News 1. Tidal generation failure costs mount Losses continue to mount related to the failed tidal generation project in the Minas Basin. The Fundy Ocean Research Centre for Energy Inc. (FORCE), the company established to provide test sites for other companies to try out instream turbines in the Minas Basin, is suing five companies for […]
Nova Scotia Power seeks three annual rate increases of 1.5% for residential customers
Nova Scotia Power has filed an application that would see power rates rise 1.5% a year for residential customers in each of the next three years, if approved by the Utility and Review Board (UARB). The increases are related to rising fuel costs and purchases of imported power. Commercial and industrial class customers will see […]
Tidal recall: the province says it will pay the estimated $5 million to remove the tidal turbine abandoned on the floor of the Minas Basin, but doesn’t say when
Energy and Mines Minister Derek Mombourquette announced last week the province intends to “eventually retrieve” the abandoned 1,000-tonne, five-storey turbine abandoned at the bottom of the Bay of Fundy near Parrsboro. “Eventually” is the key word in that sentence since there is no timeline and no obvious financial means to pay a salvage bill estimated...
The abandoned tidal turbine still sits on the bottom of the Minas Basin, and taxpayers are probably on the hook for removing it
The future of a massive, five-storey high tidal turbine sitting on the bottom of the Bay of Fundy off the coast of Parrsboro continues to represent a financial sinkhole for Nova Scotia taxpayers. Yesterday, Nova Scotia Supreme Court Justice Peter Rosinski officially accepted a letter from the lawyer representing Grant Thornton, the receiver appointed by...
Province amps up its unwise and discredited biofuel efforts
Morning File, Thursday, December 13, 2018
News 1. Biofuel Last year, in her article “Life After Pulp,” Linda Pannozzo showed how as the old pulp industry is collapsing, the government is chasing two other forest dreams — biomass and biofuel. On the latter, she wrote: In 2012, when the Dexter government announced the defunct paper mill would become a business hub […]
Announcing the Examiner subscriber party, with special guest Linden MacIntyre
Morning File, Friday, November 9, 2018
News 1. Announcing the Examiner subscriber party, with special guest speaker Linden MacIntyre We’re in the midst of the Halifax Examiner’s subscription drive. We do this every November, and towards the end of the month we have a party to thank our subscribers. This year’s party will be on Sunday, November 25, from 4–7pm, at […]
As reliable as a beer commercial
Morning File, Tuesday, September 18, 2018
Erica Butler here, helping out with Morningfile today. Fear not, Tim’s still all over it. News 1. Burnside jail Tim reports from the hearing for Burnside jail prisoner Maurice Pratt, continuing to shed light on the situation in the facility. Prisoners launched a protest in August asking for better conditions at the jail, including access […]
Tidal energy investors and fish: the Minas Basin is full of sharks
Morning File, Wednesday, September 5, 2018
News 1. Nursing home legislation An NDP proposal would legislate minimum nursing home staffing levels and make public inspection reports, reports Jennifer Henderson. 2. Damage control at Cape Sharp Tidal Yesterday, Cape Sharp Tidal and Stacy Pineau of Emera issued the following statement: Cape Sharp Tidal continues to take positive steps in the process to establish ongoing […]
Tidal power isn’t dead yet
Three companies are still committed to developing the industry, but after the OpenHydro collapse, obtaining the hundreds of millions of dollars in needed investment may be an upstream battle.
Tomorrow (Wednesday), an Irish High Court will begin to sort out the ownership of an Irish company whose bankruptcy forced it to abandon its gigantic principal asset — a doughnut-shaped, five-storey high, 1,000-tonne turbine — an ocean away at the bottom of the Bay of Fundy. The third version of the company’s device, designed to...
Environmental monitoring of abandoned tidal turbine to start soon
After a month of turmoil, regulatory uncertainty, and inertia, it appears steps are being taken to monitor the environmental impact in the immediate zone around an abandoned tidal turbine at the bottom of the Bay of Fundy near Parrsboro. The five-storey high machine is owned and operated by Cape Sharp Tidal, a joint venture between […]