October 15, 2026 Dartmouth, Nova Scotia Natural Resources Canada
Canada's east coast has some of the strongest winds in the world, and developing that natural advantage presents a transformative economic opportunity for Nova Scotia, Atlantic Canada, and our entire nation. As a source of clean, abundant energy, offshore wind can secure generational prosperity for the entire Atlantic region by making clean electricity a major new export for Nova Scotia, powering Canadian homes and businesses, securing major investment and creating thousands of jobs.
The Government of Canada will make sure we seize this opportunity. That is why today, the Honourable Tim Hodgson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, committed $100 million to advance offshore wind development in Nova Scotia. This will help secure the private investment needed to move projects like the province's Wind West clean energy initiative from concept to development.
Referred to the federal Major Projects Office in September 2025, the Atlantic Energy Strategy focuses on leveraging on- and offshore wind, nuclear and hydro power across Atlantic Canada to build a stronger, more connected grid. Wind West, a Nova Scotia-led project to develop offshore wind farms and connect their electricity to customers, is a key component of this Strategy. Wind West aims to generate enough zero-emissions electricity to power Nova Scotia's entire population and export additional power beyond Nova Scotia via new transmission infrastructure.
Before wind turbines can be built, companies need reliable information about the ocean and wind conditions. That is why $5 million of this $100-million commitment will go to the deployment of floating light detection and ranging (FLiDAR)-mounted buoys. By measuring offshore wind speeds and ocean conditions, these buoys will provide data to help proponents prepare for the upcoming project's Call for Bids, which will be launched by the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Energy Regulator in winter 2027.
Natural Resources Canada is also providing nearly $3 million to Net Zero Atlantic to expand existing modelling to include the transmission of offshore wind power from Nova Scotia to Quebec, Ontario and beyond and conduct marine survey work to support transmission cable routing.
Today's announcement builds on the Atlantic Economic Panel's call to develop the region's energy resources and strengthen electricity connections between provinces. Alongside the historic new Churchill Falls agreement, which represented the largest clean energy investment in North American history, it demonstrates the federal government's commitment to unlocking Atlantic Canada's potential as a clean energy superpower. Building out new clean electricity will bring economic prosperity, energy security, thousands of job opportunities, and a cleaner future to Canadians on the east coast and beyond.
