New legislation tabled for Nova Scotia’s clean energy projects

CITYnews halifax / By Blake Priddle

The province is continuing to pave the way for clean energy projects and create jobs and investments for Nova Scotians, including an ambitious $60 billion idea.

The Powering the Offshore Act Bill-149, introduced on Friday, updates legislation related to offshore wind, tidal energy, and the Nova Scotia-New Brunswick connection.

The act changes three pieces of energy legislation, including the Electricity Act, the Public Utilities Act, and the Marine Renewable Energy Act.

‘We’re unleashing Nova Scotia’s untapped potential to make our province a clean energy and economic powerhouse,” Energy Minister Trevor Boudrau said in the press release. “This means good jobs, stronger communities, and more opportunities right here at home, and it means we can pay for the investments our province needs in areas like healthcare, highways and homes.”

This comes as the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Energy Regulator is starting the first phase of a licensing process to tap into Nova Scotia’s offshore wind to produce 62 gigawatts of clean energy.

Related:

• Nova Scotia estimates initial capital cost of Wind West at $60 billion
• ‘Devil in the details’: Cautious optimism about massive Wind West project
• Ottawa commits to working with Nova Scotia to develop Wind West offshore wind farms

“Our goal is to move this along in an appropriate fashion to make sure it’s done right, but certainly our goal is to move it quickly as well,” Boudreau said.

The announcement came nine days after Prime Minister Mark Carney said that Ottawa was prepared to work with Nova Scotia to ramp up its ambitious plans for the so-called Wind West project, which is aimed at providing power to the rest of Atlantic Canada and beyond.

Nova Scotia estimates the initial capital cost of Wind West at around $60 billion. The province said it would expect a 4 per cent royalty from offshore production and is seeking federal investment tax credits and low-interest financing through the Canada Infrastructure Bank.

The province also announced this summer that four offshore areas had been designated for offshore wind development. The areas include French Bank, Middle Bank and Sable Island Bank — all south of Nova Scotia’s Eastern Shore — and Sydney Bight, northeast of Cape Breton.

With files from Keith Doucette, The Canadian Press