Nova Scotia·New Nova Scotia municipalities with their own electric utilities say a new Maritime alliance will strengthen their sector, which is the province’s only alternative to Nova Scotia Power. Alliance includes utilities from New Brunswick, P.E.I.Haley Ryan · CBC News · Posted: Oct 14, 2025 5:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 31 minutes agoThe waterfront in Lunenburg, N.S., is shown on Sunday, Oct. 18, 2015. Lunenburg is home to one of only five municipal electric utilities in Nova Scotia. (Andrew Vaughan/The Canadian Press)Nova Scotia municipalities with their own electric utilities say a new Maritime alliance will strengthen their sector, the province’s only alternative to Nova Scotia Power.The Town of Lunenburg joined the Maritime Municipal Electric Utility Alliance last week, becoming the last local utility in the Maritimes to make the move.Paul Nopper, Lunenburg’s chief administrative officer, said joining the group means they can now pool resources, learn from other members about clean energy, or join together on projects.“We’re a rare commodity nowadays, but I think that gives us an advantage,” Nopper said.“We can show that communities of our size still have the strength to manage an electrical utility and bring it to the forefront of the new technologies and making a smart grid and sustainable grid.”Paul Nopper is chief administrative officer for the Town of Lunenburg. (CBC)The alliance launched in February and also includes utilities from Saint John, Edmundston and Perth-Andover in New Brunswick, Summerside in Prince Edward Island, and Berwick, Mahone Bay, Riverport and the Town of Antigonish in Nova Scotia.Glen Fillmore, alliance chair and vice-president of strategic growth and transformation with Saint John Energy, said the group formalized connections that have been happening for years.He said the industry is changing so quickly with the rise of renewable energy that the alliance will help members “drive innovation in ways that would be harder to achieve individually.”Brad Boutilier, CEO of the Lunenburg Shipyard, said more electrical capacity is needed now in the town, and he is hopeful the Maritime alliance could bring new ideas.Boutilier said his company almost lost a contract last winter because they had insufficient power for work on two vessels, forcing them to operate noisy generators that drew complaints.He said they are considering a $20-million shipyard expansion, including electrification of machines that lift vessels out of the water, and future residential development.Brad Boutilier is the CEO of Lunenburg Shipyard. (Lunenburg Shipyard)“It’s needed. It’s the only way the town can grow,” Boutilier said about grid upgrades. “[The town] is working on it. And, you know, hopefully by the time we get there, they’ll be ready.”A 2023 sustainability study said a $15-million investment in upgrades is needed over the next decade. Nopper said the town is aware of the current issues, and staff will present a report to council in the next few months that lays out all options, including selling the utility. But Nopper said there is federal support for clean energy projects, which could help costs if Lunenburg decides to invest in the utility.Antigonish recently received about $10 million from a federal program for a $19-million project to modernize its grid.Mayor Sean Cameron said being part of a group is helpful when dealing with the Nova Scotia Energy Board or negotiating prices for electricity the towns buy from Nova Scotia Power.“Being part of an alliance gives you a little more strength, a little more clout at the table,” Cameron said. “You’re not by yourself as a small little entity … like your typical David and Goliath scenario.”The Alternative Resource Energy Authority operates this wind farm near Ellershouse, N.S., that generates enough power for 6,500 homes. (Kayla Hounsell/CBC)Mahone Bay, Antigonish and Berwick also own the Alternative Resource Energy Authority, a renewable energy company running a wind farm and multiple solar gardens.Cameron said residents appreciate having rates that are lower than Nova Scotia Power’s, but also take pride in the clean energy the authority produces. Antigonish now has about 63 per cent of its power coming from renewables, Cameron said, much higher than Nova Scotia Power’s roughly 48 per cent.“It’s a great model and it’s proven over a 100-year history that it is viable and profitable. So if it ain’t broke, why would you fix it, right?” Cameron said.Berwick’s residential power rates did recently rise about 24 per cent, by 3.4 cents per kilowatt hour, which Mayor Mike Trinacty said puts them “around the same” as Nova Scotia Power.The increase was largely needed to fix and improve the town’s hydro dam that has been out of commission for months, Trinacty said. But, he said, as Nova Scotia Power rates continue to go up over the next few years, “ours can stabilize.”“We’re not providing a whole lot of energy across the province, but what we’re doing in our communities is pretty unique and, you know, we need to partner and learn from each other,” Trinacty said.He said having their own line workers in-house makes the town system more reliable, and he often hears from residents happy to see power outages resolved faster than in neighbouring areas.MORE TOP STORIES ABOUT THE AUTHORHaley Ryan is the municipal affairs reporter for CBC covering mainland Nova Scotia. Got a story idea? Send an email to haley.ryan@cbc.ca, or reach out on Twitter @hkryan17.
N.S. municipal electric utilities say Maritime alliance brings big benefits
