How Nova Scotia is leveraging its ocean-innovation expertise to become a leader in offshore wind
The potential for offshore wind on Canada’s Atlantic coast is obvious. Yet the resource has remained largely untapped. Canada had cheaper options on land, including abundant hydropower and onshore wind. There was little incentive to venture into deeper water. That calculation is now changing fast.
Electrification, energy security and the global contest for clean power now give Canada a strong incentive to leverage its natural advantages. That’s especially true in Nova Scotia, boasting a marine industry that combines deep technical expertise with long experience operating in some of the world’s most demanding waters.
The province has what developers want: strong wind, a shallow seabed and a highly developed marine economy. What it lacked was regulatory clarity. That arrived with legislation updating decades-old offshore-oil rules to include renewables.
Nova Scotia is now preparing to license 5GW of offshore wind by 2030, roughly twice its current electricity demand. Longer-term studies suggest Nova Scotia’s waters could support around 60GW, enough to meet around a quarter of all Canada’s current electricity demand. And its expertise in harsh-water operations could give it influence in offshore-wind markets beyond Canada.
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