Feds support six Nova Scotia electricity projects

HALIFAX — The federal government has announced $192 million in spending on six electricity projects in Nova Scotia.

The allocations are through Natural Resources Canada’s Smart Renewables and Electrification Pathways program and the Electricity Predevelopment Program, stated a release. The Electricity Predevelopment Program supports predevelopment activities such as site investigation work, grid integration planning and stakeholder engagement.

The projects include:

• $117.6 million to Nova Scotia Power for the installation of three 50-megawatt battery energy storage systems in Bridgewater, Spider Lake and White Rock as well as other grid modernization upgrades, to support the replacement of coal with wind generation across the province. The funding builds on previous funding announced by the Canada Infrastructure Bank in February 2024.
• $25 million to Benjamin Mill Wind Limited Partnership to install a 33.6-megawatt wind energy project near Windsor, built in partnership with Natural Forces Developments and Wskijnu’k Mtmo’taqnuow Agency, the corporate body owned by the 13 Mi’kmaq bands in Nova Scotia.
• $25 million to Higgins Mountain Wind Farm Limited Partnership to install a 100-megawatt wind energy project on Higgins Mountain, built in partnership with Elemental Energy Renewables Inc., Sipekne’katik First Nation and Stevens Wind.
• $25 million to Wedgeport Wind Farm Limited Partnership to develop an 84-megawatt wind energy project in the District of Argyle, built in partnership with Elemental Energy Renewables, Sipekne’katik First Nation and Stevens Wind.

Clean electricity was one of six areas of economic opportunity identified by the Canada-Nova Scotia Regional Energy and Resource Table, which has released The Nova Scotia Regional Energy and Resource Table Framework for Collaboration on the Path to Net Zero (Collaboration Framework). The other five areas of opportunity are critical minerals, hydrogen, marine renewables, carbon management and the forest bioeconomy.

“The Higgins Mountain and Wedgeport Wind Farm Projects are on track to help Nova Scotia achieve its goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 53 per cent, while increasing renewable energy generation to represent 80 per cent of the total supply available in the province by 2030,” stated Jamie Houssian, principal of Elemental Energy, in a statement.