Nova Scotia has announced it will pause the development of offshore wind in its own waters in favour of building the regulatory framework to develop areas jointly managed with the federal government.
“Offshore wind is an important part of our clean energy plan, and we are working with our federal partners to ensure a clear path for sustainable development of this new sector,” said Tory Rushton, Minister of Natural Resources and Renewables.
“We’re pausing any consideration of waters within provincial jurisdiction until the framework for jointly managed offshore areas is in place. The regional assessment that’s ongoing will help inform our decisions for the regulatory framework for both areas, and I encourage Nova Scotians to continue participating and sharing their input.
“Our decision to focus on jointly managed waters first reflects that we are listening to the feedback through this process.”
Nova Scotia has a goal of offering licences for 5GW of offshore wind energy by 2030, with the first call for bids in 2025.