by Dan Roscoe, President of Renewall
When a power bill arrives, the first thing most people look at after the dollar amount is usage. Did we run the heat more this month? Did the business operate longer hours? Did the family do more laundry, cooking, or charging?
Usage matters. But it is only part of the story.
In Nova Scotia, your electricity bill is also connected to what is happening in global fuel markets. Events thousands of kilometres away can influence the cost of power here at home. The recent Iran war is but one high profile example. Carbon Brief reported that the conflict pushed oil and gas prices higher, while later analysis found that record wind and solar generation helped the UK avoid importing an estimated £1.7 billion, or CAD $3.18 billion, worth of gas.
That may sound far removed from Nova Scotia, but when a grid depends heavily on fossil fuels, electricity customers are more exposed to fuel price volatility.
Nova Scotia is one of those grids.
In Nova Scotia’s current electricity system, fuel costs are passed through to customers. That means when the cost of coal, natural gas, or other fuels changes, those changes can eventually affect electricity bills. The utility may forecast fuel costs in advance and adjust them later through the regulatory process, but the underlying issue remains. A fossil-fuel-heavy grid leaves customers more exposed to global fuel markets.
The chain is simple. When the utility burns fuel to make electricity, and that fuel becomes more expensive, the cost has to move through the system. It may not show up right away, because fuel budgets are forecast in advance and adjusted later through the regulatory process. But over time, customers feel it.
Fuel is not the only cost in an electricity bill. Poles, wires, substations, maintenance, reliability investments, and generation assets all matter too. But fuel is one of the most volatile pieces. Fixed infrastructure costs change more slowly. Fuel markets can move quickly.
That’s why energy mix is so important.
According to the Government of Nova Scotia, 60% of the province’s electricity in 2024 came from non-renewable sources, including coal, natural gas and oil, while renewables supplied the remaining 40%.
That’s the reality of the system we inherited. The province has made progress, and more is coming. Nova Scotia is phasing out coal and targeting 80% clean electricity by 2030. The Clean Power Plan includes nearly 2,000 MW of wind, solar, and battery storage, along with transmission upgrades and reliability planning.
That’s good news, but it doesn’t erase today’s exposure. Compared with provinces that rely heavily on hydro, or Ontario with its large nuclear fleet, Nova Scotia is more directly exposed to fossil fuel price swings. We have excellent wind resources, but our grid still relies heavily on fuels priced in global markets.
That’s where renewable electricity changes the story.
Wind and solar don’t need a monthly shipment of fuel. Once built, they generate electricity from local resources. That makes renewable electricity useful for emissions reduction, but also for long-term price stability.
In Nova Scotia, the renewable-to-retail program gives customers a practical way to act on that advantage. It allows electricity producers like Mersey River Wind and providers like Renewall to sell 100% renewable electricity directly to consumers. For customers, that turns renewable energy from a distant policy goal into a real choice.
You can’t control global fuel prices. You can’t control international conflict, shipping disruptions, or commodity markets. But in Nova Scotia, you can choose where your electricity comes from.
This choice is a rarity in Canada with wide ranging benefits. A business trying to manage future operating costs needs predictability. A household watching monthly bills needs stability. A municipality or institution working toward climate goals needs practical tools that fit within real budgets.
Nova Scotia’s grid will get cleaner. The province’s 2030 target is legislated and the work is underway. But the price exposure is real today. As long as a large share of our electricity comes from coal and natural gas, global fuel markets will continue to matter to local electricity costs.
Nova Scotians now have a choice. We can wait for the grid to change around us. Or we can get ahead of it, with renewable electricity, generated right here at home.
Dan Roscoe is the President of Renewall Energy, a renewable energy provider, and CEO of Roswall Development, a renewable energy developer, both based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. His work is focused on building the infrastructure for a cleaner, smarter energy future across Canada and beyond.
