The federal government committed $100 million on October 15 to advance offshore wind development in Nova Scotia, in an announcement made in Dartmouth by Energy and Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson.
Ottawa says $5 million of the funding will deploy floating light-detection buoys to measure wind speeds and ocean conditions. That data is meant to help developers prepare for a call for bids the Canada-Nova Scotia offshore energy regulator plans to launch in winter 2027.
The project at the centre of the announcement, Wind West, is a Nova Scotia-led plan to build offshore wind farms and connect their power to customers beyond the province through new transmission. The federal release says the aim is enough clean electricity for Nova Scotia's population, with additional power for export.
The announcement ties the wind plan to a wider Atlantic energy strategy that also covers onshore wind, hydro and nuclear, and to the recently announced Churchill Falls agreement.
