Latest news with #WindWest
National Observer
29-07-2025
- Business
- National Observer
Four designated areas for offshore wind projects announced in Nova Scotia
Four areas off Nova Scotia's coast have been designated for offshore wind development, as the province looks to become a key player in supplying Canada's future energy needs. The announcement Tuesday followed public consultations on five offshore areas that had been proposed by the provincial and federal governments in March. French Bank, Middle Bank and Sable Island Bank, all located south of Nova Scotia's Eastern Shore, and Sydney Bight, northeast of Cape Breton, have been chosen, comprising a total area of 12,549 square kilometres. Kim Doane, executive director of energy resource development with Nova Scotia's Energy Department, said the fifth area under study — Western/Emerald Bank — was dropped for now because of its fish conservation zones and use by the military. She said the area also required more 'up front work' to better understand shipping routes. 'We are not eliminating Emerald Bank, we are just deferring it for future consideration,' Doane said during a technical briefing with reporters. The governments received 150 submissions from fishing and environmental organizations, Indigenous groups, businesses, government agencies and the offshore wind industry during the course of the consultation. After considering feedback, the Energy Department decided to reduce the proposed areas designated for offshore wind development in French Bank and Sydney Bight. While the former is the area located closest to shore and the deepest, the latter is an area with extensive fishing and shipping activity. Doane said the province expects to issue a call for development bids by the end of this year with a goal of licensing five gigawatts of offshore wind energy by 2030, and some possible construction of offshore turbine sites in 2033. However, she said if the initial energy generation goal is reached, there would need to be upgrades to the transmission system onshore in order to have enough grid capacity to ship that amount of power to other markets. Officials have said that Nova Scotia currently only needs about 2.4 gigawatts of power at peak demand. Premier Tim Houston has said he wants to make his province an 'energy superpower' capable of producing 40 gigawatts of electricity, but federal and business support is needed to make that vision a reality. The premier issued an online video last month in which he expressed hopes that Prime Minister Mark Carney's Liberal government would support a new megaproject he dubbed 'Wind West.' Houston said a cross-country cable would be needed to get the electricity to other markets. He said following Tuesday's announcement that there will be 'incredible private money' ready to invest in offshore wind opportunities, but added that they will need to know that they can get their generated energy to market. 'That's the transmission (issue) and that's the reason behind the discussion that we are having with the federal government … there's infrastructure to be built,' Houston said. He said he believes there is interest in moving things forward by Ottawa. 'He (Carney) is very interested in this for a number of reasons and it certainly ticks the box of making Canada an energy superpower,' Houston said. The premier added that he's hoping to get 'some clarity' from the federal government over the next couple of months and before the bid process. In the meantime, Houston was also asked how much U.S. president Donald Trump's opposition to renewable energy could help Nova Scotia's aspirations. 'It doesn't hurt,' he said. 'This is an industry that wants to move forward and President Trump has shut off that growth in the United States so they have to look elsewhere and it just so happens we have the best wind resource in the world.'
CTV News
23-07-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Nova Scotia looks to become offshore energy superpower
The Nova Scotia government is hoping to become a major energy provider with the Wind West project. The Nova Scotia government thinks it has a resource that could make it one of the major energy providers in Canada. 'We have onshore, but our offshore winds are first class. They're world class and they could be producing enough power to support much of Canada,' says Energy Minister Trevor Boudreau. If the 'Wind West' project gets off the ground, it could cover as much as 25 per cent of the nation's energy needs. Nova Scotia is hoping to have offshore wind turbines producing five gigawatts of electricity but Boudreau thinks the output could be much more. 'They have the potential to produce 66 gigawatts of power so with that in mind, Nova Scotia uses 2.4 gigawatts at its coldest day of the year,' he says. It will be a couple years before turbines are standing in the ocean. Once they are in place, power would move by cable throughout the country and possibly across the ocean to Europe. The Ecology Action Centre is on board but they're closely watching how the project unfolds. 'Ultimately we're very much in favour of building a transmission line and we are in favour of building offshore wind, but the devil is in the details when it comes to building offshore wind,' says Thomas Arnason McNeil. 'Are we making sure that we are engaging fishing communities, indigenous communities that rely on the fishing economy at the earliest stages of project development?' Premier Tim Houston is attending meetings with other premiers and the prime minister to gather support for the project. 'We all see the opportunities that we have before us to make for a stronger country and we're all pushing in that direction,' says Houston. Five areas have been highlighted for potential wind farm development: French Bank Middle Bank Sable Island Bank Western/Emerald Bank. Sydney Bight Four are off the province's eastern shore, the other is off Cape Breton. Wind farm A fishing boat passes the West Pubnico Point Wind Farm in Lower West Pubnico, N.S. on Monday, Aug. 9, 2021. (Andrew Vaughan) For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
CTV News
10-07-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Nova Scotia pushes clean energy exports but grid infrastructure remains a barrier
Nova Scotia continues to tout its clean energy ambitions and broader interprovincial cooperation but little progress has been made and questions remain about how the province will transmit energy to other markets. Premier Tim Houston says discussions with the federal government are ongoing as Nova Scotia positions itself as a key player in Canada's energy future. 'There's lots of discussions that are ongoing with the federal government about Nova Scotia as a contribution to the energy superpower opportunity that Canada has,' Houston said. The province's focus remains on offshore wind, now repackaged under the name WindWest. Canada's Energy and Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson acknowledged that projects across Atlantic Canada, including those in New Brunswick, are being considered as part of a broader regional energy strategy. 'That will buttress a number of projects around Atlantic Canada and would work in conjunction with some of the projects that New Brunswick is talking about,' Hodgson said. Some critics say WindWest and the province's clean energy goals can't succeed without a significant infrastructure investment, including a transmission cable that would allow Nova Scotia to move electricity in and out of the province. 'WindWest is nothing without the grid, without the cable,' said Liberal MLA Derek Mombourquette. 'If there's any ask that comes from the province to Ottawa, that's where the ask has to be… Without that, WindWest, or whatever you want to call it, can never happen.' Nova Scotia is expected to issue its first call for offshore wind project bids later this year. Houston says that before any large-scale development can move forward, the province and the federal government must determine what kind of transmission is feasible. 'If we can get a sufficient transmission line, then we can do bigger bids,' Houston said. The province believes Ottawa is open to supporting infrastructure development but so far no commitment has been made. Wilkinson said the federal government is willing to consider all proposals but stopped short of endorsing any specific projects. For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
Global News
25-06-2025
- Business
- Global News
Donald Trump's disdain for wind energy could create windfall for Nova Scotia: experts
U.S. President Donald Trump's opposition to renewable energy could create a 'golden opportunity' for Nova Scotia's fledgling offshore wind energy industry, a leading international consulting firm says. 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.' Story continues below advertisement 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.' 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. 2:10 Municipalities, advocacy groups worried about N.S. wind turbine regulations 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. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 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. Story continues below advertisement '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. 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.' Story continues below advertisement 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. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 25, 2025.
CTV News
25-06-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Donald Trump's disdain for wind energy could create windfall for Nova Scotia: experts
The West Pubnico Point Wind Farm is seen in Lower West Pubnico, N.S. on August 9, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan HALIFAX — U.S. President Donald Trump's opposition to renewable energy could create a 'golden opportunity' for Nova Scotia's fledgling offshore wind energy industry, a leading international consulting firm says. 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.' 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. 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. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 25, 2025. Michael MacDonald, The Canadian Press
