-president of sustainability.
"We have supported expansion of the program for some time and are delighted to bring forward these enhancements," he said in a news release. "They were developed with input from government and other stakeholders to offer greater options and benefits for customers who wish to generate electricity for their own use."
Earlier this year, amendments were approved under the Electricity Act ordering Nova Scotia Power to enhance its metering program and file its proposal by Monday.
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