Company strengthening power reliability in Isle Madame
By Corey LeBlanc
ISLE MADAME: Three underwater cables lying on the seabed of Lennox Passage currently connect Isle Madame to Nova Scotia Power’s (NSP) electrical grid. These aging cables are now being replaced to ensure continued energy reliability for the island community.
“With these cables reaching the end of their service life, we are upgrading the equipment with cables that will run underneath the seabed, continuing to deliver safe, reliable power to the homes and businesses in the community,” NSP spokesperson Casey Spears explained to The Reporter in a recent email.
According to the company’s project overview, NSP has collaborated with Nova Scotia Public Works, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, local community groups, and fishing associations to “strengthen the island’s power connection, while protecting its unique marine environment and fishing activities.”
“Through ongoing engagement, we determined that the best course of action was to use horizontal directional drilling to install two protective conduits below the seabed,” the overview states, adding that “these conduits will house the new electrical cables, preserve the natural watercourse and enhance both durability and reliability for the future.”
NSP achieved a significant milestone in late 2024 when crews completed the drilling required to install the conduits. The next phase of the project – installing the new cables within those protective conduits – is scheduled to take place later in 2025.
Once completed and operational, NSP says the upgraded infrastructure “will ensure a robust connection to Isle Madame, reinforcing the island’s energy security and supporting its continued growth.”
In terms of customer and community benefits, the project overview highlights “reliable service,” noting the new underground cables will provide “a more robust and dependable connection to the electrical grid, reducing the risk of outages and ensuring continued service for approximately 2,000 customers on Isle Madame.”
The company also emphasizes the project’s “minimal environmental impact,” as the chosen installation method – horizontal directional drilling – avoids disturbing the seabed and watercourse, thereby reducing potential effects on marine habitats and the local fishing industry. NSP describes these activities as “a key to the island’s economy and culture.”
Construction has been scheduled to begin after the seasonal closure of the Lennox Passage drawbridge to marine traffic, further limiting potential disruption. NSP confirmed that no full closures of the bridge or the highway were required.
Community engagement has been a central part of the project. NSP notes that it “worked closely” with local government, fishing associations, and area residents “to ensure the project reflects community priorities and addresses concerns.”
The Lennox Passage cable replacement marks the latest chapter in a longstanding relationship between NSP and the Strait region. That partnership began in 1973, when the company commissioned the Point Tupper Generating Station in Richmond County – a 154-megawatt oil-fired unit at the time. Following a transition from oil in 1987, it became one of four coal-fired power stations currently operating in Nova Scotia.
While coal has played a significant role in NSP’s history, the utility has committed to achieving 80 per cent renewable energy by 2030, aligning with both provincial and federal climate goals. As part of this transition, NSP installed a ‘low-NOx’ combustion system at the generating station in 2008 to limit nitrogen oxide emissions and fitted an electrostatic precipitator to its main boiler to capture 99 per cent of fly ash emissions.
Next to the generating station, the Port Hawkesbury Biomass Plant contributes approximately three per cent of the province’s electricity and represents another facet of NSP’s evolving energy mix.
Today, NSP employs approximately 55 workers at the Point Tupper facility and more than 30 at the biomass plant, many of whom are actively involved in supporting local initiatives and organizations throughout the Strait region.
NSP underscores the importance of the Lennox Passage upgrade, calling it “a key part of our commitment to investing in infrastructure that strengthens service reliability and supports the unique needs of communities, such as Isle Madame.”
The company concludes, “By combining modern engineering with proactive stakeholder engagement, we were able to work together to deliver benefits that will be felt across the Strait Area and communities across Nova Scotia – now and into the future.”