‘A show of confidence’: Ottawa invests $100M in Nova Scotia offshore wind - BERITAJA

It was a blustery time connected the Dartmouth, N.S. waterfront arsenic the national authorities announced a $100 cardinal finance to beforehand offshore wind improvement successful Nova Scotia.

The money will beryllium utilized to cod wind, water and seafloor information for the Wind West project. Wind West is portion of the Atlantic Energy Strategy, which was referred to the national Major Projects Office successful September 2025.

Premier Tim Houston called it an “incredible” time for Nova Scotia.

“I’m incredibly excited about what the early holds for our province,” he told reporters.

“(The funding) will shave years disconnected (the project). It will bring america person to the jobs, person to the realities. We’re really appreciative of the $100 million. It intends a lot. It intends a batch for Nova Scotians. It’s a show of assurance successful what we have.”

According to the provincial government, Nova Scotia has immoderate of the best, and consistently-fast, upwind speeds successful the world. The state besides sits connected a “large continental support pinch immense areas of comparatively shallow h2o that are perfect for floating and fixed upwind platforms.”

“Nearly 30 countries are up of Canada successful processing offshore upwind and it’s clip to alteration that,” said national Energy and Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson, who was connected manus to present the news.

As a first step, Hodgson says $5 cardinal will spell toward the improvement of devices to measurement upwind speeds and water conditions. He anticipates the telephone for bids will beryllium issued this winter.

“This information will thief developers amended understand the unsocial conditions disconnected Nova Scotia’s seashore and creation offshore upwind projects that are safe, that are businesslike and built for semipermanent success,” he said.

Nearly $3 cardinal is being committed to grow transmission modelling and marine study work.

This activity is expected to thief laic the instauration for Wind West and support Nova Scotia’s extremity of licensing up to 5 gigawatts of offshore upwind power by 2030.

“Just this 5 (gigawatts) could beryllium $40 cardinal of backstage investment, $50 billion, $60 billion. It’s a big, large number. It intends jobs, it intends opportunity,” said Houston.

Provincial officials person said Wind West could dress up to 60 gigawatts of energy if each phases are built.

“When you could return $100 cardinal of nationalist money and leverage it to unlock tens of billions of dollars of backstage money, that is simply a bully usage of nationalist capital,” said Houston.

“Imagine what our state looks for illustration erstwhile we person each of that 60 (gigawatts). It’s an unthinkable opportunity.”

Houston has besides suggested the excess energy could beryllium utilized to proviso 27 per cent of Canada’s full demand. Quebec and Massachusetts person already shown liking successful buying energy from the projected project.

Affordability still a question

A Canadian Renewable Energy Association (CanREA) poll released this week recovered 33 per cent of Canadians classed affordability arsenic a apical privilege for caller energy proviso — up of reliability, really quickly caller proviso could beryllium built, economical maturation and power security.

“Electricity request successful Canada is expected to summation betwixt 26 to 85 per cent by 2050 arsenic the system grows and electrifies,” said Eddie Oldfield, the association’s head of argumentation for the Maritimes.

“Canadians request much electricity. They’ve told america they want it to beryllium affordable. Wind, star and retention are among the apical caller sources of power that could supply affordable, reliable energy successful Canada.”

He points retired that Wind West would beryllium the first clip offshore upwind would beryllium introduced connected Canadian shores and calls it “an unthinkable opportunity.”

Official Opposition Leader Claudia Chender says her statement supports the description of the water subject and exertion sector, but adds that it’s “vitally important” to understand really projects for illustration Wind West yet thief group spend powerfulness bills and “secure our power future.”

“What group are concerned about erstwhile we talk about powerfulness is being capable to salary their powerfulness bills. And truthful we would for illustration to spot national finance successful our transmission and distribution,” the NDP leader said.

Oldfield agrees transmission to get that powerfulness to markets is thing that needs to beryllium discussed and addressed.

“And that mightiness require a location model pinch clear rules, timelines that investors could count on, (as good as) existent partnerships pinch the Mi’kmaq, Indigenous communities, fisheries and coastal communities to guarantee that benefits accrue locally arsenic they create these awesome resources,” he said.

— pinch files from BERITAJA’ Heidi Petracek and BERITAJA.