It could cost between $5 billion and $10 billion to build a transmission line that would connect Nova Scotia's proposed offshore wind farms with the rest of the country, Premier Tim Houston says.
The rough estimate follows his announcement last week that Nova Scotia wants to license enough offshore turbines to produce 40 gigawatts of electricity — eight times more than what was originally planned.
"It's a concept," Houston said after a cabinet meeting Thursday. "It's a very powerful concept .... My objective, initially, was to capture the imagination of Nova Scotians."
He said he floated the idea on June 2 also to get the attention of Prime Minister Mark Carney, who has asked provincial and territorial leaders to submit bids for big infrastructure projects that could be fast-tracked to kick-start the economy — if deemed in the national interest.
"I think Nova Scotians are pretty inspired by what's possible," Houston said. "This would change Nova Scotia and Atlantic Canada and provide green, renewable energy that the world is looking for."
The Progressive Conservative premier has said he wants Ottawa to help cover the costs of the "Wind West" project, saying the excess electricity could supply 27 per cent of Canada's total demand.
If the 10-year plan is successful, Nova Scotia would become an "energy superpower" that no longer requires federal equalization payments, he said.
"We could get off of that transfer system over the next 20 years if we pursued the opportunities that are available to us."
Houston went on to say Nova Scotia's offshore is blessed with strong, remarkably steady winds that could be harnessed by "hundreds" of turbines positioned in water about 100 metres deep, about 25 kilometres offshore.
"It blows a lot," he said, adding that the fishing industry would have to be consulted about the new plan. "The potential is so significant and the timing is now."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 13, 2025
Comments
An east west energy grid makes a lot of sense. Wind and hydroelectric power from Atlantic Canada could be channeled into a national energy grid to displace more expensive and environment damaging fossil gas (and nuclear energy) particularly in Ontario.
Indeed!
A very positive article!
$10B is a big number. But it's not even close to the actual cost figure for another recent conduit, the $34B TMX (before loan guarantees, which could push it to $50B).
I suggest large-scale battery storage will be a vital part of these renewable projects, as would an interprovincial HVDC grid transmission network.
I really, really like the premier's comment about NS becoming independent from transfer payments. Danielle Smith needs to hear that because she and her whining hordes use equalization as a cudgel against have not provinces, as though O&G wealth gives Alberta the right to falsely portray itself as some kinda sugar daddy.
The beauty of the NS proposal is that wealth generation will occur with one of the most powerful, off-the-shelf proven and affordable renewable energies available today, specifically one that Smith has virtually banned from AB at a time when O&G are facing oncoming demand challenges in overseas export markets specifically because of the growth in wind and solar.
Maybe one day the Maritimes will be Alberta's sugar daddy.
Alberta industry receives a lot of federal money, and when oil goes bust, the Canadian taxpayers will be on the hook to pay off their outstanding pipedream loans.
And now they the feds to cover the cost of pipelines to carry it to the east coast, a much greater distance than any of the BC-crossings. And the First Nations on the way aren't in favor, either.