CALGARY— DAVID PICKUP, director of the Electricity program at the Pembina Institute, made the following statement in response to new offshore wind investment by the federal government and a new data centre project powered in part by onshore wind.
“Across Canada, demand for electricity is growing fast. Recent announcements in Nova Scotia, including a large federal investment in offshore wind and the new EverWind data centre campus, reflect this larger trend and highlight that clean electricity is becoming an important economic advantage as electrification advances.
Taken together, these announcements show that governments are under growing pressure to respond to rising demand with smart electricity planning and investment in modern and competitive infrastructure – including renewables, storage, and transmission. The provinces that can deliver these solutions will be best positioned to attract investment and compete in the years ahead, making Atlantic Canada’s recent moves particularly strategic and forward-thinking.
As these projects advance, it’s important that governments continue to build the policy and regulatory foundations needed to support both economic growth and modern infrastructure development. This will require continued action to strengthen interties and transmission, reduce unnecessary and outdated barriers that slow development, and ensure that clean energy projects can move from proposal to construction more efficiently.
Ultimately, these new projects highlight that clean electricity is increasingly becoming both a source of economic competitiveness and a critical tool for delivering low-carbon and affordable power in a rapidly changing global economy.”
Contact
Bhan Gatkuoth
Senior Communications Lead
587-742-0818
Background
Atlantic Canada is cementing itself as a clean energy leader within Canada, providing a template for other regions to follow. The new Atlantic Energy Strategy, submitted to the Major Projects Office,
focuses on harnessing the Atlantic’s abundant clean energy resources to meet rapid growth in electricity demand across Eastern and Atlantic Canada. Key initiatives include:
• Wind West, Nova Scotia’s ambitious plan to develop up to 5 gigawatts of new offshore wind, the first of its kind in Canada.
• Expanding Churchill Falls, one of the largest clean energy investments in North American history.
• Grid modernization and renewable electricity integration for New Brunswick to help meet growing demand.
• A new Memorandum of Understanding for Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and the federal government to explore greater regional co-operation in electricity system planning and operations.
