AI-generated summary
· Application · 07/17/2025
Five intervenors filed evidence on EfficiencyOne's proposed new Benefit-Cost Analysis test for DSM plans, with positions ranging from general support to calls for rejection of the societal-cost approach
AI summary
- The Consumer Advocate (Francis Wyatt/GEEG, E-10) and Board Counsel (Courtney Lane/Synapse, E-9) both generally support the proposed Nova Scotia BCA test as an improvement over the TRC, while recommending that non-energy benefit (NEB) proxy adders for building-shell and BNI custom measures be reduced from 20% to 12% to align with peer-jurisdiction averages before the 2027–2031 DSM Plan is filed.
- The Industrial Group (Patrick Bowman, E-14) recommends rejecting the proposed societal-cost BCA as the primary test, arguing instead that the Demand Side Management Program Administrator Cost (PAC) test—aligned with NSPI's Weighted Average Cost of Capital as discount rate—better serves the Board's statutory obligation to assess customer interests, and that cost-effectiveness screening must occur below the portfolio level.
- The Small Business Advocate (Melissa Whitten/Daymark, E-13) stops short of full rejection but urges the Board to require independent third-party verification before approving proxy values for 'amenity,' 'empowerment,' and 'pride,' warning that unquantifiable non-energy benefits risk introducing bias and inflating DSM plan costs for ratepayers.
- Eastward Energy (E-11) and its consultant Posterity Group (E-12) contest EfficiencyOne's exclusion of Eastward from the DSMAG, arguing that the Gas Distribution Act's legislated hybrid-peaking mandate means Eastward holds no greater conflict of interest than NSPI; Posterity Group's quantitative illustrative examples show hybrid heating systems produce BCA ratios of 2.21–4.53 under the proposed test.
- Nova Scotia Power filed a brief letter (98575) confirming it is not submitting evidence in this proceeding.
Disclaimer: This summary was generated by AI from the filings it describes. We take care to make it accurate, but errors are possible - and it isn't advice. Only the filings themselves are the record: if you're relying on something here, confirm it against the source documents or the Nova Scotia Energy Board's own record. Full disclaimer →
What was filed
Documents filed on this day
- E-10 Evidence of F. Wyatt - CA
- E-10-(i) Resume of Francis Wyatt
- E-11 Evidence of Eastward Energy
- E-12 Evidence of Posterity Group Consulting, on behalf of Eastward Energy
- E-13 Evidence of M. Whitten - SBA
- E-13-(i) Resume of Melissa Whitten
- E-8 See new revised evidence submitted under E-14 (Evidence of P. Bowman, on behalf of IG)
- E-9 Evidence and Resume of Courtney Lane - Synapse
- 98574 Letter from CA asking the Board to qualify Mr. Wyatt as expert witness
- 98575 Letter from NS Power re: not filing evidence