©PortHawkesburyPaper 

Nova Scotia Power’s largest industrial customer wants to be shielded from a massive debt the utility will be paying back for nearly three decades, but it’s not getting any help from the province’s highest court. Port Hawesbury Paper is not yet helping to pay down a $500-million federally-backed loan, but it has now been twice denied the assurance it wants that it will be exempt from ever contributing. The company told the Nova Scotia Energy Board in late 2024 that it did not believe it should be responsible for any costs associated with a bailout from Ottawa, which Nova Scotia Power had secured following delays in Labrador’s Muskrat Falls hydroelectric project. …The board said the federal bailout wiped away the historical fuel costs, leaving a different debt in its place, which is the responsibility of future customers. The Appeal Court agreed. Whether Port Hawkesbury Paper actually contributes to the debt repayment will depend on future deals with Nova Scotia Power. Under its current tariff agreement, it’s not on the hook. The agreement expires at the end of this year.