A non-profit company wants Nova Scotia Power to pause plans to add a surcharge on homes and business with solar panels.
EfficiencyOne believes the utility needs to consult before introducing the charge.
President Stephen MacDonald says demand for solar installations is at an all-time high.
“Nova Scotians have embraced solar as part of the immediate action required to address the climate crisis”, says Stephen MacDonald, President and CEO of EfficiencyOne, the non-profit operator of Efficiency Nova Scotia. “Now is not the time to create barriers”.
The demand for solar installations is at an all time high. The SolarHomes program has helped nearly 5,000 homes install solar PV systems since it was launched in 2018 and the number of companies registered as solar installers has risen from 13 to nearly 80.
Nova Scotia Power is looking to hike rates for all customers but also add a new $8 per kilowatt fee for solar users.
“We must continue to encourage all Nova Scotians to do their part and we must ensure that the infrastructure and supports are in place to help Nova Scotians achieve the targets set out in the province’s Environmental Goals and Climate Change Reduction Act” says MacDonald.
Nova Sctotia Power’s CEO Peter Gregg says regular customers are subsidizing solar users and that’s why they’ve applied to charge them.
Gregg acknowledged criticisms about disincentivizing solar and making it harder for the province to meet its zero-coal goal by 2030 but provided little in the way of details.
“We will continue to support the development of more renewables in Nova Scotia while maintaining our commitment to ensuring fairness for all customers,” Gregg said in a media release.
Gregg did commit to meet with solar industry representatives to hear their concerns.
The Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board is set to fold hearings on the proposed rate hikes will be held in the fall.
