May 24, 2022 – Town Council is undertaking a sustainability review of the Town of Lunenburg Electric Utility, which is periodically required for stewardship of its business plan. Several scenarios will be considered, and data collected to help narrow down the options.

The Utility’s five-year service agreement with Nova Scotia Power is due for renewal in May 2023. Other factors driving this review include aging infrastructure, changing electrical regulations in Nova Scotia, and the impact of increased frequency and intensity of storms due to climate change.

The Town has several potential paths forward:

• Retain ownership of the Electric Utility and renew the service contract with Nova Scotia Power
• Retain ownership of the Electric Utility and enter into a service contract with another energy service provider
• Sell the Electric Utility
• Re-establish our own in-house field staff

The Town will proceed through a public procurement process in the coming months to engage an independent consulting firm with energy service expertise. The chosen firm will collect and evaluate information on the various options, including rate and affordability considerations, and price ranges for possible sale. The firm will provide the Town with recommendations for Council to consider best options for the sustainability of our electrical service.

As this process moves forward, the Town will update and engage Utility customers (commercial and residential) as well as Town citizens to help inform any final decisions made.

In the meantime, the Town will work with Nova Scotia Power to secure an extension to the current service agreement. Customers should not expect to see any changes to the current electrical services.

The Town is committed to a transparent and comprehensive process and will take the time to ensure the best possible outcome for the Town’s customers and citizens.

A PDF of this release is available pdf here (295 KB) .

Resources

• The Minutes of the Council Meeting of May 24, 2022 will be available here: https://townoflunenburg.ca/council-meetings-2022.html
• For more information on the Lunenburg Electric Utility, visit the Town website here: https://townoflunenburg.ca/electric-utility.html