NS Power improves average outage time, still above target: report

Nova Scotia Power headquarters is seen in Halifax on March 25, 2026. (Jonathan MacInnis/CTV News Atlantic)

Nova Scotia Power has improved the amount of time the average customer experiences an outage, but they’re still above the standard established in 2017, according to a new report.

The utility’s annual performance standards report, which was submitted to the Nova Scotia Energy Board ahead of a hearing in June, said they are on track to strengthen the grid against adverse weather and improve the customer experience by 2029.

The report noted the system average interruption duration index (SAIDI), which tracks the average length of outages by hours, was 4.79 in 2025, the lowest since 2020. Despite the improvement was still below the SAIDI target of 4.29.

“This result is on track toward meeting the goal of reducing SAIDI by 20 per cent by 2029,” the report reads.

Nova Scotia Power’s SAIDI rating in 2024 was 5.26, which incurred them a $1-million penalty from the energy board for failing to hit their reliability targets. They received a $1.25-million fine for failing to reach those targets in 2023.

The report noted the utility’s number of outages for the average customer in 2025 was 1.57, which represented the fewest outages in the province since 2012.

The utility showed it spent $206 million in 2025 as part of its reliability plan, which included $45 million on tree trimming. The report found there was a 19 per cent reduction in outages caused by trees contacting power lines and an 18 per cent reduction in outages caused by equipment failures.

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