N.S. premier to head to Calgary, Houston on first trip as energy minister

Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston will make his first trip as energy minister next week.

Houston, who became the energy minister in last week’s cabinet shuffle, is scheduled to visit Calgary and Houston, Texas to discuss energy opportunities for the province.

The premier is set to meet with two industry associations in Calgary, and in Texas he will connect with energy companies and Susan Harper, the consul general of Canada in Dallas.

“I want to turn Nova Scotia into an energy powerhouse,” said Houston. “We can do that by learning from others and meeting with energy experts and leaders to explore the full range of clean energy solutions which can help meet the future energy needs of our province and other markets.”

Houston will be joined by:

• Marco MacLeod, ministerial assistant for Energy
• Nicole LaFosse Parker, chief of staff and general counsel, Premier’s Office
• Adam MacDonald, director of energy resource development, Department of Energy

The Nova Scotia government says offshore wind is projected to be a $4.6-billion industry for the province within about seven years.

Earlier this month, the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Energy Regulator launched the offshore wind call-for-bids process, “which starts with a call for information and a prequalification process for potential developers.”

For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page