Maine and Nova Scotia Partner on Ocean Energy | Renewable Energy News Article

Maine Northern Maine and Nova Scotia share coastline along the Bay of Fundy, a piece of ocean with the strongest tides in the world. In order to harness the powerful forces of those tides, the leaders of Maine and Nova Scotia have formed a partnership to develop ocean energy technologies in the area.

Both Maine's Governor John Baldacci and Nova Scotia's Premier Darrell Dexter have been very supportive of developing renewables in recent years. Earlier this month, both leaders announced a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to work on share information on tidal and offshore wind energy between academics, researchers, policy makers and developers.

Over 100 billion tons of water flow through the Bay of Fundy each day. If Maine and Nova Scotia can harvest a fraction of that energy, it could significantly add to the regional energy mix. Although ocean energy devices are still very nascent and expensive, research partnerships between governments in resource-rich areas could help spur more progress in the industry.

The MOU was signed by the two leaders during the 34th Conference of the New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers being held in Lenox, Massachusetts. The Conference focused leaders on the issue of energy security, efficiency and supporting the development of renewable energy to benefit the region.