Trump's disdain for wind energy could create windfall for Nova Scotia, experts say
Aegir Insights, based in Denmark, recently presented a webinar that examined Premier Tim Houston's 10-year plan to license enough offshore turbines to produce 40 gigawatts of electricity. Even though the province requires only 2.4 GW, Houston's Wind West plan calls for selling excess power to the rest of Canada and, potentially, the United States.
Experts say such a project would require construction of about 4,000 offshore turbines that would generate as much electricity as China's offshore turbines produced last year.
Scott Urquhart, co-founder and CEO of Aegir Insights, said Wind West has grabbed the attention of the global offshore wind industry.
'The vision is to get Nova Scotia on the radar of big international investors,' Urquhart said Tuesday in an interview from Copenhagen. 'If the big players saw only a one gigawatt ambition, they won't show up.'
During last week's webinar, which attracted about 100 project developers, investors and government officials, Urquhart described Wind West as 'grand and ambitious,' but said it is underpinned by 'rational market fundamentals and economics.'
Is offshore wind Nova Scotia's greatest opportunity since the Age of Sail? Matthew McClearn
Founded in 2020, Aegir Insights describes itself as an intelligence provider that offers analytics and models for those investing in the offshore wind sector. Its database of projects spans 60 markets. Though he is based in Copenhagen, Urquhart has taken a keen interest in Wind West, having grown up in Cape Breton.
He told the webinar that the offshore wind industry has been hurt by rising costs and supply chain issues in recent years, but he said the industry appears poised for a recovery as interest rates fall and supply chain competition heats up.
Signe Sorensen, Aegir's regional lead in the Americas, said these encouraging trends have been overshadowed in the United States by Trump's decision to place a hold on offshore projects that have already received permits.
'Even as the global sector looks to be on the road to recovery, the U.S. is on a completely different path,' Sorensen told the webinar. 'And that matters a lot to Canada. One state's challenge could be another state's opportunity.'
In January, Trump announced he would halt leasing for wind projects while fast-tracking plans for more oil and gas production. That move has led to layoffs and stalled construction of wind turbines, which account for 10 per cent of U.S. electricity production — the largest source of renewable energy.
Renewable energy touted as force for sovereignty in Canada's north
Earlier this month, Trump doubled down on his opposition to wind power.
'The windmills are killing our country,' he said on June 12. 'The fields are littered with them — junk .... It's the greatest scam in history, the most expensive energy you can buy.'
Sorensen said the New England states and New York have been leading development of the offshore wind sector in the U.S., but Trump's opposition could stall the industry for the next four years.
'They need to find renewable sources to supply this energy,' Sorensen said. 'That's where large-scale Canadian wind could come into the picture, specifically Wind West .... There's a golden opportunity in this for Canada.'
Urquhart agreed.
'On the U.S. side, you just had a hole blown in the offshore wind sector and you have a whole bunch of supply chain people and developers who are standing around saying, 'Oh, no,'' he said in an interview. 'Now is the time to put your visionary ideas out. If you were to wait on something like this, you'll miss a window of opportunity.'
During his online presentation, Urquhart showed a colour-coded 'heat map' highlighting areas off Nova Scotia's coast where offshore wind development would be feasible.
'There are huge areas that could do tens-of-gigawatts of offshore wind,' he said, pointing to the sprawling, shallow banks around Sable Island and a long stretch closer to Nova Scotia's southern shoreline. 'There are several highly prospective locations.'
As well, Sorensen pointed to charts showing the New England states and New York are willing to pay top dollar for offshore wind energy.
'Nova Scotia could be competitive, pricewise,' she said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBC
11 minutes ago
- CBC
Spruce Woods byelection candidates square off in final debate
Three candidates fielded policy questions in front of about 90 people in Sprucewoods, Man., on Wednesday evening, as part of the second and final debate leading up to the Spruce Woods provincial byelection.
CBC
an hour ago
- CBC
First Nations criticize province over Joffre Lakes Park closure dates
The Lil'wat and N'Quatqua First Nations say they're unhappy with the B.C. Environment Ministry's decision on how long to close Joffre Lakes Park next month. The Lil'wat Nation's political chief says the decision to close the park from Sept. 2 to Oct. 3 isn't in the spirit of reconciliation, and the nations had requested more dates.
CTV News
2 hours ago
- CTV News
Cambridge named as hotspot for copper thefts
How does copper wire thefts impact communities? CTV's Karis Mapp shares the repercussions of this rising crime. As copper wire thefts become increasingly popular, part of Waterloo Region is being recognized as a hotbed for the crime. According to a news release published by Bell, the parent company of CTV News, copper thefts are up 23 per cent year-over-year. So far this year, 500 cases involving Bell wires have been reported and 63 per cent of those thefts happened in Ontario. ADVERTISEMENT Thieves will often cut and steal telephone wires, which contain copper. 'Over the past several years, the price for copper has gone up. That's made it a valuable commodity for thieves,' Eric Smith, senior vice president with the Canadian Telecommunications Association, said. 'They try to take copper and sell it as scrap metal for profit.' Telephone wires aren't the only target. Electrical utilities and construction sites have also been impacted. Cambridge, especially the Galt area, has emerged as a particular area of concern. 'We've seen 75 events so far this year alone,' Dana Lohnes, a director of field operations with Bell, said. 'That's up from 44 last year. I would say nationally, [Cambridge] is one of the hottest regions in all of Bell's territory.' When the lines are cut for nefarious purposes, it causes an outage for users. 'This is a health and safety issue,' Smith said. 'If people are in trouble and need to call 911 and their services have been knocked out, they cannot contact emergency services.' Business owners also feel the sting. 'They lose access to their point-of-sale system or to critical internet connectivity that they need to do day-to-day business,' Lohnes said. Rogers is seeing a similar problem, with vandalism blamed for at least 14 service disruptions in Waterloo Region and the surrounding area within the last year. 'Like other providers, we're seeing a troubling rise in vandalism to our network infrastructure across the country, causing service interruptions and affecting Canadians who rely on our networks to stay connected. When these incidents occur, we engage local law enforcement and our crews work around the clock to repair the damage to our fibre. Beyond being a significant inconvenience for our customers, these acts can have a serious impact on public safety,' an emailed statement from a Rogers representative said. Meanwhile, the Waterloo Regional Police Service is investigating the troubling trend. As of Aug. 17, 111 cases of scrap metal or wire thefts under $5,000 have been reported across the region. Almost half of those investigations were in Cambridge. Another 30 reports have been filed for thefts over $5,000. Twenty-three of those cases were in Cambridge. A recent case unfolded on Avenue Road when a downed cable was spotted lying across the street. Police said roughly 100 metres of Bell cable had been severed from the utility pole and a suspect or suspects made off with 30 feet of copper wire. The estimated cost of the damage comes in at $30,000, including repairs and replacement. Telecommunications companies are trying to find a way to cut off the thieves. 'They're investing million of dollars in enhanced security,' Smith said. 'Whether it's monitoring with humans, whether it's monitoring using technology – but you have to remember we've got hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of kilometers of cables traversing this country. You can't keep your eyes on all of it.'
