From our homes to our businesses to our workplaces, electricity powers our lives and our economy. Building a clean, reliable and affordable electricity grid is a crucial economic and environmental pursuit. The private sector is increasingly prioritizing access to clean electricity to stay competitive and seize new economic opportunities, including in the emerging and growing industries of hydrogen and critical minerals. The economy is also rapidly electrifying as consumers adopt electric heat pumps and purchase electric vehicles and as industry transitions to clean power on the path to net zero.
The Government of Canada is supporting clean electricity projects that partner with Indigenous groups to provide reliable and affordable energy, and create good jobs while advancing Canada's climate goals.
On July 31, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, announced investments totalling over $192 million for six clean electricity projects in Nova Scotia through Natural Resources Canada's Smart Renewables and Electrification Pathways program (SREPs) and Electricity Predevelopment Program that will help drive down energy bills across the province. This includes:
- $117.6 million to Nova Scotia Power Inc. for the installation of three 50-megawatt (MW) / 200-megawatt hour (MWh) battery energy storage systems in Bridgewater, Spider Lake and White Rock, Nova Scotia, as well as other grid modernization upgrades, to support the replacement of coal with wind generation across the province. This includes funding from the Smart Renewables and Electrification Pathways Program as well as Electricity Predevelopment Program, which specifically supports predevelopment activities such as site investigation work, grid integration planning and stakeholder engagement. This funding builds on previous funding announced by the Canada Infrastructure Bank in February 2024.
- $25 million to Benjamin Mill Wind Limited Partnership to deploy a 33.6-MW wind energy project near Windsor, Nova Scotia, built in partnership with Natural Forces Developments and Wskijnu'k Mtmo'taqnuow Agency (WMA), the corporate body wholly owned by the 13 Mi'kmaq bands in Nova Scotia.
- $25 million to Higgins Mountain Wind Farm Limited Partnership to deploy a 100-MW wind energy project on Higgins Mountain, Nova Scotia, built in partnership with Elemental Energy Renewables Inc., Sipekne'katik First Nation and Stevens Wind.
- $25 million to Wedgeport Wind Farm Limited Partnership to deploy an 84-MW wind energy project in the municipality of the District of Argyle, Nova Scotia, built in partnership with Elemental Energy Renewables Inc. and Sipekne'katik First Nation and Stevens Wind.
These investments support federal and provincial commitments to meet emerging energy needs and the transition to net-zero electricity emissions, while demonstrating the Government of Canada's commitment to supporting clean energy technologies in partnership with Indigenous groups that create good jobs, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and fight climate change.
Today's announcement also builds on collaboration taking place through the Canada-Nova Scotia Regional Energy and Resource Table (Regional Table), which today released The Nova Scotia Regional Energy and Resource Table Framework for Collaboration on the Path to Net Zero (Collaboration Framework). The Collaboration Framework identifies six areas of economic opportunity to pursue in the province's net-zero future, including clean electricity. The other five areas of opportunity are: critical minerals, hydrogen, marine renewables, carbon management and the forest bioeconomy.
This collaboration flows from the Joint Policy Statement on Developing and Transmitting Clean, Reliable and Affordable Power in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, which was signed by the two provinces and the federal government in October 2023. The Policy Statement commits the parties to working actively together to ensure progress to electricity systems that will be affordable, reliable and clean and will meet the requirements of the forthcoming Clean Electricity Regulation.
This federal funding will increase the supply of reliable and affordable clean power while also expanding grid capacity to save and store energy for future use. Investments such as these will create good local jobs across the electricity value chain from installation and maintenance to operation and end-use planning. They will also harness the enormous economic opportunity clean energy presents for Atlantic Canada for now and for generations to come.
Quotes
"Clean electricity provides an opportunity to drive economic growth and create jobs while driving down energy costs for Nova Scotians. The innovative work being done in Nova Scotia is an excellent example of how local companies, through research and collaboration, are creating clean, reliable and affordable energy grids that lower emissions and strengthen the economy in communities across Canada."
The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson
Minister of Energy and Natural Resources
"Wskijinu'k Mtmo'taqnuow Agency (WMA) is proud to partner with Natural Forces and the Government of Canada on the Benjamins Mill Wind Project in advancing clean energy projects in Nova Scotia. This investment not only drives economic growth and local job creation but also contributes to a sustainable future. The vision of WMA is to create a brighter, more sustainable future for our communities through economic opportunities and partnerships including significant renewable energy initiatives. Together, we are building a cleaner, more reliable and affordable energy grid that will benefit generations to come."
Crystal Nicholas
President and Interim General Manager Wskijinu'k Mtmo'taqnuow Agency and Director on behalf of Benjamin Mill Wind Limited Partnership
"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 percent, while increasing renewable energy generation to represent 80 percent of the total supply available in the province by 2030. The award of these Smart Renewable Electricity Program grants from Natural Resources Canada to Nova Scotia Rate Base Procurement Projects is helping deliver new sources of renewable electricity at a lower cost than the current average cost of electricity, resulting in an estimated savings of $100 million annually over a 25-year period, which will be realized by all rate payers in the province. Elemental Energy, along with our partners, Sipekne'katik First Nation and Stevens Wind, is proud to support Nova Scotia's plan to aggressively reduce greenhouse gas emissions while contributing clean, affordable and renewable electricity for the benefit of all Nova Scotians."
Jamie Houssian
Principal, Elemental Energy
Quick facts
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Federal funding for these projects is provided by the Government of Canada's Smart Renewables and Electrification Pathways Program (SREPs). This $4.5-billion program is designed to significantly reduce emissions and create sustainable jobs by continuing to support the deployment of grid modernization, energy storage and renewables in every region of Canada.
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Since 2021, SREPs has approved funding for 71 projects, enabling the deployment of approximately 2,700 megawatts of new renewable energy capacity, which will displace over 3.5 megatonnes of CO2e per year in Canada.
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Forty-three of these projects have Indigenous ownership, representing over $826 million in program contributions and an estimated 15,800 job-years.
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Predevelopment funding for the battery projects is provided by NRCan's Electricity Predevelopment Program, a $250-million program that supports predevelopment activities for clean electricity projects of regional and national significance.
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The Regional Tables are joint partnerships between the federal government and individual provincial and territorial governments in collaboration with Indigenous partners and with input from key interested parties to identify and accelerate shared economic priorities for a low-carbon future in the energy and resource sectors.
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Regional Tables are underway in 10 provinces and territories: British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario and the four Atlantic provinces (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador) as well as the Northwest Territories, Nunavut and Yukon.
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An alternate collaboration has been established with Alberta; an Alberta-Canada Deputy Minister-level Working Group. Discussions are underway with Quebec.
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