Ontario's much anticipated announcement of adopting a cap and trade system last week was a step in the right direction for the province. And importantly for CEEA the strategy laid out by Premier Kathleen Wynne included a recommendation from our submission to the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change. There is now a commitment from the government that it "...will reinvest the money raised through cap and trade in a transparent way back into projects that reduce greenhouse gas pollution and help businesses remain competitive.  CEEA sees this as an opportunity for the energy efficiency sector and an indication that the government understands the need to be environmentally sound and encourage economic growth.

The battle between a private utility's need to generate revenue and a not-for-profit's strong energy efficiency programs that save money and energy

We shouldn't be surprised but there's a battle brewing between Nova Scotia

Energy efficiency is treated as a supply in Nova Scotia where burning coal is still a reality.

Power and CEEA member Efficiency Nova Scotia. The for-profit utility has rejected the independent, not-for-profit Efficiency Nova Scotia's proposed electricity efficiency plan for 2016-2018. In its first effort to negotiate with the utility, Efficiency Nova Scotia recommended an investment of around $40 million in energy efficiency in each of the next three years. The utility has proposed cutting that in half -- $22 million over each of the next three years, which also means cutting the benefits and savings for Nova Scotians.

Why? Nova Scotia Power cites the proposal as too expensive and recommends the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board not approve the plan.

Yet Efficiency Nova Scotia's proposed level of efficiency is significantly less than what Nova Scotia Power's 2014....MORE