Harnessing the power of wind can help deliver clean, affordable electricity to our homes and businesses, create jobs and local economic growth, and fight climate change for generations to come. Now is the time to secure that strong, healthy future for Canadians.
Atlantic Canada, particularly offshore, has some of the best wind resources in North America and the Government of Canada is committed to helping make Atlantic Canada a world leader in the offshore renewables sector.
This week, the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, is visiting Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia to kick off in-person discussions on the planning and design of the regional assessment of offshore wind development, first announced earlier this spring. This assessment will help inform future planning and decision-making around offshore wind development in these provinces. The Minister will meet with Indigenous, environmental, fishing, academic, and industry organizations in St. John's, NL, on August 16, and then in Dartmouth, NS, on August 18, as part of his four-day trip to Atlantic Canada.
The valuable input gathered by the Minister during these discussions will support the ongoing preparation of the draft agreement(s) and associated terms of reference for the regional assessment. Developed by the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada and its provincial partners, the draft agreement will set out the goal, objectives, geographic boundaries, and planned outcomes of the regional assessment, as well as key aspects of its governance and administration.
The regional assessment will allow for early analysis of, and discussions around, future wind development in NL and NS areas and its potential environmental, health, social, and economic effects and benefits. This will help inform future planning and decision-making, including the eventual impact assessments of wind projects once proposed.
