The wind project can potentially produce 27% of Canada's energy needs
Nova Scotia’s offshore Wind West project is projected to receive more investment as US President Donald Trump continues to attack green energy, according to Premier Tim Houston.
Recently, Trump had spoken with world leaders at the United Nations about wind turbines being “pathetic” and claimed that climate change was “the greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world.”
“If you don’t get away from the green energy scam your country is going to fail,” said Trump in his speech.
His views on this matter had led to his move of banning offshore wind development in the US, with nine formerly approved projects either under investigation or put on hold, according to Financial Post.
Despite this, Houston did not express any worry over losing any investors in the project, stating that he did not look to Trump as an expert he relied on for the topic of green energy during the Nova Scotia Offshore Wind R&D Forum.
The Nova Scotia premier stated that the Wind West project does not depend on the US for anything.
“I actually think it’s pushing investors here. There’s lots of capital interested in the industry, capital allocated to the Eastern seaboard in the United States that now needs a home,” said Houston.
While noting how investors were now seeing that Nova Scotia had the fastest winds in the world along with a solid seabed in shallow water, Houston also said there is a big demand for the Wind West project as it can potentially provide energy for Ontario, Quebec, the northeastern states, and the Nova Scotia Market.
Last July, provincial officials stated that it was their goal to issue a call for development bids by the end of the year, opting to license up to five gigawatts of offshore wind energy by 2030. The construction of offshore turbine sites may start by 2033.
The estimated initial capital cost of the project is around $60 billion.
