Nova Scotia: Clean electricity snapshot

2022-2024

Nova Scotia is taking advantage of the province's windy environment with windfarm projects to phase out the use of coal, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and create a cleaner, more affordable way of producing electricity.

In September 2024, the Government of Canada and the Government of Nova Scotia reached an understanding on the Clean Electricity Regulations (CER). Both governments acknowledged that the forthcoming Regulations will provide the flexibilities needed for Nova Scotia's electricity system to grow and reduce pollution, all while ensuring it will be affordable, reliable and non-emitting.

Powering Canada's Future is the Government of Canada's strategy for clean electricity. It combines historic investments and balanced, fair regulations to lay out the path forward to build grids that will provide power that is reliable, affordable and clean and serve as the backbone of our economy.

Federal investments

As of November 2024, the Smart Renewables and Electrification Pathways Program (SREPs) has supported 16 projects with over $273 million in Nova Scotia.

In December 2024, the Canada Infrastructure Bank announced an investment of up to $44.3 million to the Benjamins Mill Wind Farm.

In June 2024, the government of Nova Scotia approved the province's contribution to a $354 million dollar battery project, which received about $116 million from the Government of Canada.

In October 2023, Governments of Canada, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia agreed to a Joint Policy Statement on Developing and Transmitting Clean, Reliable and Affordable Power in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.

• As part of the October 2023 joint Canada-NS-NB announcement, the Government of Canada announced $11.5 million in funding to Nova Scotia Power to improve grid system monitoring and automation.

Emissions and electricity generation

According to the National Inventory Report, in 2022, over 70% of Nova Scotia's electricity was generated from coal, natural gas, and other fuels, such as diesel, while 23% was generated from renewable resources including hydro, wind, tidal and solar.

Wind power

Nova Scotia is the national leader in wind energy, with more than 300 commercial wind turbines.

The province also selected five windfarm projects, which are majority-owned by Mi'kmaw communities, to help produce renewable energy. The projects are expected to generate 1,373 gigawatt hours (GWh) per year. This is about 12 per cent of the province's total energy consumption and can save Nova Scotians up to $130 million annually.

In October 2024, Bill C-49, the Accord Acts Amendments Act, received Royal Assent. The Government of Nova Scotia has passed a mirror version of the legislation. Together, the Accord Act amendments will spur investment and drive job creation by providing the legislative framework for the joint management of offshore renewable energy development off the coast of Nova Scotia and position the province to develop its strong offshore wind resources and provide an economic boost to its clean energy and marine services industries.

From March 2023, an independent committee conducted a Regional Assessment of Offshore Wind Development in Nova Scotia. In October 2024, a draft report (PDF) was published and found eight potential development areas.

Hydro power

Nova Scotia has a strong network of hydro power infrastructure. It includes Nova Scotia Power, which has 32 hydroelectric plants that generate 400 MW of electricity. The Wreck Cove hydroelectric plant has the capacity of generating 212 MW of electricity, enough to power more than 30,000 homes in Cape Breton.

Geothermal energy

Geothermal technology is being used in Nova Scotia's historic underground coal mines to lower electricity costs for businesses, homes, and part of the Nova Scotia Community College. This will lead to around $45,000 in energy savings per year, equivalent to a 60% reduction in heating bills.

Hydrogen

Nova Scotia has approved two large-scale clean hydrogen projects along the Strait of Canso and two in Port Tupper that will be powered by wind turbines. Nova Scotia is exploring opportunities to export clean hydrogen to Belgium, Germany and other European Union countries.

Economic opportunities

In addition to cleaner air and lower greenhouse gas emissions, a clean electricity grid can stimulate investment in innovation, provide economic opportunities, and create good jobs.

New jobs

Electrification and the transition to cleaner forms of electricity generation is expected to create good jobs across Canada. For instance, independent experts from Clean Energy Canada (PDF) forecast that the Atlantic provinces will see thousands of clean energy jobs added in the Atlantic region between 2025 and 2050.

Michelin, one of Nova Scotia's largest employers, is moving forward with a major expansion of its manufacturing facility in Bridgewater with the help of a recently enhanced provincial tax credit. This expansion is expected to create more than 70 new jobs.

Request for Proposals (RFP) were recently issued in Nova Scotia to attract low-cost and innovative solutions to supply 10% of the province's electricity from renewables, such as wind and solar. This is expected to create 4,000 jobs, mostly in rural Nova Scotia, and generate more than $550 million in construction activity in wind-rich areas.