IESO Nova Scotia was created by provincial government legislation — the More Access to Energy Act 2024 — to take over long-term electricity system planning, procurement of new energy resources, and transmission grid operations from Nova Scotia Power.
Our mandate is to deliver reliable, sustainable electricity to Nova Scotians at the best possible cost.
How Procurement Works at IESO Nova Scotia
Electricity system procurement in our province is guided by regular and robust Integrated Resource Plans (IRPs) and by the Government of Nova Scotia’s Clean Power Plan.
The Clean Power Plan aims to deliver 80% of the electricity we use from renewables and remove coal generation from our energy mix. This is a huge undertaking, in the early 2000’s around 80% of Nova Scotia’s electricity came from coal (The High Cost of Cheap Power) . Significant progress has been made with now less than 50% of our electricity coming from coal. However, there is still a long way to go and a need for significant investments in wind, solar, batteries, and new gas facilities to enable the transition in a reliable and most affordable way (CER: Renewable Energy in Canada-Nova Scotia).
Led previously by Nova Scotia Power, and now by IESO Nova Scotia, IRPs gather critical data through technical modelling and stakeholder engagement to create a roadmap for a reliable, sustainable, and cost-effective power grid in the coming decades.
The IRP process:
- Plans for future electricity demand and varying scenarios
- Determines the right mix of energy sources to meet that demand reliably and at the lowest possible cost to customers
- Advances the province’s transition to renewable energy and away from coal
- Identifies when and where new generation, transmission, or energy storage resources should be built
Integrated Resource Plans, both those developed in the past by Nova Scotia Power, and those to be developed going forward by IESO Nova Scotia, enable transparent, evidence-based procurement decisions for our province’s energy system — and its customers.
Current Procurements
Fast-Acting Electricity Generation
IESO Nova Scotia has initiated its first procurement process, seeking to secure at least 300 megawatts of reliable natural gas generation capacity for the province.
While it might seem surprising to start with natural gas when moving to a cleaner electricity system, it is the necessary next step in the plan to achieve Nova Scotia’s 80% renewables goal.
Having a flexible and dependable resource like natural gas provides a critical foundation of electricity that enables the new system to deliver reliable power to Nova Scotians, even in extended cold snaps or periods where wind isn’t sufficient to meet the province’s demand.
Importantly, these new facilities are not designed to run all the time, but instead to generate electricity quickly when we need them—and power down when we don’t. These facilities will also have the ability to switch to renewable fuels such as hydrogen as they become economically available. They will play a critical role alongside batteries and other technologies to provide Nova Scotia with a reliable system in the most cost-effective way.
In October 2025, IESO Nova Scotia issued a Request for Expressions of Interest for the construction and operation of one or two 300 megawatt fast-acting natural gas-fired facilities in Pictou County.
This added capacity, identified in the Province of Nova Scotia’s Clean Power Plan and the most recent IRP completed by Nova Scotia Power, is critical to the province’s ability to continue to meet growing electricity demand, transition away from coal, significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and achieve Nova Scotia’s renewable energy goals.
IESO Nova Scotia received Expressions of Interest from several proponents during the fall 2025 call. We thank the interested companies for their submissions, and for their valuable feedback.
The draft Request for Proposals (RFP) and Tolling Agreement for the 300 megawatt fast-acting natural gas generating facilities was made available for proponent review and comment in March 2026.
We look forward to launching the formal Request for Proposals following the review and incorporation of stakeholder feedback, and to receiving competitive bids from proponents.
More Information
- Read our news release on the Request for Expressions of Interest
- Explore materials from our community open houses in Marshdale and Salt Springs
- Learn more about opportunities for community engagement on this project by visiting our Engagement page or by contacting community@ieso-ns.ca
- We are developing a local business directory to provide to successful proponents, to enable them to tap into local service providers — if you are a business owner and want to add your company to our directory, you can register at ieso-ns.ca/businessregistration.
Supplier Opportunities
Integrated Resource Plan Consultant
On behalf of IESO Nova Scotia, we are pleased to share a Request for Proposals (RFP) for a technical consultant to assist IESO-NS with it’s Integrated Resource Plan (IRP). The RFP provides full details on the scope of work, submission requirements, and evaluation process.
For your planning, please note the following key dates in the procurement process (subject to change at IESO Nova Scotia’s discretion):
- RFP Kick Off Call (Virtual): March 26, 2026 @ 11:00 am ADT – If you would like to participate in the call, please email procurement@ieso-ns.ca.
- Deadline for Questions (by email): March 27, 2026 by 4:00pm ADT
- Posting of Q&A Document to https://ieso-ns.ca/procurement/ (if required): April 2, 2026 by 4:00pm ADT
- Posting of RFP Addendum to https://ieso-ns.ca/procurement/ (if required): April 2, 2026 by 4:00pm ADT
- Deadline for Completed Proposals (by email): April 10, 2026 by 4:00pm AST
Thank you for considering working with IESO Nova Scotia. We look forward to receiving your proposal.
Procurement Archive
The following Requests for Proposals (RFPs) are provided for transparency and reference purposes. These procurement processes are closed and are no longer accepting submissions.
RFP: Integrated Resource Plan
RFP: Phase 2: Transition Plan and IT, OT & Cybersecurity Roadmap
RFP: Value Framework & Business Case
Draft RFP: Fast Acting Electricity Generation
The draft Request for Proposals (RFP) and Tolling Agreement for the 300 megawatt fast-acting natural gas generating facilities was made available for proponent review and comment in March 2026.
We look forward to launching the formal Request for Proposals following the review and incorporation of stakeholder feedback, and to receiving competitive bids from proponents.