AI-generated summary
· Decision · 10/22/2024
NSEB issued its decision on Nova Scotia Power's 2024 Load Forecast Report, accepting the 10-year forecast while directing continued investigation into persistent residential NSR variance and multiple model improvements for the 2025 report.
AI summary
- The Board accepted Nova Scotia Power Inc's 2024 Load Forecast (M11689), which projects average annual Forecasting Methodology NSR growth of 0.19% and system peak growth of 1.4% from 2025–2034, with 2034 NSR forecast at 5.1% (564 GWh) above 2023 actuals and system peak 11.1% (272 MW) higher.
- Three key forecast changes drove the 2024 update: upward revision to near-term customer counts, increased energy usage after adjusting for 2023 weather events, and downward revision to EV adoption reflecting slower Nova Scotia sales — with the Board directing NS Power to align EV adoption rates with Statistics Canada and Nova Scotia Open Data sources.
- The Board directed NS Power to continue investigating the unexplained variance between forecast and actual residential NSR — which persisted in 2023 — and report findings in the 2025 Load Forecast Report; the Board accepted heat pump heating intensity as a contributing factor but found NS Power continues to underestimate residential demand.
- The Board endorsed the incorporation of Advanced Metering Infrastructure data in place of Load Research Sample for peak estimation, hybrid heating scenarios from E3 Consultants, and learnings from the Smart Grid Nova Scotia and Demand Response Load Control pilots as model improvements, directing NS Power to continue adding these data sources.
- The Board directed NS Power to investigate CMHC housing completions data limitations for sub-10,000 population centres and to re-evaluate housing completions as a near-term customer growth proxy given Provincial Government population growth targets and the Housing Accelerator Fund.
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
- 95688 Board Decision Letter
- 95688 Board Decision Letter