A coalition of, environmental groups are calling for the Minister of Energy and the Nova Scotia Premier to intervene at the Utility and Review Board on the issue of forest biomass policy and project regulations in the province.
“The coalition has serious concerns that the Utilities and Review Board does not currently have a clear policy mandate from the government of Nova Scotia to adequately rule on the use of forest biomass as part of meeting the province’s ambitious renewable electricity targets,” a coalition press release said July 29.
The coalition, that represents the Ecology Action Centre, the Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter, and the Margaree Environmental Association, advocates that the ultimate goal of renewable energy policy should be to exceed the provincial target of a 10% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions below 1990 levels by 2020, while increasing energy security.
Do the current forestry and renewable policy frameworks allow the province to meet its greenhouse gas reduction policy objectives in a sustainable manner that reduces carbon emissions in the short term? The coalition feels that government has not clearly shown leadership on these issues and as such, the regulator lacks appropriate direction from government to rule appropriately on the New Page, Port Hawkesbury project.
As such the coalition is asking that the government and the regulator to:
• Put the proposed New Page/NSPI biomass project on hold until such a time that the province’s Natural Resources Strategy is complete, in the fall 2010 or early in 2011, as recommended by the province’s own Renewable Electricity Plan in their strategies for forest biomass.
• Consider implementing a Mandate review process of the UARB to ensure appropriate third-party regulatory oversight that is in the best interests of Nova Scotian rate-payers and the environment, including decision-making criteria that provide regulatory consideration for carbon emissions reductions, in addition to providing lowest cost utilities in the best interests of rate-payers. As the recent decision by the Massachusetts Energy and Environment Commissioner has shown in revising the state biomass regulations, the emission reductions resulting from biomass replacement of coal fired electricity are not attainable. This precedent should be followed by the Province of Nova Scotia.
