Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia shortlists 5 areas for offshore wind farms

The public can share their thoughts on five proposed offshore wind areas over the next month.

Public can share feedback for the next month

Giant turbines are seen off the coast of Sussex on Sept. 20, 2017, in Brighton, England.
Wind turbines are seen off the coast of Sussex, England. Nova Scotia doesn't currently have any offshore wind turbines, but the provincial and federal governments are setting the stage for private developers to build big in the next five years. (Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

Nova Scotia and Ottawa have narrowed the search for areas where offshore wind farms could be built.

In a news release Friday, Nova Scotia's Energy Department said it has picked five sites:

  • French Bank.
  • Middle Bank.
  • Sable Island Bank.
  • Sydney Bight.
  • Western/Emerald Bank.

All told, the areas cover more than 19,000 square kilometres of open water, mostly off the Eastern Shore. One area, Sydney Bight, is just off Cape Breton. It overlaps with both ferry routes to Newfoundland.

The areas will not be formally designated until this summer. The province is inviting feedback in the meantime.

It has dedicated a new webpage to public engagement on the topic. The deadline for submissions is April 14. 

A map of Nova Scotia and the surrounding waters. Five offshore areas are drawn in red, identifying potential offshore wind development areas.
Nova Scotia and Ottawa are proposing these five areas for offshore wind development. Specific parcels within the areas will be identified in a call for bids for offshore wind licenses later this year. (Government of Nova Scotia)

The news release from the province says that when the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Energy Regulator opens bids for offshore licences later this year, it will identify specific parcels within the five selected areas that will be open for development.

The provincial and federal governments are jointly in charge of offshore waters and have been working toward a regulated offshore wind industry around Nova Scotia for several years.

They're looking to issue licences for five gigawatts of offshore wind by 2030, which is more than Nova Scotia's total electricity-generating capacity. The province has hopes of becoming a wind-energy exporter.

Deciding where turbines can go is a critical step that could influence developers' interest in Nova Scotia and offshore wind's impact on local fisheries.

Closer to shore 

The five proposed areas were all recommended by a committee that was appointed by the province and Ottawa to assess Nova Scotia's offshore wind potential. But some of the areas have been modified — three made bigger and one pared back.

French Bank and Sydney Bight were both brought closer to shore.

As proposed, they would both break into the 25-kilometre coastal buffer that was recommended. French Bank would come within about 15 kilometres of shore and Sydney Bight would come within less than 10 kilometres from shore.

French Bank and Western/Emerald Bank are proposed for floating turbines, while the other three are proposed for fixed and floating turbines.

The committee recommended a total of eight areas, but three were left out of the province's new proposal.

The five that were selected were recommended for immediate consideration, while the three that were dropped were all recommended for further review.

According to a discussion paper released by the province on Friday, the three that were dropped could be revisited after 2030.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Taryn Grant

Reporter

Taryn Grant covers daily news for CBC Nova Scotia, with a particular interest in housing and homelessness, education, and health care. You can email her with tips and feedback at taryn.grant@cbc.ca