Assessing the Nova Scotia RFP and the Future of Wind Power in Atlantic Canada

Adrienne Baker, Canadian Clean Energy Conferences
August 08, 2012 | 4 Comments

Nova Scotia announced three winning bids for wind projects totalling 116 MW last week completing the province’s request for 300/GWh per year of electricity derived from renewable energy. The winning bids include two phases of the South Canoe Wind Project totalling 102 MW, which is being led by a partnership between Nova Scotia-based companies Oxford Frozen Foods and Minas Basin Pulp & Paper. Nova Scotia Power Inc., the province’s monopoly utility, owns 49% of the South Canoe project.

The third project is a 13.8 MW project led by the Municipality of the District of Guysborough in which Nova Scotia Power Inc. has an undisclosed minority stake. This Request for Proposals (RFP) garnered very strong interest from developers with 19 bids coming into the province’s Renewable Electricity Administrator (REA) which equated to about eight times the procurement target.

Nova Scotia has emerged as a leader in wind energy with its strong commitment to meeting the target of 25% renewables by 2015 and 40% by 2020. The province launched a Community Feed-in Tariff (COMFIT) program last year and most of the projects are small wind under the scheme which is set for a review this fall. As part of the review, Solar PV will be considered as a new technology to add to the COMFIT which could open up the Nova Scotia market to solar suppliers and developers from across the country.

The key now is to understand the next steps for renewables across Atlantic Canada and what role independent power producers can play in shaping potential opportunities (free webinar on this subject). Critical decisions are in the pipeline on grid capacity, renewables integration, regional energy coordination and the eventual creation of a renewables export market to the northeast US. The region has tremendous potential to further develop its wind capacity. New opportunities for wind projects are expected in New Brunswick and PEI while Nova Scotia has yet to reveal how it will meet its ambitious target of 40% renewables by 2020.

Grid capacity and energy demand are the main challenge for renewables in Atlantic Canada. Interestingly Nova Scotia is becoming a laboratory for energy storage solutions with at least two COMFIT owners looking to work with energy storage providers on their small wind projects. The idea is that these distribution connected projects can add turbines to their projects if they’re able to store some of the wind energy and put it on the system when the wind’s not blowing.

This September 24-25, over 300 renewable energy developers, suppliers, utilities and government experts will convene for the second annual Nova Scotia Feed-in Tariff Forum in Halifax to network and discuss the critical issues shaping the future of renewables in the region. The forum will address the key topics of grid capacity, policy developments, regional coordination, export potential and project execution. It will also provide the renewables industry with the opportunity to hear firsthand about the potential for adding solar PV under COMFIT, gain an update on Quebec’s recently announced RFP for 700 MW of wind power, identify opportunities opening up in New England and learn about developments in energy storage for wind farms.

There are new business opportunities for developers, suppliers, investors, engineering and construction experts as COMFIT projects and commercial-scale wind projects get underway this fall. Halifax’s forum will offer the renewables industry the opportunity to meet the communities, municipalities, universities and First Nations heading the COMFIT projects and the companies leading large-scale projects across the region.

The emphasis at this year’s forum is on understanding how IPPs can take a lead role in shaping the future of energy policy and markets in this region. Ultimately the potential to export renewable power to the northeastern US is what will drive real opportunities for wind in the region. Currently, the Maritime governments are analyzing infrastructure and market developments that could facilitate export and the forum will provide analysis of current barriers and opportunities. It is key for developers to have a seat at the table for these critical discussions and help shape the future for renewables in the region.

Lead image: Wind turbine in Nova Scotia via Shutterstock

The information and views expressed in this blog post are solely those of the author and not necessarily those of RenewableEnergyWorld.com or the companies that advertise on this Web site and other publications. This blog was posted directly by the author and was not reviewed for accuracy, spelling or grammar.

4 Comments

Alex Chapman
August 14, 2012

Each form of renewable energy has its own pros and cons. We will need them all to plug the gap left by eliminating fossil fuels and (in the case of forward-thinking countries like Germany) nuclear. I have worked in close proximity to a wind farm in Holland - one using 20-year-old IWT technology - and the greatest complaint I had was the rhythmic whooshing noise made me sleepy right after lunch. That is anecdotal evidence, I admit, but so are your examples, and as your evidence is of the 'I know someone that knows someone' variety, I'm not swayed. Individual companies having financial troubles says nothing about the entire industry, which grew 20% last year (its _lowest_ rate in a decade) according to the World Wind Energy Association. The fact that a study is being done is likewise not an indictment of the industry; all metastudies done to date show that credible, peer-reviewed researchers (which Mr. Swinbanks is not) have not found evidence linking IWT's to human illness. Similarly, the fact that people are suing says nothing - visit www.stellawards.com for evidence of how many frivolous lawsuits happen all the time. Finally, the backup issue shows that sclerotic utilities have failed to invest in energy storage; it says nothing about the wind industry. The big problem with IWTs is that the developers tend to be ham-fisted toward local residents, performing perfunctory public consultations and offering affected landowners inadequate compensation for the transformation to the landscape which they treasure (and possibly have for generations). Financial compensation is only one form. The industry is taking steps to remedy this, but they have to dig themselves out of a very large hole. My point: We must make every renewable energy source work if we are to shake off our addiction to fossil fuels and nuclear. If we fail, we will leave our descendants - assuming we have any - with a barren desert, a radioactive mess, or both. Get your priorities straight.

Marie Burton
August 12, 2012

There are far better forms of renewables than wind. Also you obviously do not live near an industrial complex Alex ,like 76% of people who cannot live with the noise and health issues. There is currently studies being done in Japan, Canada, Australia with regard to noise and health. Furthermore Dr, M.Swinbanks a former NASA Scientist has claimed that turbines do cause noise which is not condusive to humans. I do not know about the disinformation of the fossil fuel and nuclear industries but so does the wind industry when it claims that turbines do not give off infrasound.Whyhave people left their homes to live away from turbine complexes? One family left a multi million dollar property because of noise and I am sure I would not do such a thingif I was not affected. The family is not interested in money as the wind industry claims but in having a decent night's sleep. If you take away all the money that the wind industry gets from governments I do not think the wind industry would be around for too long as Infigen in the UK has gone into liquidation even while getting money from government. Does not say much for wind as Vestas is having financial difficulties as well.
If the wind industry was so good why is it that still after over 20 years they still require backup 24/7?
Alsothere are cases where people are suing wind developers and I can see many more occurring once it is clear that infrasound and noise generally (in some cases likened to a jet engine roaring continually) along with flicker and their contribution to CO2 emissions will see them placed far away from civilisation as possible.As for your brake noise that is a short term issue not one that is continual.

Alex Chapman
August 10, 2012

genie81, please recognize that the wind industry has enemies, principally the nuclear and fossil fuel sectors. These industries seek to either leave a 10,000-year liability of radioactive waste for our descendants to handle, or a planet left uninhabitable due to a runaway greenhouse effect. They are threatened by the inroads that all renewable energy sources have made, especially wind. They are vigorously promulgating disinformation and fomenting hysteria about the hazards of wind energy. There is no scientific basis for their propaganda, but a preponderance of scientific basis for ending their continued dominance in the global economy.

Complaining about health effects of wind turbines is akin to complaining about the noise of the brakes as the engineer struggles to keep the train from steaming straight off a cliff.

Marie Burton
August 10, 2012

A project in South Ausralia called Stony Gap has been disallowed owing to health issues with industrial wind turbines. Surely anyone who does the research can see there are issues with health and noise especially when Dr. R. Mcmurty is calling for a moritorium. Before any more turbine complexes are allowed please consider people living within 20km as some people even as far away as 35k can still hear hem under certain weather dconditions.

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Adrienne Baker, Canadian Clean Energy Conferences

Adrienne is a director at Canadian Clean Energy Conferences. With degrees from McGill and Concordia, Adrienne Baker spent seven years in financial journalism reporting for and editing several publications including Investor Relations Magazine,...