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Author: The Energy Mix staff

This story is part of The Energy Mix’s partnership with Small Change Fund.

Michal Wachucik/Abermedia for Equinor

With Nova Scotia getting closer to inviting bids for Canada’s first offshore wind farms, a new poll says nearly three-quarters of Nova Scotians “hold a positive impression of offshore wind energy” and up to a two-thirds majority back the Wind West project—with some concerns still to be addressed.

In late June, The Canadian Press reported that the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Energy Regulator had approved five companies and two consortia to bid on the first phase of Wind West, a five-gigawatt, $60-billion project that would begin sending power to the grid as early as 2033. The project could eventually expand to up to 40 GW, producing enough excess beyond the province’s own needs to meet about 27% of Canada’s electricity demand, CP said.

The federal Major Projects Office, meanwhile, sees Wind West as an opportunity to develop more than 60 GW of wind capacity in Nova Scotia, and more across Atlantic Canada, as part of a broader Atlantic Energy Strategy that would include onshore and offshore wind as well as nuclear generation and hydropower.

Now, based on a survey conducted last spring for Halifax’s Ecology Action Centre, East Coast Environmental Law, and Sierra Club Canada, Ottawa-based Spark Advocacy says 73% of Nova Scotians would be happy with the offshore wind component of that plan.

Spark reports [pdf] that:

• 44% of respondents said they knew about Wind West, and 26% said they’d heard a lot about it.

• Of those who were familiar with the project, 61% of the total survey group—and 76% among Indigenous respondents—supported it.

• “Support for Wind West stands at 55% across the province,” and “rises 10 points to 66%, when Nova Scotians are given more information,” Spark writes.

But Nova Scotians’ views on the project are still forming, and their support “is conditional on protecting the environment and ensuring clear local benefits,” the survey report adds, particularly among coastal and Mi’kmaw respondents. Top concerns include risks to marine ecosystems (73%), disruption of whale habitats (70%), and overall risk management (69%).

“Most respondents are looking for more practical and detailed information, especially around costs, impact on power bills, and who will benefit financially,” Spark writes. “Many want clarity on jobs, local economic benefits, and whether Nova Scotians will benefit directly,” and “transparency is another key theme, with questions about who is funding, managing, and making decisions.”

“The message from Nova Scotians is clear: offshore wind is an important opportunity, and people appear ready to move forward,” the Atlantic Offshore Wind Coalition said [pdf] in a release. Citizens also “know what questions they want answered, most notably who will benefit economically and whether those benefits will stay in Nova Scotia, potential risks to ocean ecosystems, and impacts on fisheries and other marine-related livelihoods.”

“Offshore wind offers Nova Scotia an extraordinary opportunity to strengthen our economy while accelerating the transition to clean energy,” added Ulrich vom Hagen, Atlantic energy manager at the Sierra Club Canada Foundation. “But its success must begin with communities—listening to their questions and concerns, involving them meaningfully in decisions, and ensuring they share in the benefits.”

The survey of 896 adults in Nova Scotia was conducted from March 18 to April 13 and weighted by age, gender, education, and region to reflect the province’s population.

in Canada, Cities & Communities, Finance & Investment, Heat & Power, Hydropower, Media, Messaging, & Public Opinion, Nova Scotia, Nuclear, Power Grids, Wind