Canada commits $100 million to advance Wind West offshore wind development

Natural Resources Canada announced on Oct. 15 in Dartmouth, N.S., that it will commit $100 million to advance offshore wind development in Nova Scotia. The funding is intended to help secure the private investment needed to move projects such as the province-led Wind West clean energy initiative from concept to development. The government says the East Coast’s strong winds offer an economic opportunity, with offshore wind potentially supplying clean electricity to homes and businesses, supporting exports and creating thousands of jobs.

Referred to the federal Major Projects Office in September 2025, the Atlantic Energy Strategy focuses on onshore and offshore wind, nuclear and hydro power to build a stronger, more connected grid across Atlantic Canada. Wind West is a key part of the strategy. It aims to develop offshore wind farms and connect their electricity to customers, generating enough zero-emissions power for Nova Scotia’s entire population and exporting additional electricity beyond the province through new transmission infrastructure.

Before turbines can be built, companies need reliable information about ocean and wind conditions. Of the $100-million commitment, $5 million will fund the deployment of buoys fitted with floating light detection and ranging (FLiDAR) equipment. The buoys will measure offshore wind speeds and ocean conditions, providing data to help proponents prepare for a call for bids to 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 transmission of offshore wind power from Nova Scotia to Quebec, Ontario and beyond, and to conduct marine surveys to support transmission cable routing.

The government said the announcement builds on the Atlantic Economic Panel’s call to develop the region’s energy resources and strengthen electricity connections between provinces. It also cited the new Churchill Falls agreement, which it described as the largest clean energy investment in North American history. The government said expanding clean electricity would bring economic prosperity, energy security, thousands of job opportunities and a cleaner future to people on Canada’s East Coast and beyond.

Energy and Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson said Nova Scotia’s wind resources and skilled offshore workforce, developed through the legacy of offshore oil and gas, give Canada an advantage in a global offshore wind market that could be worth $1 trillion. He said the government intends to accelerate development and strengthen Nova Scotia’s role as a supplier of reliable, affordable and clean energy to customers in the province and across Canada.

Justice Minister and Attorney General of Canada Sean Fraser, who is also responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, said offshore wind could transform Nova Scotia’s economy and make clean electricity its largest export. He said the federal funding is intended to attract investment and build the industry, creating local jobs and more clean power to help keep costs down while the economy grows and emissions fall. Fraser said the work was already under way weeks after the Atlantic Economic Panel released its report.

Environment, Climate Change and Nature Minister Julie Dabrusin said that as Canadians and businesses electrify heating, transportation and operations, clean power produced at home can protect families from global price shocks and give Canadian industry a competitive edge. She said the $100-million investment advances Wind West and positions Nova Scotia as a major source of clean power for Canada’s economy.

Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston said the province was no longer at the end of the energy transmission line, but at its starting point. He called the announcement an important step toward making Nova Scotia a global offshore wind leader, saying the federal partnership could attract investment, create good-paying jobs and strengthen the economy. He said the province was working to protect its own grid and power Canada, while competing internationally and building a cleaner, more prosperous future for future generations.

Net Zero Atlantic CEO Alisdair McLean congratulated the federal and provincial governments on the step toward offshore wind readiness in Atlantic Canada. He said support for collecting wind and ocean data, marine surveys and energy market studies would produce information useful for accelerating the development of projects that can secure financing. McLean said the support could attract investment, create thousands of jobs and supply significant clean energy to Canada’s economy.

The government’s background information says nearly 30 countries are ahead of Canada in offshore wind development. In the North Sea alone, thousands of turbines generate more than 30 gigawatts of power, illustrating the scale and urgency of the opportunity. Over the full lifetime of an offshore wind farm, each gigawatt developed creates about 17,500 jobs. Atlantic Canada and Nova Scotia have a history in offshore oil and gas and a skilled workforce prepared for technical challenges such as mooring systems and resilience to extreme weather.

Natural Resources Canada delivers the $4.5-billion Smart Renewables and Electrification Pathways Program (SREPs), which is designed to reduce emissions and support a more modern, reliable electricity grid. It funds grid modernization, energy storage and renewable energy deployment in every region of Canada.