Ottawa is set to announce a $100-million commitment toward developing offshore wind energy in Nova Scotia in Halifax on Thursday morning.
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The federal government is set to announce a $100-million commitment to develop offshore wind energy in Nova Scotia, as part of efforts to attract private investment to projects such as the province’s Wind West plan.
Federal Energy Minister Tim Hodgson is expected to deliver the announcement in Halifax on Thursday morning, according to a media advisory. Justice Minister Sean Fraser is also expected to attend, along with Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston.
A senior government source, who said they were not authorized to publicly disclose details ahead of the announcement, indicated Ottawa is providing $5 million to deploy a fleet of buoys to measure wind speeds and ocean conditions. The source said the information is intended to help inform prospective investors ahead of a call for bids in winter 2027.
The province estimates the first phase of Wind West would cost about $60 billion and could produce about five gigawatts of power as early as 2033. The provincial government said about $40 billion would be for turbine infrastructure, with another $20 billion for new transmission lines.
In June 2025, Houston said Nova Scotia’s plan to license offshore wind farms capable of producing five gigawatts would be increased eightfold to 40 gigawatts, well beyond the 2.4 gigawatts Nova Scotia needs, with Houston saying the excess could be used to supply 27 per cent of Canada’s total demand. Quebec and Massachusetts have also shown interest in purchasing electricity from the proposed project.
Thursday’s announcement is also expected to include a $3-million commitment to expand modelling to include transmission of offshore wind power from Nova Scotia to Quebec and Ontario, along with underwater survey work to help route transmission cables.
Earlier this year, Nova Scotia’s offshore energy regulator signalled its intent to begin studying ocean areas that could be home to the first turbines for Wind West.
While the federal government says more than 80 per cent of Canada’s electricity comes from renewables such as solar, hydro, nuclear and wind, environmental groups have criticized Ottawa in recent months for prioritizing conventional oil and gas projects rather than investing more in renewables. The government’s electricity strategy, unveiled in May, aims to double Canada’s grid and includes leveraging a build-out of natural gas.
Clean Energy Canada, a think tank at Simon Fraser University, said at the time the strategy “overstates the role of natural gas and understates the long-term energy security and affordability benefits of clean energy.” Marine Renewables Canada, the national association for the offshore wind industry, said the global offshore wind market is projected to become a trillion-dollar industry by 2040 and said Canada has yet to install a single offshore wind turbine.
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