Green Choice Program for Large-Scale Electricity Customers

Many large-scale electricity customers will be able to save money and reach their climate change goals with clean power thanks to the new Green Choice Program.

Through the program, customers will get up to 100 per cent of their electricity from renewable energy.

“Green Choice is the first program of its kind in Canada. It will help public institutions and other large customers become cleaner and greener,” said Tory Rushton, Minister of Natural Resources and Renewables. “Once it’s fully up and running, the program will add 10 per cent more renewable electricity to the grid and help us reach our goal of 80 per cent renewables by 2030.”

Renewable electricity projects need to be built to support the program. The Province is launching a procurement today, December 1, to secure new projects that will generate 350 megawatts of renewable electricity starting in 2027-28. The procurement is open to wind and solar energy projects.

Eligible program participants include governments, Mi’kmaw band councils, public schools, universities, Nova Scotia Community College, healthcare facilities and non-profit organizations. Some large commercial or industrial customers may also be eligible.

Applications open December 15.

Launching the Green Choice Program this year is a goal in Our Climate, Our Future: Nova Scotia’s Climate Change Plan for Clean Growth. The plan aims to create a cleaner, healthier and more sustainable future for all Nova Scotians. It includes initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, switch to clean energy, create a clean economy, make homes and buildings energy efficient and able to stand up to the impacts of climate change, and help Nova Scotians adapt to the changing climate.

Quotes:

“Today’s announcement demonstrates our commitment to reducing emissions, and the Government of Canada is proud of our role in helping to establish Nova Scotia’s Green Choice Program. Powering federal buildings with clean electricity will support growth of the local green economy, fight climate change and create a healthier future for all Canadians.”

– Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Public Services and Procurement Canada

“The Green Choice Program is an important step forward for the renewable energy industry in Nova Scotia. This industry is ready and able to deliver reliable, low-cost, flexible, large-scale energy solutions to customers. CanREA’s Atlantic Network is eager to continue working with the government and all stakeholders to ensure the success of this unique program.”

– Jean Habel, Director for Quebec and Atlantic Canada, Canadian Renewable Energy Association (CanREA)

“The Green Choice Program is an exciting opportunity for public institutions and other large electricity users in Nova Scotia to access clean energy and reduce their carbon footprints. Coho is proud to be supporting the Province on its energy transition and will ensure a fair, transparent and competitive procurement process.”

– Terence de Pentheny O’Kelly, Vice-President of Client Service, Coho Climate Advisors

Quick Facts:

• the Green Choice Program is part of Nova Scotia’s Clean Power Plan and supports goals in the Environmental Goals and Climate Change Reduction Act
• it is open to Nova Scotia Power customers with an average energy load of 10,000 MWh per year over the past three years
• the procurement is being managed independently by Coho Climate Advisors, the same company that managed the procurement resulting in five new wind projects for Nova Scotia
• bids are expected to close in June 2024, with awards expected to be announced in September 2024

Additional Resources:

Green Choice Program: https://novascotiagcp.com/

Request for proposals documents: https://novascotiagcp.com/proponent-documents

Nova Scotia’s 2030 Clean Power Plan: www.novascotia.ca/cleanpowerplan

Environmental Goals and Climate Change Reduction Act: https://nslegislature.ca/sites/default/files/legc/statutes/environmental%20goals%20and%20climate%20change%20reduction.pdf

Our Climate, Our Future: Nova Scotia’s Climate Change Plan for Clean Growth: https://climatechange.novascotia.ca/sites/default/files/uploads/ns-climate-change-plan.pdf

Natural Resources and Renewables on X (formerly Twitter): https://twitter.com/NS_DNRR