February 26, 2026
Nova Scotia Liberals are introducing a series of bills today aimed at reining in Nova Scotia Power and putting ratepayers first. After months of hearing from Nova Scotians frustrated by rising bills, unreliable service, and a lack of accountability, Liberal MLAs are putting forward practical measures the government can pass immediately.
“Nova Scotians want a utility that works for them, not the other way around,” said Interim Leader Iain Rankin. “When the Premier made himself Energy minister, he gave himself the responsibility to act. Today, we’re providing him with practical steps he can take right now to lower costs, increase accountability, and restore trust. His own government has already supported some of these ideas in submissions to the regulator. It’s time to follow through.”
Rankin will introduce legislation to cap Nova Scotia Power’s return on equity at 7.6 per cent – the same limit the government called for in their submission to the Nova Scotia Energy Board. Further amendments tabled by the Liberals would require the Energy Board to order an independent review of Nova Scotia Power. The Liberals were the first to call for this review in October, citing serious concerns about the utility’s finances, reliability challenges, and the fallout from its cybersecurity attack.
House Leader Derek Mombourquette will table legislation requiring Nova Scotia Power to present a multi-year rate plan to provide predictability and stability for families and businesses. Liberals called for this framework to give ratepayers clearer expectations and avoid frequent, unpredictable rate increases. Mombourquette will also table the Electric Utility Estimated Billing Interest Act, requiring Nova Scotia Power to pay interest when customers are overcharged due to estimated billing errors.
“Families are doing everything they can to manage rising costs,” said Mombourquette. “If Nova Scotia Power makes a mistake and overcharges someone, they shouldn’t just quietly correct it – they should pay that money back with interest. Accountability has to go both ways.”