By Eric Bourque
THE VANGUARD
NovaNewsNow.com
Representatives of Nova Scotia Power were in Yarmouth last week as part of a series of meetings with local municipal government people and the switch to LED streetlights was among the issues raised.
The province is making it mandatory for all road and highway lighting in Nova Scotia to be converted to more energy-efficient LED lighting.
Claudette Porter, Nova Scotia Power vice-president (finance and information technology), says making the transition to LED lighting tends to come up during sessions like the one in Yarmouth last Thursday.
“We know LEDs are an issue for the municipalities and we’re trying to work with the municipalities to come up with a solution,” she said.
Details regarding the switch to LED lighting and the costs associated with it were among the concerns raised during the Dec. 6 session in Yarmouth.
Porter, who is based in Halifax and who was here for the Yarmouth meeting, says different parts of the province may have concerns specific to their communities, but streetlights and the like tend to come up everywhere.
“Each area has a little bit different issues, but the major ones are always pretty well the same,” she said. “The LED is an issue in most municipalities.”
In September the government announced amendments had been finalized to the regulations requiring LED road and highway lighting in Nova Scotia. According to the regulations, Nova Scotia Power must complete its conversion by the end of 2019. Municipal units have until the end 2022 but have to outline the conversion in the coming year, the province said.
Information about reliability – the number of power outages, their duration etc. – is always an issue as well, Porter said after Thursday’s session in Yarmouth.
Last week’s meeting with municipal government reps was the second such session this year for Nova Scotia Power’s southwestern regional committee, a similar meeting having been held six months ago.
That plan is to continue the sessions in 2012, Porter said.
Officials were pleased with the turnout for the meeting, she said.
“Our objective is really to hear feedback from the municipalities,” she said. “We think it’s a great opportunity for the municipalities, for us to hear from them and their constituents.”
This fall’s regional consultation series began Nov. 28 in Sydney is scheduled to conclude this week. Eight sessions were planned throughout the province.
