Nova Scotia Power Inc. (NSPI) is in discussion with the Nalcor Energy for buying power from its hydropower projects. Nalcor Energy has proposed two new generating stations on the Churchill river and has filed an environmental impact statement on its plans to transmit the power from the Lower Churchill dams in central Labrador to Newfoundland. Nalcor Energy is considering an undersea cable that could land in Cape Breton at Lingan, where NSPI already has a coal-fired plant.

A federal-provincial panel is expected to decide on the Newfoundland environmental assessment next year.

NSPI Spokesperson Margaret Murphy said that the company is currently negotiating with the Newfoundland energy company about the possibility of distributing hydroelectric power in Nova Scotia. She said talks include price, infrastructure needs and the Cape Breton landing site of a subsea cable from Newfoundland.

Murphy confirmed that the Lingan power plant is one possible landing site, but she said others are also under discussion.

“I’ll be honest with you, we’re probably not going to get into the details of negotiations, because we are in negotiations,” Murphy said. “But we are certainly interested in the carbon-free energy.”

Murphy further continued that NSPI has 33 hydroelectric stations in the province, but that source of energy was “largely tapped out” here and the company is looking to increase power supply while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Buying hydroelectricity from Newfoundland was one source of green energy that would add to the mix of alternatives to fossil-fuel power being developed by NSPI, said Murphy.

“It would not be a total solution, but a partial solution to go toward our targets for emission reductions.”