The Canadian federal government and provincial Nova Scotia government are working together to identify suitable areas for offshore wind farms. Of the eight areas off the coast of Nova Scotia originally identified, five have now been selected for further consideration and proposed as “Wind Energy Areas”. The five sites are:

• French Bank
• Middle Bank
• Sable Island Bank
• Sydney Bight
• Western/Emerald Bank

French Bank and Western/Emerald Bank are proposed for floating turbines, while the other three are proposed for fixed and floating turbines. The three sites left out of the proposal were suggested as potential sites to be awarded at a later date and to be revisited after 2030.

The government of Nova Scotia has a set target to issue offshore wind licenses for up to 5 GW by 2030 and aims to start Canadas first offshore wind allocation. The sites are not expected to be formally designated until the summer. The public consultation will be open until April 14. Later this year, after areas are designated, the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Energy Regulator will manage a competitive licensing process for developing wind farms. The process will include identifying specific parcels within wind energy areas for development.

Additional offshore wind areas are also under consideration off the coast of Newfoundland, where there is a broader scoping area identified. The process in Nova Scotia is considered to be further along and is expected to be the first province to host an offshore wind allocation round in Canada.