N-52024-2025 Bates White FAM Audit Report - Redacted
46 passages
As of January 1, 2024 As of December 31, 2025 Change % Change Enterprise Asset Management 39 39 0 0.0% System Operator 20 25 5 25.0% Lingan 139 140 1 0.7% Point Aconi 72 77 5 6.9% Point Tupper 62 62 0 0.0% Port Hawkesbury Biomass 32 33 1 3...
AI summary The text presents a table showing changes in various energy-related assets and facilities from January 1, 2024, to December 31, 2025, including increases and decreases in numbers and percentage changes.
IV.B.1. NSPI's Solid Fuel-Fired Fleet Eight of NSPI's generating units—representing 1,229 MW of capacity—burn solid fuel as their primary fuel. Most are fired by coal; only Point Aconi (petcoke) burns something other than coal as primary s...
AI summary NSPI operates eight solid fuel-fired generating units with a total capacity of 1,229 MW, primarily using coal, with Point Aconi using petcoke as the primary fuel. Figure IV-3 illustrates the fleet.
Figure IV-3: NSPI's Solid Fuel-Fired Fleet132 Generating Unit Max Net Capacity (MW) Primary Solid Fuel Other Solid Fuels Lingan 1 153 Coal Petcoke Lingan 2 148 Coal Petcoke Lingan 3 153 Coal Petcoke Lingan 4 153 Coal Petcoke Point Aconi 16...
AI summary The document presents a table summarizing NSPI's solid fuel-fired generating units, including their maximum net capacity and primary and other solid fuels used. It also introduces a section discussing solid fuel consumption, highlighting the importance of fuel management in power generation.
year. The Logistics Administrator then uses the Vessel Schedule to link each shipment to its appropriate contract and enter into Aligne for purchase order generation and shipment tracking of vessels. For transport to NSPI's five coal gener...
AI summary The document outlines the process of managing coal and petcoke shipments to NSPI's coal generating stations, involving coordination between the Senior Contract Administrator, logistics administrators, and terminal operators to ensure timely deliveries and inventory management.
VII.B.1. Introductory Context for NSPI's Natural Gas Supply Options Entering the Audit Period, NSPI was able to source gas from the south via the Maritimes & Northeast Pipeline (M&NP) system, which also gave it access to re-gasified LNG fr...
AI summary NSPI sourced natural gas from the Maritimes & Northeast Pipeline (M&NP) system, including re-gasified LNG from St. John, and had firm pipeline capacity contracts in 2021. NSPI's subsidiary, NSPEMI, conducted gas and electric transactions in the U.S. for export to Canada.
NSPI's Position Regarding FT Pipeline Capacity In response to a data request, NSPI described their perspective on when it was appropriate to contract for FT pipeline capacity. To summarize, NSPI's view is that any new FT capacity "should b...
AI summary NSPI outlines its position that new FT pipeline capacity should be justified by economic benefits, specifically reducing the cost of natural gas delivered to NS Power's facilities. It cautions against relying on speculative remarketing benefits. This is not a formal NSPI policy but an ERM position. Bates White comments on the uncertainty surrounding NSPI's role due to the new NS IESO's potential role in gas procurement.
2/15/2024 11/19/2025 11/20/2025 12/20/2025 12/23/2025 1/29/2024 3/14/2024 3/21/2024 3/25/2024 5/19/2024 5/24/2024 5/26/2024 6/30/2024 7/19/2024 7/24/2024 7/25/2024 8/15/2024 8/27/2024 9/11/2024 9/14/2024 12/9/2024 1/17/2025 1/30/2025 2/19/...
AI summary This table lists late day trades delivered to Baileyville, including dates, prices, and quantities, with a focus on transactions involving Emera Energy L.P. and Nova Scotia Power.
X.A. Background In this chapter, we look at the performance of NSPI's thermal generation fleet. NSPI's thermal fleet provides a substantial portion of NSPI's total system requirements—in 2024, the thermal fleet provided 6,309,911 MWh,377 o...
AI summary This section provides an overview of NSPI's thermal and renewable generation fleet performance during the Audit Period. NSPI's thermal fleet generated 55.7% of total system requirements in 2024 and 56.8% in 2025, while renewables contributed 932,274 MWh in 2024 and 855,113 MWh in 2025. The chapter reviews outage management, fleet costs, and operational details based on NSPI's records.
Figure X-2: NSPI's Wholly-owned Hydro, Wind Resources 383 Power Plant Nameplate Capacity (MW) Generation Type Annapolis 0 Hydro Avon 7.4 Hydro Black River 22.3 Hydro Dickie Brook 3.8 Hydro Fall River 0.5 Hydro Lequille 11.2 Hydro Mersey 42...
AI summary Figure X-2 outlines Nova Scotia Power Inc.'s wholly-owned hydro and wind power plants, including their nameplate capacities and generation types. NSPI also holds minority stakes in three additional wind farms.
X.B.1. Refreshing our Contextual Analysis of NSPI's Thermal Generation Fleet NSPI's generation mix includes a high – and growing – penetration of wind capacity coupled with a thermal fleet that is not optimal for addressing the operational...
AI summary NSPI's thermal generation fleet is not optimal for managing the operational challenges of a wind-heavy resource portfolio. The fleet is largely inflexible, with most units having low ramp rates, unlike modern gas-fired generators. This necessitates the maintenance of thermal plants for reliability, increasing costs.
Figure X-3: Maximum Ramp Rates of NSPI's Thermal Generating Units 387 Thermal Plant Ramp Rate (MW/Minute) Lingan 1 2.00 Lingan 2 2.00 Lingan 3 2.00 Lingan 4 2.00 Point Aconi 1.00 Point Tupper 2.00 Trenton 5 1.75 Trenton 6 2.00 Tufts Cove 1...
AI summary The document discusses the impact of high wind penetration on NSPI's thermal generating units, leading to reduced capacity factors and more frequent cycling of units. This results in increased fatigue, higher costs, and reduced plant life, as well as poorer emissions performance over time.
Moreover, as we noted in prior audit reports, this has led to NSPI's thermal generation fleet being used to provide less energy and more operating reserves than it did prior to increases in wind penetration in Nova Scotia. This can primari...
AI summary The text discusses the impact of increased wind penetration on NSPI's thermal generation fleet, noting reduced capacity factors and increased reliance on operating reserves. It references prior audit reports and upcoming sections for further analysis.
X.B.2. Analysis of Unit Performance We reviewed each of NSPI's thermal generating units across a variety of industry standard metrics used to judge unit performance. The five metrics we examined were Capacity Factor ("CF"), Availability Fa...
AI summary The analysis evaluates NSPI's thermal generating units using industry-standard metrics like Capacity Factor, Availability Factor, and Heat Rate, comparing their performance against NERC's GADS data and technology-specific benchmarks.
Figure X-9: Availability Factors of NSPI Thermal Generating Units (Compared to Industry Averages) 405 Thermal Plant Availability Factor (2024) Availability Factor (2025) GADS Standard Lingan 1 81.1% 89.5% 79.9% Lingan 2 94.3% 73.3% 79.9% L...
AI summary Figure X-9 presents the availability factors of NSPI thermal generating units for 2024 and 2025, compared to industry standards. The data shows varying performance across different plants, with some units significantly below the GADS standard.
Figure X-14: 2024 Utilization Factors (Actual vs. Forecast) 427 Unit Starts Net Capacity Factor Operating Hours UF Actual UF Forecast Lingan 1 22 37% 5,098 High Medium Lingan 2 12 13% 2,155 Low - Lingan 3 19 39% 6,189 High Medium Lingan 4...
AI summary Figure X-14 compares actual and forecast utilization factors for various power generation units in 2024. Units like Lingan 1, Lingan 3, and Tufts Cove 5 show high actual utilization factors compared to forecasts, while others like Lingan 2 and Trenton 5 show lower actual utilization factors.
Figure X-21: Combustion Turbine Output Combined, Forecast vs. Actual445 Year Forecast Generation (MWh) Actual Generation (MWh) Difference (%) 2024 32,616 15,111 -54% 2025 14,615 20,256 39% Total 47,230 35,367 -25% X.B.3.c.ii. Performance T...
AI summary Figure X-21 compares forecast and actual combustion turbine output for 2024 and 2025, showing a significant underperformance in 2024 and overperformance in 2025. The data highlights discrepancies between projected and actual generation, with a total difference of -25%.
fuel at startup, is that winter starts may be slower. Still, this approach should help minimize the likelihood of a high-temperature trip in the future, but CT winter performance should be monitored. The second issue that caused some CT tr...
AI summary The text discusses issues with combined cycle (CT) turbine trips caused by high-temperature trips and free turbine vibrations from uneven thermal contraction during short-interval restarts. NSPI is evaluating operational limits on short-cycle restarts to address these issues, with an assessment due in December 2026.
X.B.3.e.i. Performance Test Results Though it occurred following the end of the Audit Period, NSPI conducted a maximum real power test (pursuant to NERC standard MOD-025-2) at Point Aconi on January 5, 2026. This was the first such test on...
AI summary NSPI conducted a maximum real power test at Point Aconi in January 2026, which tested within 1 percent of its NPCC declared value for gross real power and 2 percent for net real power. The test occurred after the end of the Audit Period. References to a letter and a report are provided.
X.B.3.h. Port Hawkesbury Biomass We address aspects of the PHB unit's performance in Chapter VI and the commitment and dispatch of PHB in Chapter XI. Here, we address additional items related to PHB's performance during the Audit Period.
AI summary The text discusses additional items related to the performance of the Port Hawkesbury Biomass (PHB) unit during the Audit Period, with further details on performance addressed in other chapters.
X.B.3.i.i. Hydrological Conditions and Output NSPI received 1,279,567 MWh of generation from its hydroelectric assets, including Wreck Cove and the run-of-river assets in the western part of the province.467 This is a decrease of approxima...
AI summary NSPI received 1,279,567 MWh of generation from hydroelectric assets, a 30% decrease from the prior audit period. This is attributed to hydrological conditions affecting output, as shown in Figure X-23.
Figure X-23: NSPI-Owned Hydroelectric Annual Output (MWh) (2022-2025)468 Year Hydro Output (Actual, MWh) 2022 875,045 2023 943,199 2024 685,564 2025 594,003 Prior Audit Period 1,818,245 Current Audit Period 1,279,567 While several factors,...
AI summary The document discusses a decrease in NSPI's hydroelectric output during the audit period (2024-2025) due to less favorable hydrological conditions, particularly lower precipitation levels in Halifax. This led to a significant reduction in generation compared to forecasts and previous periods.
X.B.3.i.ii. Wreck Cove Performance, Life Extension Wreck Cove provided 220,961 MWh in 2024474 and 264,347 MWh in 2025.475 Figure X-24 below shows the output, capacity factor, DAFOR, and availability factors for Wreck Cove units 1 and 2 dur...
AI summary Wreck Cove produced 220,961 MWh in 2024 and 264,347 MWh in 2025. The output, capacity factor, DAFOR, and availability factors for Wreck Cove units 1 and 2 during the Audit Period are shown in Figure X-24.
Figure X-24: Wreck Cove Performance Metrics (2024-2025) Metric (Year) Wreck Cove 1 Wreck Cove 2 Capacity Factor (2024) 1% 22% Capacity Factor (2025) 29% 0% DAFOR (2024) 0% 9% DAFOR (2025) 1% 0% Availability Factor (2024) 0% 60% Availabilit...
AI summary The Wreck Cove units have low performance metrics, with capacity factors and availability factors showing significant fluctuations between 2024 and 2025. These metrics were impacted by a Life Extension and Modernization project and tunnel remediation efforts, which are also the subject of a separate proceeding.
X.C. Conclusions Conclusion X-1: NSPI's resource portfolio is a mix of wind, hydro, and thermal generating assets. As currently constituted, NSPI's portfolio is not optimal for providing the necessary operational characteristics to balance...
AI summary NSPI's resource portfolio consists of wind, hydro, and thermal generating assets, but the high wind penetration has led to lower capacity factors for thermal units, affecting their operational efficiency. While availability factors and DAFORs were above industry averages, forced outage hours and derate durations have increased, with Trenton 5 experiencing the highest forced outage hours.
XI.A.1. Least Cost Dispatch NSPI, in its role as scheduler and operator, must determine how best to utilize existing generation, transmission, and other utility assets to provide reliable, lowest cost electricity to its consumers. This is...
AI summary NSPI, as scheduler and operator, must determine how to best utilize existing generation and transmission assets to provide reliable, lowest-cost electricity through the commitment and dispatch process. This involves daily, hourly, and minute-level decisions on generator operation. The process, known as security-constrained economic dispatch, is part of a broader integrated resource planning process that includes long-term planning, unit retirement, and seasonal scheduling.
Figure XI-1: Example Dispatch Stack, December 14, 2024 and June 11, 2025 December 14, 2024 Rank Unit Fuel Type June 11, 2025 1 Small Hydro Hydro 2 Wreck Cove Must Run Hydro 3 CC-Tufts Cove Heat Rec Gas 4 CC-Tufts Cove 1 LM Gas 5 Tufts Cove...
AI summary Figure XI-1 illustrates an example dispatch stack for December 14, 2024, and June 11, 2025, showing the ranking of power generation units based on incremental cost. The dispatch stack includes various units using different fuel types, such as hydro, gas, coal, and diesel. The dispatch order is determined by the incremental cost at maximum capacity levels.
ll and incorporate the information into the day ahead planning and dispatch process. Each Thursday, a small hydro meeting is held. Each day, Monday through Friday, the following process is followed: • At 7:30 AM, a system evaluation is don...
AI summary The document outlines a daily commitment and dispatch process for energy management, including system evaluations, meetings with various stakeholders, and coordination with the Natural Gas desk and NS Power thermal fleet. It describes the use of the Port Ops model for optimized system dispatch and the involvement of multiple departments in reviewing system load, generation status, and maintenance plans.
XI.B.1.a. Real Time Economic Dispatch (RTED) NSPI's RTED functionality enables the system to automatically dispatch units on AGC based on economics. When units are dispatched in this way they are referred to as running in economic mode or...
AI summary NSPI's Real Time Economic Dispatch (RTED) functionality allows units to be dispatched automatically in economic mode (econ-mode) on AGC. However, manual intervention is often required, and econ-mode is limited in effectiveness due to emissions rules and the transition to renewable energy. The RTED functionality is deemed to have limited usefulness by NSPI.
Figure XI-3: Operation of Units in Economic Mode 2024 2025 April 25 - December 31 Unit Econ Mode Hours Total Operating Hours Percentage of Operating Hours Run Using Econ Mode Econ Mode Hours Total Operating Hours Percentage of Operating Ho...
AI summary The table shows the operation of various power units in economic mode during 2024 and 2025. Most units operated in economic mode for a very small percentage of their total operating hours, with the exception of Lingan 1, 3, and 4. The data for Trenton 6 is unavailable due to a cyber incident.
XI.B.1.b. PortOps Operational Failures During the January 1, 2024 to April 24, 2025 period when PortOps was functional, PortOps regularly failed to operate correctly or could not produce a schedule at all. For example, there were clear sch...
AI summary During the period from January 1, 2024, to April 24, 2025, PortOps experienced frequent operational failures, including scheduling errors, data uploader errors, PHP dispatch errors, and model failures. These issues required constant manual intervention and should be addressed by implementing the new Economic Dispatch Optimization Solution if PortOps is replaced.
XI.B.2.a. Dispatch Tracking – Exceptional Dispatch NSPI uses a protocol for applying manual adjustments to PortOps schedules and documenting these decisions that are made outside of the PortOps software.552 The protocol is used to manually...
AI summary NSPI uses a protocol for manual adjustments to PortOps schedules during exceptional dispatch events, which occur when inputs cannot be precisely quantified or modelled. These adjustments are documented in Shift Reports and are used to address deviations in generator availability, wind, load, and system security. The audit period saw exceptional dispatch due to PortOps being non-operational and a cyber incident affecting records.
XI.B.3. The Port Hawkesbury Biomass Generator NSPI jointly optimizes PT Biomass with the other units in its portfolio using PortOps. The PT Biomass unit is included in the day ahead and intra-day schedules, and in the merit order dispatch...
AI summary The Port Hawkesbury Biomass Generator (PT Biomass) is jointly optimized with other units by NSPI using PortOps. It is included in day-ahead and intra-day schedules and is subject to real-time redispatching by NSPSO for various operational reasons. The capacity of PT Biomass is estimated and affected by steam usage by PH Paper, with average output levels provided for 2024 and 2025.
XI.B.5. Wreck Cove There have been no changes to the commitment and dispatch process for Wreck Cove since the 2020- 2021 Audit Period. The process starts with a determination of a weekly or monthly target hydro volume by the Wreck Cove Gro...
AI summary The commitment and dispatch process for Wreck Cove has remained unchanged since the 2020-2021 audit period. The process involves determining target hydro volumes based on seasonal factors and operational needs, with some flexibility depending on the time of year. The fixed portion of the target volume is included in the day-ahead schedule, while the incremental portion is managed based on economic and system balancing needs.
Figure XI-12: Annual Generation (MWh)573 Units 2022 2023 2024 2025 Unit 1 Unit 2 Lingan Unit 3 2,180,119 1,532,900 1,559,503 2,195,760 Unit 4 Point Aconi Unit 1 908,652 782,620 782,438 670,857 Point Tupper Unit 2 625,187 480,727 563,036 69...
AI summary Annual generation data across various units in Nova Scotia from 2022 to 2025 is presented, with significant fluctuations in output influenced by natural gas prices and OBPS adders. Higher gas prices in 2025 led to reduced dispatch of gas-fired units like TUC-1 and TUC-3, while solid fuel units were favored due to the OBPS adders.
Figure XI-13: Operating hours and output by unit, 2024 and 2025 2024 2025 Rank Unit Total Operating Hours Total Output (GWh) Unit Total Operating Hours Total Output (GWh) 1 TUC-5 7,814 PHB-1 7,527 2 TUC-4 7,696 TUC-4 7,061 3 TUC-3 7,219 TU...
AI summary Figure XI-13 presents the operating hours and output by unit for 2024 and 2025, showing changes in performance across different units. The data highlights variations in total operating hours and total output in gigawatt-hours (GWh) for each unit in both years.
Operating reserve is generation capacity above system demand required to supply energy on short notice to ensure reliable operation of the electric system. NSPI carries two types of operating reserve: tenminute reserve, made up of both syn...
AI summary The document explains the operating reserve requirements for NSPI, including ten-minute and thirty-minute reserves, and outlines the minimum levels required under NPCC standards and agreements with New Brunswick Power System Operator. It also mentions additional reserves needed due to factors like transmission constraints and imported energy contingencies.
XI.B.11. Bates White 2022–2023 Recommendations In the 2022-2023 Audit Report, BW made two recommendations relating to economic commitment and dispatch. These recommendations were addressed as follows: Recommendation XI-1: NSPI should provi...
AI summary Bates White recommended that NSPI provide a detailed report on how commitment and dispatch issues were addressed by selected optimization solutions and retain hourly system marginal cost data. NSPI accepted the recommendations but provided only high-level responses, which were deemed insufficient. However, NSPI confirmed in its February 2026 Update that it retained the data, and Bates White concluded that this recommendation was fully addressed.
XI.C. Conclusions Conclusion XI-1: NSPI, to its credit, was able to keep its system running reliably through the period following the cyber event. However, the loss of automation and information required for scheduling and dispatch would h...
AI summary The document highlights NSPI's ability to maintain system reliability post-cyber event but notes inefficiencies and increased costs due to lost automation. It identifies issues with scheduling processes, RTED functionality, and dispatch of PH Biomass. There are concerns about understated system marginal costs and increased GHG emissions. A new Economic Dispatch Optimization Solution is expected to address some inefficiencies.
XII.B.1. Purchased Power Over the two-year Audit Period, approximately 64.1% of NSPI's total MWhs were produced by NSPI-owned generation, while about 35.9% were generated by third-party power producers. Figure XII-1 below shows this data a...
AI summary During the two-year Audit Period, NSPI generated approximately 64.1% of its total MWhs internally, while 35.9% came from third-party power producers. This data is illustrated in Figure XII-1.
Figure XII-1: Ownership of Generation Serving NSPI Customers585 Generation Serving NSPI Customers (MWh) 2024 2025 NSPI-Owned Thermal Generation 6,309,911 6,520,644 NSPI-Owned Renewables 932,274 855,113 Third-Party Power 4,084,135 4,097,853...
AI summary The table shows the generation serving NSPI customers from 2024 to 2025, with NSPI-owned thermal and renewable generation, and third-party power. The percentage share of third-party power has increased significantly over the past ten years, reaching 35.7% in 2025.
Figure XII-3: Output, Cost of COMFIT Resources (by project) 602 Canacity l Total Cost Truro-Millbrook Wind Limited Partnership BA Wind Limited Partnership (Natural Forces Wind Inc.) Truro - Millbrook 6.00 21,345 21,820 $2,796,180 $2,858,38...
AI summary Figure XII-3 presents the output and cost of COMFIT resources by project, including details such as capacity, output, and total costs for various wind farm projects in Nova Scotia.
Figure XII-8: NSPI's Short-Term Imported Power Volume630 Transaction Volume (MWh) Volume as % of TSR 2024 2025 Total There are three ways NSPI imports power on a day-ahead or real-time basis. One is through shortterm import transactions so...
AI summary The document outlines three methods NSPI uses to import power on a day-ahead or real-time basis, including short-term import transactions, joint dispatch, and power imported via the Maritime Link. The first two methods are discussed here, with the Maritime Link transactions addressed in a later section.
XII.B.1.c.i. Day-Ahead, Real-Time Imports from New Brunswick, New England, and Quebec NSPI's energy marketers look for opportunities to import power on a short-term basis (i.e., day-ahead or real-time). To do this, marketers and the expect...
AI summary NSPI imports power from New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, and ISO New England through a single interconnection point. The interconnection has specific import and export limits influenced by various system conditions. During the audit period, NSPI was a net importer of power in all 24 months.
XII.C. Conclusions Conclusion XII-1: The sources of power that serve FAM customers continue to become more diverse and regionally-integrated as evidenced by continued increases in imports and third-party purchases, totaling 35.9% during th...
AI summary The document outlines conclusions regarding the diversification of power sources for FAM customers, NSPI's PPAs with renewable generators, and the increase in imported power, particularly from the Muskrat Falls project via the Maritime Link.
XV.B.4. PHP Deviations from Schedule During the Audit Period PHP deviations from scheduled load in real time occur when PHP's actual load does not match the schedule and when actual load and scheduled loads are in different OM levels. (Cha...
AI summary This section discusses PHP deviations from scheduled load during the audit period, explaining how deviations are identified based on cause codes and the time it takes for PHP to adjust to schedule changes. NSPI identifies deviations as multi-hour events, not hourly, and highlights the need to examine data on a 5-minute interval basis for a full understanding.
XV.B.5.b. Comparison of Wind Generation and PHP Load Figure XV-18 provides a comparison over the audit period of 14-day average hourly PHP load and system wind generation. Under ELIADC co-optimization, the expected relationship between the...
AI summary The audit period analysis of wind generation and PHP load under ELIADC co-optimization shows no significant correlation between the two, despite expectations of a positive relationship. Only a weak correlation of 0.14 was observed in the limited data available after a cyber event affected data integrity.