Nova Scotia pushes clean energy exports but grid infrastructure remains a barrier

Nova Scotia has made little tangible progress on its clean energy ambitions.

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. Hodgson said the federal government is willing to consider all proposals but stopped short of endorsing any specific projects.

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