Federal Provincial Partners in Offshore Wind Energy

Nova Scotia will partner with the federal government on offshore wind development before venturing into projects in provincial waters.

The Minister of Natural Resources and Renewables says, “Offshore wind is an important part of our clean energy plan, and we are working with our federal partners to ensure a clear path for sustainable development of this new sector.”

Tory Rushton says, “We’re pausing any consideration of waters within provincial jurisdiction until the framework for jointly managed offshore areas is in place. The regional assessment that's ongoing will help inform our decisions for the regulatory framework for both areas.”

In June, the Department released the first module of the Offshore Wind Roadmap, which set Nova Scotia's vision for offshore wind and outlined the regulatory path for businesses to invest in projects. 

It also stated that the Province would consider whether to pursue projects in waters under provincial jurisdiction. 

The second module of the road map will be released in the spring and will reflect the focus on developing one clear regulatory regime for jointly managed waters first, in consultation with all interested parties.

The Minister said, “I encourage Nova Scotians to continue participating and sharing their input.”

Nova Scotia has a goal of offering licences for five gigawatts of offshore wind energy by 2030, with the first call for bids in 2025. While there are some interested developers, there are no offshore wind projects under development at this time.

The federal and provincial governments are amending their respective legislation to expand the mandate of the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board to include offshore renewable energy.

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