McNeil: Nova Scotians Can't Afford Highest Power Rates
Liberal leader Stephen McNeil says recent news from the National Energy Board shows Nova Scotians pay 12.638 cents per kilowatt hour, the highest rate for electricity of any province.
“We cannot afford to have the highest power rates of any province in Canada,” says McNeil. “Our power rates are up 50 per cent in the last ten years and are set to increase by another 20 per cent over the next two – Nova Scotians cannot afford a 70 per cent increase in power bills.”
McNeil says the Liberals understand rising power rates put increasing pressure on household budgets.
“We have introduced bills to control power rates in Nova Scotia,” says McNeil. “We’ve called for the government to break the power monopoly, we’ve asked for NSP to be forced to find internal savings before increasing rates and we’ve pushed to have executive bonuses permanently paid by shareholders instead of by ratepayers.”
“The Dexter government said no to each of those proposals – they are defending the power monopoly that is gouging Nova Scotians.”
McNeil says a Liberal government will create competitive, highly regulated energy market in Nova Scotia that will force NSP to compete – a proposal the NDP supported in opposition.
“We want competition and strong regulation that protects Nova Scotians,” says McNeil. “People are demanding that power rates get reined in – the Dexter government isn’t listening.”
“While the premier dithers, we are offering solutions to protect Nova Scotians from NSP’s monopoly.”
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