Emera Inc. has released plans to move dozens of employees and its executive team from the Nova Scotia Power building on the Halifax waterfront to an office building on Terminal Road, as a multimillion-dollar renovation begins next week to accommodate them.

The parent company of Nova Scotia Power has outgrown the two and half floors it now occupies at the utility's Lower Water Street building, and wants more space as it continues to expand with the purchase of power plants in the United States and power companies in the Caribbean.

Five years ago, Nova Scotia Power converted an old power plant at a cost of $54 million to ratepayers.

Emera will stay on as a tenant in that building, but is also moving 65 employees and the president of the $10-billion company across the street into the Terminal Road building. That building is about to undergo a two-year, multimillion-dollar upgrade.

Neera Ritcey, a spokesperson for Emera, says ratepayers will not shoulder the cost.

"It will be an entirely Emera-funded project. Ratepayers in Nova Scotia will not be impacted," she said Monday.

80-metre pedway planned

Emera declined to release a cost estimate.

The exterior of the former provincial office building at 5151 Terminal Rd. will be covered in the same double paned glass as the Nova Scotia Power building to reflect the same design.

For the time being, they will share the space with the provincial Department of Labour and Advanced Education. Their lease in the building expires in 2017.

Neera Ritcey, a spokesperson for Nova Scotia Power, says ratepayers will not shoulder the cost of the new building. (CBC)

An 80-metre long pedway above Lower Water street is proposed to connect the two buildings.

"That link will be an important link that will be available for the public as well," Ritcey said.

"It will be a protected path. That building will become more visually integrated with this building and will certainly become more appealing and energy efficient."

Open house on July 27

The plan for Emera's eight-storey Terminal Road office includes opening the ground floor to food and retail operations.

Paul Currie, a senior project manager with Emera, says the building will also showcase energy innovations such as taking water from Halifax Harbour to heat and air condition the building.

"As we move toward seawater heating and cooling, we would like to see a 50 per cent reduction in our energy bills," he said. "Based on our performance at the Nova Scotia Power building, we've seen those reductions."

Emera says the pedway should also draw more people to the waterfront location of the new $20-million Discovery Centre.

Emera's proposal still needs approval from the city, but the public will also have a chance to weigh in and have an early look at the plans.

An open house is scheduled for July 27 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at 5151 Terminal Rd.