Nova Scotia premier pitches 40GW offshore wind energy plan

The Canadian province of Nova Scotia has proposed a major offshore wind project with the end goal of constructing enough turbines to generate 40GW of electricity over the next decade.

The premier of Nova Scotia, Tim Houston, outlined the plan, which would, if executed, cover around 27% of Canada’s current electricity demand.

Houston hopes that the current Liberal government will support the project, named Wind West, after the incumbent prime minister of Canada, Mark Carney, revealed his intention to ramp up the country’s offshore wind capacity.

Nova Scotia currently has no operational offshore wind projects. It is currently licensing 5GW of developments by 2030 in five areas. However, if the Wind West plan were to go through, that number would increase eight times.

Houston’s plan also includes the construction of a transmission system to distribute electricity to other provinces and anticipates powering green hydrogen production, as well as battery manufacturing, and data centres.

“Right now, Nova Scotia is on the edge of a clean energy breakthrough. We’ve been handed a golden ticket, and we cannot afford to let this moment pass us by. This will transform our economy, create jobs and support families – it would be a game changer,” said Houston.