Recently in Ottawa, representatives of the federal government met with Atlantic premiers to discuss plans to transition to a clean energy grid and what role the feds might have in helping with the transition.
Central Nova MP Sean Fraser said Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston and New Brunswick premier Blaine Higgs were in Ottawa a couple of weeks ago to discuss plans to meet goals of getting off coal by 2030 and having a net zero electricity by 2035, and net zero economy by 2050.
Fraser said this will involve a major project that is going to strengthen the connection between Nova Scotia and New Brunswick as well as a significant increase in renewable energy generation in Nova Scotia.
At this point, Fraser said they are working on the administrative details, figuring out the exact nature of the plan, and what programs can help. He said the government already established investment tax credits which will reduce the costs of building clean energy systems and programs which will help reduce the costs of the related infrastructure.
In order to meet the previously mentioned timelines, Fraser said an aggressive construction schedule is needed, noting a lot of the money is already in place. He said the federal government will continue to look for ways to partner with the province to do it in a way that will protect ratepayers from potential increases in the power bills.