Nova Scotia will have higher power bills if we don't burn trees?

NewPage Port Hawkesbury and Nova Scotia Power continued to urge their biomass power generation project is approved immediately because it is in the "best interest" of electricity customers in Nova Scotia.

The Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board is in the final stages of reviewing the proposed project.

Yesterday, NewPage released a 53 page submission urging the board to approve the project without further conditions.

Nova Scotia Power also warned that any delays in approvals or having to negotiate with other companies for another biomass project could mean higher power bills for its 470,000 customers.

Nova Scotia Power would like the power plant to be operating by 2012 to meet the province’s targets for producing electricity from renewable sources.

"Continued analysis and negotiation is not justifiable, nor would it be appropriate, given that the Port Hawkesbury biomass project is the best available economic option for customers," wrote Nova Scotia Power in 36 pages of final arguments to the board.

Nova Scotia’s consumer advocate John Merrick recommends that the board rejects the proposal. Merrick argues the project has its benefits but there are "excessive and unreasonable risks of increased costs for ratepayers and should not be approved."

Read more:

Biomass gets a push - NSP, NewPage urge immediate approval of Cape Breton energy project (Chronicle Herald)