Until now, the Nova Scotia Legislature has not amended s.67(1) so as to give the Utility and Review Board the jurisdiction to order NSPI to provide programs to assist low income consumers, such as a Universal Service Program, despite the fact that Nova Scotians pay among the highest rates for electricity in North America, and despite the fact that many jurisdictions in North America provide programs to assist low income electricity consumers through their regulatory system, unlike the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board (see for instance the Ontario Energy Board programs).
Unfortunately, as it now stands, Bill 147 purports to give the government the power to set performance standards on activities that neither the Utility and Review Board nor NSPI have the jurisdiction to provide: “equity, low income service, energy poverty” given the restrictions imposed in s. 67(1) of the Public Utilities Act. Because s. 67(1) is a statutory provision, it will overrule any regulation passed under these amendments.
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