Category: Nova Scotia

Group files court challenge to Nova Scotia’s personal health information law | CBC News

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A group of individuals and the non-profit Nova Scotia Civil Liberties Association are asking the Nova Scotia Supreme Court to quash recent changes to a law that give the province greater access to personal health records. “We have serious concerns about the constitutionality of what’s happened,” said James Manson, a lawyer representing the groups, in an interview on CBC Radio’s Information Morning. The application to the court argues that parts of Nova Scotia’s Personal Health Information Act and corresponding regulations infringe on the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Read full…

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Nova Scotia Power customers to foot $24M in storm recovery costs | CBC News

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Nova Scotia Power customers will see rates go up next year to pay for the utility’s cost of dealing with storms in 2023. In a newly released decision from the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board, Nova Scotia Power got the green light to charge ratepayers $24 million starting in January 2025 through a mechanism called the storm cost-recovery rider. According to the board, the impact on rates will vary depending on the customer, but on average, rates will rise about 1.4 per cent. There were six storms in 2023 that…

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Regulator OKs Nova Scotia Power’s $354M battery project | CBC News

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Nova Scotia Power is gearing up to build battery systems at three sites to help bring energy stability to the grid as the province moves to replace fossil fuels with renewable energy sources. The utility expects the project to cost about $354 million, with about $116 million covered by a federal grant and the remaining $237 million footed by ratepayers. NSP has financed some of the cost through the Canada Infrastructure Bank, with investment from the Mi’kmaw-owned Wskijnu’k Mtmo’taqnuow Agency. Read full story here: Regulator OKs Nova Scotia Power’s $354M…

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N.S. Power wants ratepayers to cover $22M bill for last year’s storm damages, repairs | CTV News

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Nova Scotia Power has filed an application with the province’s Utility and Review Board (UARB) to have ratepayers cover the cost of last year’s storm damage to the tune of $22 million. It’s a request that isn’t sitting well with Premier Tim Houston. “I wish Nova Scotia Power would have more empathy towards Nova Scotians,” Houston says. “Folks are already paying a lot in Nova Scotia when it comes to power. If you look at the last couple of years, you’ve seen combined increases near 15 per cent bills and…

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N.S. Power wants $31M from ratepayers for Michelin plant upgrade | CBC News

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Nova Scotia Power applied to regulators Friday for permission to spend $31 million for an electrical upgrade at the Michelin Tire plant at Waterville. If approved, the French tire maker will benefit, but all ratepayers will share the cost because of what Nova Scotia Power says is an unprecedented performance standard imposed by the Houston government in 2022. The province says its standards are designed to help large industrial operations that have complained about brief power interruptions leading to production shutdowns and financial losses. Read full story here: N.S. Power…

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Proposed changes to sharing of personal health data sparks pushback at N.S. legislature | CTV News

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Proposed changes to the way personal health information is handled in Nova Scotia was the focus of debate during Friday’s Question Period at the Province House. Health Minister Michelle Thompson(opens in a new tab) says the government wants patients to have easier access to their health records, but officials would collect broad data at the same time. “I’m not looking for records, no minister of health is going to want those records,” assured Thompson. “We want real-time aggregate data. I don’t want people’s personal health records.” Read full story here:…

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Task force recommends creation of independent N.S. energy operator | CTV News

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The Clean Electricity Solutions Task Force(opens in a new tab) is recommending the creation of an independent energy operator to oversee new infrastructure. According to the task force’s final report, the Nova Scotia Independent Energy System Operator (NSIESO) would be based on a not-for-profit model and would oversee “open competition for procurement of all new infrastructure, including generation, transmission, distribution, and storage.” The report says Nova Scotia Power would be able to bid in any competitive process overseen by the system operator. Rad full story here: Task force recommends creation…

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Nova Scotia Power wants customers to foot leftover $25M Fiona bill | CBC News

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Post-tropical storm Fiona may be in the rear-view mirror but it’s still on the front burner for Nova Scotia Power. The company is stuck with a $24.6-million bill that it says is threatening its profits. This week Nova Scotia Power asked regulators for permission to collect $24.6 million in Fiona-related operating costs — like meals, travel and overtime — from ratepayers over an unspecified period of time. It is the first time the company has asked the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board (UARB) to defer so-called operating, maintenance and…

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