Canada has pledged CAD 100 million for Nova Scotia offshore wind preparations. Research, data gathering and analysis financed by the commitment will help advance development, including the province’s Wind West initiative.
Energy and Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson announced the funding commitment on 15 October 2026. The government intends the preparations to encourage investment from the private sector.
Within that commitment, CAD 5 million is earmarked for buoys equipped with floating LiDAR, or FLiDAR. They will record wind speeds offshore and conditions at sea, providing information for developers preparing bids. Natural Resources Canada said the Canada–Nova Scotia Offshore Energy Regulator (CNSOER) would launch the Call for Bids in winter 2027.
Net Zero Atlantic will receive nearly CAD 3 million from Natural Resources Canada for expanded modelling of electricity transfers to Quebec, Ontario and markets farther afield. Marine surveys to assess cable routes are also covered by this funding.
Wind West combines plans for offshore generation with the connections needed to reach electricity customers. Led by Nova Scotia, it aims to supply the province with zero-emissions power and send surplus electricity to other markets using additional transmission infrastructure.
The initiative sits within the Atlantic Energy Strategy, referred in September 2025 to the federal Major Projects Office. That strategy seeks stronger regional grid connections drawing on wind generation both on land and at sea, as well as nuclear power and hydroelectricity.
Preparations for Canada’s first offshore wind leasing round included a prequalification window that opened in October 2025. The names published in June 2026 covered seven applicants, including both individual businesses and consortia. The regulator’s current published list also includes Renewable Energy Systems Holdings Limited.
The other companies named are DEME Concessions Wind, Jan De Nul, Ming Yang Smart Energy, Northland Power and Simply Blue Energy. One consortium brings together DP Energy Canada, Enterprize Energy Atlantic, Nova East Wind and SBM Renewables Holding; another comprises Hanwha Ocean and Q ENERGY France.
The CNSOER publishes names only with the applicants’ consent and does not publish how many applicants qualified in total.
