Nova Scotia Power

What Nova Scotia Power does

Nova Scotia Power Incorporated is the vertically integrated, regulated electric utility that holds the exclusive franchise to generate, transmit, and distribute electricity across the province of Nova Scotia, Canada. The company serves approximately 550,000 residential, commercial, and industrial customers through more than 32,000 km of overhead power lines and 500,000+ power poles, with >95% AMI smart meter penetration via Itron OpenWay Riva CENTRON technology. Its product portfolio centers on regulated electricity delivery, augmented by customer-facing platforms (MyAccount, MyEnergy Insights, real-time outage map) and a slate of clean energy programs including Time-of-Day rates, community solar gardens, EV smart charging, bidirectional charging pilots, and grid-scale battery storage (150 MW under construction). The utility operates under cost-of-service rate regulation by the Nova Scotia Energy Board, recovering costs plus an allowed ~9% return on equity, and is pursuing a path to 80% renewable generation by 2030 and net-zero by 2035.

Nova Scotia Power is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Emera Inc. (TSX:EMA, market cap ~CAD 16 billion), which acquired it in 2016. The utility is executing a $1.3 billion Five-Year Reliability Plan (including $265M for tree trimming and $916M for equipment replacement) and completed a CAD 300 million notes offering in April 2026 at 3.947% to fund capex. Revenue streams include regulated distribution services, transmission/OATT wholesale services, ancillary programs (EV charging, battery storage pilots, streetlight rentals, energy products), and procurement from independent power producers. The company is currently operating amid post-cyberattack recovery (March 2025 incident, smart meters restored March 2026), a contested rate-hike application before the Energy Board, leadership transition (Vivek Sood became CEO March 1, 2026), and expansion into offshore wind, tidal energy, and cross-border energy trade with Massachusetts and Hydro-Québec.

Name

Nova Scotia Power

Legal name

Nova Scotia Power Incorporated

Website

https://nspower.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1925

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Nova Scotia Power is a regulated vertically integrated electric utility that exclusively generates, transmits, and distributes electricity to approximately 550,000 residential, commercial, and industrial customers across Nova Scotia, Canada, as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Emera Inc.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Electric Utility Services

NAICS

Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution (2211), Electric Power Transmission, Control, and Distribution (22112), Electric Power Distribution (221122), Utilities (22)

SIC

Electric Services (4911)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Power Districts & State/Provincial Utilities (EUADABAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Renewable Distributed Generation (Rooftop/Onsite Solar, Small Wind, Small Hydro) (EUACALAJ), Owner’s Engineering, Grid Interconnection & System Studies (PVsyst/Performance Modeling, Protection Studies) (EUACAGAG), Wind Turbines & Nacelle Prime Movers (IMAHAFAE)

Keywords

• Electric utility services
• Electricity distribution
• Power generation
• Smart grid infrastructure
• Regulated energy services

Headquarters

HQ city

Halifax

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Electricity Distribution Services: Nova Scotia Power operates as a regulated monopoly providing electricity delivery to approximately 550,000 customers across Nova Scotia. The company recovers its costs through regulated rates approved by the Nova Scotia Energy Board, plus an approved return on equity of approximately 9%. Rate changes are determined through a months-long review process where the utility must demonstrate cost justification.
2. Ancillary Services and Programs: Revenue from additional services including electric vehicle charging equipment, battery storage programs, streetlight rentals, heating and cooling equipment programs, water heater programs, and contractor referral services.
3. Transmission Services: The company operates the Open Access Transmission Tariff (OATT) system, providing transmission services for wholesale customers and independent power producers. OASIS (Open Access Same-time Information System) enables transmission reservation and access.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Nova Scotia Power is a vertically integrated regulated electric utility that generates, transmits, and distributes electricity to approximately 550,000 customers across Nova Scotia, Canada. As the sole electricity provider in the province, it operates a regulated monopoly under the oversight of the Nova Scotia Energy Board. The company's offerings extend beyond core electricity delivery to include smart meter infrastructure, EV charging, grid-scale battery storage, demand billing for commercial customers, and clean energy programs aimed at achieving 80% renewable energy by 2030.

Product overview

Nova Scotia Power operates as a regulated utility providing electricity generation, transmission, and distribution services to approximately 550,000 customers across Nova Scotia. The company's product portfolio centers on its core electricity delivery service, enhanced by advanced smart metering infrastructure (OpenWay® Riva CENTRON meters). Customer-facing digital platforms include MyAccount for account management, MyEnergy Insights for usage analytics, and a live Outage Map. Rate options include Time-of-Day pricing and Equal Billing plans. The company is transitioning toward clean energy through programs including Smart Grid Nova Scotia (battery storage, EV charging, community solar pilots), Grid-Scale Battery Storage facilities, and Commercial Net Metering. Supporting services include Demand Billing for businesses, Line Rebates for developers, Electrical Inspection Services, Vegetation Management, and the Critical Customer Communication Program for health-dependent customers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Electricity Distribution Service Vertically integrated regulated electricity generation, transmission, and distribution service serving approximately 550,000 residential, commercial, and industrial customers across Nova Scotia as the sole electricity provider.
• Smart Meters (OpenWay Riva CENTRON) Advanced metering infrastructure from Itron providing remote reading, daily energy use tracking, outage detection, and faster service connections. Installed in over 95% of homes and businesses in Nova Scotia, with full restoration following the March 2025 cyberattack completed by March 31, 2026.
• MyAccount Online Portal Self-service online customer portal enabling account management, bill viewing and payment, energy usage tracking, service start/stop requests, and enrollment in programs like Equal Billing and paperless billing.
• MyEnergy Insights Digital energy management tool providing daily energy use breakdowns by appliance category, personalized energy-saving tips, billing notifications, and projected cost estimates for homes and businesses.
• Live Outage Map Live interactive map showing current power outages, affected customer counts, and estimated restoration times. Updated every 10 minutes during outage events.
• Time-of-Day Rates Time-varying pricing rate plans (Time-of-Day and Critical Peak Pricing) allowing residential customers to save money by shifting energy usage to off-peak hours when electricity demand is lower.
• Equal Billing Payment plan spreading annual electricity costs over 12 equal monthly payments, helping customers manage budgets by avoiding seasonal bill fluctuations.
• Commercial Net Metering Program allowing commercial customers with solar panels to receive credits on their bills for excess energy exported back to the grid.
• Grid-Scale Battery Storage Utility-scale battery installations at Port Tupper, Wellington, and MacDonald storing renewable energy for dispatch during high-demand periods, supporting grid reliability.
• Smart Grid Nova Scotia Pilot program testing innovative grid technologies including residential battery storage, EV smart charging, and community solar gardens to inform the future energy grid.
• Electric Vehicle Charging Programs EV smart charging pilot, bidirectional charging capability (first in Atlantic Canada), and Level 2/Level 3 charging station installations enabling customers to charge vehicles during optimal grid periods.
• Community Solar Garden Pilot Program allowing customers to subscribe to shared solar installations and receive credits on their bills for their portion of generated clean energy without installing panels on their property.
• OASIS (Open Access Same-time Information System) Transmission information system providing wholesale market participants with access to transmission tariff documents, interconnection procedures, forecasts, and system reports under the Open Access Transmission Tariff.
• Demand Billing Business rate structure based on peak power demand rather than total energy consumption, allowing large commercial customers to manage electricity costs through load management.
• Line Rebates Incentive programs for developers and builders constructing new power line infrastructure, including underground and individual service line rebates.
• Electrical Inspection Services Province-wide electrical inspection services for new construction and renovations, ensuring compliance with the Canadian Electrical Code and provincial regulations.
• Critical Customer Communication Program Priority notification service for customers with health conditions dependent on electricity (oxygen machines, dialysis), providing advance notice of planned outages and updates during unplanned events.
• Energy Products (Heat Pumps and Water Heaters) Energy-efficient appliances including heat pumps and water heaters available through contractor partnerships, with financing options for residential customers.
• Vegetation Management Services Tree trimming and vegetation clearing services along power line right-of-ways to prevent outages, with annual investment of $45 million to reduce storm-related damage.
• Reliability Programs (Five-Year Reliability Plan) Five-Year Reliability Plan investing $1.3 billion in grid upgrades including $265 million for tree trimming and $916 million for equipment replacements to strengthen the power grid against severe weather.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduced outage frequency through $1.3 billion Five-Year Reliability Plan investment
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

AI capability3 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• MassachusettscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 February 2026Nova Scotia and Massachusetts signed a memorandum of understanding to enhance offshore wind power trade. Nova Scotia plans to launch its first seabed lease auction and develop 5 GW of offshore wind capacity, improving market confidence and facilitating transmission infrastructure for energy export to North American markets.
• Eauclaire Tidal Limited PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 November 2025Nova Scotia Power has power purchase agreements with Eauclaire Tidal Limited Partnership for tidal energy projects at the Fundy Ocean Research Centre for Energy in the Bay of Fundy. The partnership is expanding to add two more berths, bringing total tidal energy capacity to 16.5 MW across three projects. Technology partner Orbital Marine Power provides tidal energy technology.
• Hydro-QuébecminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHydro-Québec, Quebec's Crown corporation, has issued a request for information to assess the feasibility of importing offshore wind power from Nova Scotia and transmitting it to Quebec via transmission infrastructure. This exploration comes as Quebec faces growing electricity demand that its existing hydroelectric capacity can no longer fully meet.
• NB PowerminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNova Scotia's energy operator has signed a 10-year agreement to purchase 100 megawatts from NB Power's proposed 500-megawatt natural gas plant in New Brunswick. The agreement supports regional energy reliability while Nova Scotia transitions to renewable sources.
• ItroncoreTechnology or IntegrationItron is the supplier of Nova Scotia Power's OpenWay Riva CENTRON smart meters. The company has successfully installed more than 80 million CENTRON meters in North America, including 20 million OpenWay meters without safety issues. Smart meters meet Measurement Canada, Health Canada Safety Code 6, and UL 2735 safety standards.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Hydro-Québec: Quebec's provincial Crown corporation electric utility. Direct peer as a Canadian provincially regulated vertically integrated electric utility; comparable scale, regulated monopoly status, and renewable generation mix. Hydro-Québec is also a potential export partner and counterpart in the offshore wind interconnection study.
• NB Power: New Brunswick's provincial electric utility and direct Atlantic Canada counterpart. Highly comparable as a regulated provincial utility; also a contracted counterparty via a 10-year 100 MW PPA from NB Power's proposed 500 MW natural gas plant.
• BC Hydro: British Columbia's provincial Crown corporation electric utility. Comparable as a large Canadian regulated vertically integrated electric utility with significant hydroelectric and renewable generation serving a defined provincial service territory.
• Hydro One: Ontario's provincially regulated electricity transmission and distribution utility. Comparable business model focused on regulated T&D rate-base growth, similar customer-facing programs (smart meters, time-of-use rates), and similar exposure to grid modernization capex.
• Manitoba Hydro: Manitoba's provincial Crown corporation electric utility. Comparable as a Canadian vertically integrated regulated utility with substantial hydroelectric generation and export-oriented transmission infrastructure.
• SaskPower: Saskatchewan Crown corporation electric utility. Comparable as a Canadian provincially regulated vertically integrated electric utility undergoing a transition from coal to renewable generation, with similar capex-driven rate base growth.
• Ontario Power Generation: Ontario's provincially owned electricity generator. Comparable as a Canadian provincial power producer and a sister utility in the regulated-monopoly utility ecosystem, with overlapping exposure to renewable transition and nuclear refurbishment.
• Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro: Newfoundland and Labrador's provincial electric utility. Comparable as a smaller Canadian provincial regulated electric utility with significant hydroelectric assets serving a defined service territory.

Broad incumbents

• Tampa Electric: Sister company under Emera Inc. (TSX:EMA), a Florida regulated vertically integrated electric utility. Comparable regulated T&D and generation business model and capital structure, though serving a different (U.S.) regulatory jurisdiction and customer base.
• Fortis Inc. Canadian diversified utility holding company owning multiple regulated electric and gas utilities (e.g., FortisAlberta, FortisBC, UNS Energy). Comparable as a parent-level entity with Canadian provincial utility holdings, providing a useful valuation and capital allocation benchmark.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/nspowerinc
• Facebookfacebook.com/novascotiapower
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nova-scotia-power-dupl_name-10154300

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Nova Scotia Power