Nova Scotia’s Energy Resources
Nova Scotia is a province rich in natural resources and its diversity of energy assets. Its electricity distribution system has a total generating capacity of 3,206 Megawatts (MW) and is produced by assets like hydropower stations, windfarms, thermal plants, combustion turbines, biomass facilities, and an impressive network of district energy systems. The province is developing solar projects and is continuing to lead the nation in tidal energy research. Its electricity grid is private sector, and its primary utility is Nova Scotia Power, owned by Emera, alongside other local utilities like Eastward Energy, Antigonish Electric Utility, RMS Energy, etc.
Click the icons on the map to explore Nova Scotia’s total energy infrastructure and access descriptions for each.
Click on each location to learn more.
The Maritime Link – 500MW capacity
To protect its environment, Nova Scotia is moving away from coal and carbon-based electricity generation towards the use of fuels that are cleaner and lower in carbon such as natural gas and renewables.
The Maritime Link is a 170-kilometre high-voltage direct current (HVDC) subsea cable connection recently commissioned between Cape Breton and Newfoundland and Labrador to deliver clean, reliable, renewable hydroelectricity from the Muskrat Falls Generating Station to Nova Scotia. The project, in combination with existing hydro resources, energy efficiency efforts, and a focus on additional in-Province wind and solar generation capacity will help Nova Scotia Power reduce and eliminate coal generation, reach the target of 80% renewable energy by 2030 and contribute to improved long-term price stability for electricity.
Maritimes & Northeast Pipeline - 0.55 Bcf/day (Canadian portion), 0.83 Bcf/day (US portion)
The Maritimes & Northeast Pipeline (M&NP) is a 1,101-kilometre pipeline initially built to transport natural gas from offshore production facilities in Nova Scotia to markets in Canada and New England. The pipeline now primarily imports natural gas from origins in Western Canada and the United States. It has an operating capacity of 0.83 billion cubic feet per day in the United States, which reduces to 0.55 billion cubic feet per day in Canada.
The M&NP system consists of a main pipeline connecting Goldboro, Nova Scotia through New Brunswick to the Canadian - U.S. border near Baileyville, Maine. In 1999, M&NP established a series of market delivery points in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts. Within Nova Scotia, these locations include Halifax, Point Tupper, Halifax Airport, Halifax, Oxford, Amherst. The M&NP links with the North American natural gas transmission system through interconnections in the States of Massachusetts and Maine.
Tufts Cove Thermal Generating Station – 462MW
- The Tufts Cove Generating Station consists of three oil-fired units commissioned in the 1960s and 1970s as well as two natural gas-fired combustion turbines commissioned in 2003 and 2004, and a Waste Heat Recovery system that captures 'waste heat' from the exhaust streams of units 4 & 5 to produce up to an additional 50 megawatts of electricity, enough to power up to 35,000 homes.
- The three Tufts Cove oil-fired units were converted to also burn natural gas in 1999-2000. The plant has run largely on natural gas in recent years, which produces fewer greenhouse gas emissions than other fossil fuels like coal and oil. Tufts Cove has even installed electrostatic precipitators in the stacks of its generating units to ensure the particulate matter is removed before rising through to the air.
- Natural gas is an important component of our generation mix today, as it plays a role in providing the reliable backup electricity our regional grid needs as we transition to a clean energy future.
Point Aconi Generating Station – 168 MW
- Point Aconi is uniquely designed to be fueled by coal or petcoke; petcoke is a solid by-product of the oil refining process.
- The plant's circulating fluidized bed technology means it can use petcoke in its boiler while significantly reducing emissions. Petcoke has a higher heating value than coal and is usually lower cost than coal, but it also has a higher sulphur content. However, the use of limestone and PAC reduces sulphur dioxide emissions and mercury below that of traditional coal generation technologies.
- Point Aconi has great fuel flexibility because the exhaust flue gas that comes out of the boiler goes into a baghouse that filters particulate emissions.
Trenton Generating Station – 304 MW
- Trenton Unit 5 was commissioned in 1969 and underwent a refurbishment in 2009, including a new generator and a 'baghouse,' a technology that acts as a large filter for the plant's emissions. It significantly reduces fly ash emissions and allows the plant to have greater fuel flexibility leading to improved unit efficiency.
- Trenton Unit 6 was commissioned in 1991 and was modified with a 'Low-NOx' combustion firing system in 2008 to prevent the creation of nitrogen oxides as well.
- Both Trenton units have electrostatic precipitators designed to capture 99 percent of fly ash emissions from coal-burning.
Three Oil-Fired Combustion Turbines on demand – 231 MW
Until the 1970s, most of Nova Scotia's electricity was generated by burning oil. In the wake of the OPEC oil crisis, the government decided to switch from imported oil to Cape Breton coal as Nova Scotia's primary source of electricity.
Nova Scotia Power operates two oil-fired combustion turbine units, located in Victoria Junction (66 MW), Tusket (33 MW) and four units in Burnside, Dartmouth (132 MW). Because they burn expensive light fuel oil and tend to be less efficient than other thermal generating units, the turbines typically serve as a secondary source of generation and are not commonly used.
District Energy Systems – 242.5 MW (Heating), 5.4 MW (Cooling)
District energy systems are a highly efficient way to heat and cool many buildings in a given locale from a central plant. They use a network of underground pipes to pump steam, hot water, and/or chilled water to multiple buildings in an area such as a downtown district, college or hospital campus, airport, or military base.
As Nova Scotia's forestry industry adjusts to life after the closure of the Northern Pulp Mill, wood heat and district energy projects, have emerged as a market for forestry residual fibre, sawdust, bark shreds and some underutilized species that aren't used for lumber production. Using efficient cogeneration technologies to provide electricity and thermal energy (heat) displaces fossil fuels, creates financial savings and reduces greenhouse gas emissions. By way of example, Université Sainte-Anne achieved 50% energy savings and significantly reduced its carbon footprint by moving to a high efficiency, clean-burning wood chip gasification district heating system.
The Nova Scotia government is encouraging the installation of wood heat systems in public buildings fuelled by low-grade wood from area woodlots. The province is also home to a variety of established district energy systems fuelled by wood biomass, natural gas, light fuel oil and heavy fuel oil.
To view a full list of the district energy systems and each of their generation capacities, explore the following web resource from the Canadian Energy and Emissions Data Centre: https://cieedacdb.rem.sfu.ca/district-energy-inventory/
Hydro and Tidal – 377 MW
Nova Scotia has a 100-year history of using small hydro developments on their rivers to generate power. The first hydro plant was installed in 1903 by mining interests on the Liscomb River in Guysborough County.
Nova Scotia Power owns and operates 30 hydroelectric plants on 14 hydro river systems across Nova Scotia, totalling 377 MW of generation capacity. Many plants have been providing clean, renewable electricity to Nova Scotians for decades, with some established in the early 1900s, undergoing maintenance and upgrades to ensure they can continue to provide reliable electricity for many years to come.
To view a map of all of Nova Scotia's hydro and tidal energy farms, explore the following web resource from Nova Scotia Power: https://www.nspower.ca/cleanandgreen/renewable-energy-sources/tidal-power
Wreck Cove – 212 MW
Wreck Cove is the largest hydroelectric plant in Nova Scotia, with a generating capacity of 212 MW. Constructed from 1975-1978 south of the Cape Breton Highlands National Park, Wreck Cove collects drainage water from 216 square kilometres of the Cape Breton Highlands plateau to generate electricity. It is also one of the region's most unique generating stations – the station's powerhouse is located 275 metres underground, down a 620-metre access tunnel.
FORCE Tidal Stream Technology Research Centre
FORCE is Canada's lead research facility for tidal stream technology, created to better understand how this technology can play a role in Canada's clean energy future and help respond to climate change impacts (like ocean acidification, sea-level rise, and coastal erosion). FORCE provides offshore and onshore electrical equipment to connect devices to the power grid and conducts monitoring and research to understand any potential environmental effects.
FORCE is a private, not-for-profit company operated by staff, governed by a board of directors, and guided by input from an independent Environmental Monitoring Advisory Committee and a Community Liaison Committee. FORCE has received support from the Government of Canada, the Province of Nova Scotia, the Offshore Energy Research Association, and participating developers.
FORCE is open to the public. Admission is free. The FORCE visitor centre overlooks the technology test site in the Minas Passage, Bay of Fundy.
Lequille System – 11.2 MW
The Lequille hydro system, built in 1968, has one powerhouse with a unit rated for 11.2 MW. The system has three reservoirs, two dams and one canal providing water to the powerhouse.
Bear River System – 13.4 MW
The Bear River Hydroelectric System was constructed in north-western Nova Scotia in the 1950s. The system consists of two power stations capable of producing up to 13.4 MW of electricity. There are three dams, one reservoir and one canal that provide water to the powerhouse.
Mersey System – 42.5 MW
The Mersey Hydroelectric System was constructed in southwestern Nova Scotia in 1928 and 1929. It consists of six powerhouses capable of producing up to 42.5 MW of electricity. Six reservoirs, nine dams and two canals provide water to the powerhouses. The system also includes three fishways.
St. Margaret's Bay – 10.8 MW
The St. Margaret's Bay Hydroelectric System consists of three generating facilities housed in two powerhouses capable of producing up to 10.8 MW of electricity. Five reservoirs, nine damn and a cross-over structure provide water to the powerhouse.
Sheet Harbour – 10.8 MW
The Sheet Harbour Hydroelectric System was constructed in south-eastern Nova Scotia in the 1920s. It consists of two power stations capable of producing up to 10.8 MW of electricity. Seven reservoirs, six dams and two canals provide water to the powerhouse. There are also two fishways associated with the system.
Biomass – 67 MW
Changes to Nova Scotia's Renewable Energy Standards were introduced in May 2020 to enable Nova Scotia Power to generate more electricity from wood chips and sawmill residuals by operating two biomass plants in Point Tupper and Liverpool with a combined capacity of 67 megawatts until electricity from Muskrat Falls comes fully on stream.
Thermal Energy - 1691 MW
Nova Scotia has five thermal generating stations with a combined capacity of 1691 MW. These thermal generating stations operate off either natural gas, coal, or petroleum coke.
Port Hawkesbury, Point Tupper – 43 MW
NS Power (in cooperation with Port Hawkesbury Paper) operates a 43-megawatt biomass power plant in Point Tupper. The cogeneration project represents another important step toward meeting Nova Scotia's renewable energy commitments while at the same time creating and sustaining jobs in the province. This local biomass-fuelled cogeneration facility supplies Nova Scotia with approximately 400,000 MWh annually.
Brooklyn Energy, Liverpool – 24 MW
Brooklyn Energy is a Nova Scotia-based 24-megawatt biomass electrical cogeneration facility with the capacity to generate 173,000 MWh a year. The facility is owned by Emera and supplies electricity on demand to Nova Scotia Power through a long-term Power Purchase Agreement.
Originally designed to provide steam to the former Bowater Mersey paper mill, it currently provides a small amount of steam to the Renova Innovation Centre across the road while delivering most of its energy output to the provincial energy grid.
Solar Farm Projects Under Development
The Government of Nova Scotia and Nova Scotia Power support the development of solar energy through two programs:
Net Metering: Nova Scotians can install a source of renewable energy such as a wind turbine or set of solar panels – or even a small hydro or biomass generator - to help power their home or business. If the generating unit produces more energy than the customer uses at any one time, the extra electricity will flow onto the local grid for others to use. On the other hand, if a customer's generator isn't producing as much as they need, the homeowner or business can still draw from the grid to make the difference.
Community Solar Programs: The Solar for Community Buildings Program enables eligible community groups and organizations to generate solar photovoltaic (PV) electricity on their roofs or properties and sell it to their utility under a 20-year contract.
There are also four larger-scale community solar farms or gardens currently under development in Nova Scotia in Amherst, Antigonish, Berwick and Mahone Bay, with a total combined expected capacity of 12.7 GWh.
Amherst Solar Farm (under development) – 2.7 GWh
Nova Scotia Power's first solar garden is located in Amherst, Nova Scotia. When complete, the garden will be connected to the electricity grid and will increase the province's overall renewable energy generation capacity. The solar garden will produce about 2.7 GWh of electricity per year, which is enough to power about 240 homes or 700 battery-powered electric vehicles.
The solar farm will provide the opportunity for any Nova Scotia Power customer to subscribe to the solar garden. As a participant in the program, subscribers can choose how much of their electricity consumption they would like to receive from the sun. About 7-10 kW will cover 100% of their personal electricity requirements for the average home. Based on the amount chosen, customers will pay a fixed monthly subscription charge for the solar output, which will generate credits that will be applied directly to their monthly power bills.
Antigonish, Berwick, and Mahone Bay Community solar farms (under development) – 10 GWh
Through a tri-level funding agreement, three community solar farms, also known as solar gardens, are under development in the Towns of Antigonish, Berwick and Mahone Bay. The solar farms will produce approximately 10 GWh of clean, on-peak energy within the towns' local distribution systems with enough energy to power 1,000 homes per year.
Once completed, the three projects will benefit the communities by increasing and diversifying the use of renewable energy, providing equitable access to this energy and producing 50% of their own electricity needs from clean sources.
The Government of Canada is investing more than $8.9 million in this project through the Green Infrastructure Stream of the Investing in Canada infrastructure plan. The Government of Nova Scotia is contributing more than $7.4 million, while the municipalities are collectively contributing more than $5.9 million.
Wind - 592MW
Nova Scotia's growth in renewable electricity has been largely through wind power development! More than 300 commercial wind turbines are now generating electricity in Nova Scotia, making the province a national leader in wind energy as a percentage of total generation capacity.
Nova Scotia Power owns and operates wind farms on Nuttby Mountain and Digby Neck. They have a minority stake in three wind farms in Nova Scotia - a 23 MW wind farm at Point Tupper operated by Renewable Energy Services Ltd., a 102 MW wind farm at South Canoe operated by Oxford Frozen Foods, and a 13.8 MW wind farm in Canso operated by Municipality of the District of Guysborough.
Additional wind farms include a 30 MW wind farm at Digby Gullivers Cove operated by SkyPower Corp. and Scotian Windfields Inc., a 15.8 MW wind farm at Lingan operated by Glace Bay Lingan Wind Power Limited, a 51 MW wind farm at Dalhousie Mountain operated by RMS Energy Ltd., a 31.5 MW wind farm at Amherst operated by Acciona Wind Energy Canada Ltd. and a 30.6 MW wind farm at Pubnico Point operated by Pubnico Point Wind Farm Inc.
A unique resource in Ellershouse is the 23.5 MW wind farm, managed by Wholesale Market participants serving four Nova Scotia municipalities under a wholesale market tariff.
Many wind farms across Nova Scotia are owned by Independent Power Producers with contracts to sell their electricity back to NS Power.
The location and capacity of more Nova Scotia wind farms can be explored by using this resource created by Nova Scotia Power: https://www.nspower.ca/cleanandgreen/renewable-energy-sources/wind-power
NS-NB transmission line - 300/505 MW
Nova Scotia is interconnected with the New Brunswick electric system through one 345 kV and two 138 kV lines providing up to 505 MW of transfer capability to New Brunswick and up to 300 MW of transfer capability from New Brunswick, depending on system conditions.
Antigonish, Berwick, and Mahone Bay Community solar farms (under development) – 10 GWh
Through a tri-level funding agreement, three community solar farms, also known as solar gardens, are under development in the Towns of Antigonish, Berwick and Mahone Bay. The solar farms will produce approximately 10 GWh of clean, on-peak energy within the towns' local distribution systems with enough energy to power 1,000 homes per year.
Once completed, the three projects will benefit the communities by increasing and diversifying the use of renewable energy, providing equitable access to this energy and producing 50% of their own electricity needs from clean sources.
The Government of Canada is investing more than $8.9 million in this project through the Green Infrastructure Stream of the Investing in Canada infrastructure plan. The Government of Nova Scotia is contributing more than $7.4 million, while the municipalities are collectively contributing more than $5.9 million.
District Energy Systems – 242.5 MW (Heating), 5.4 MW (Cooling)
District energy systems are a highly efficient way to heat and cool many buildings in a given locale from a central plant. They use a network of underground pipes to pump steam, hot water, and/or chilled water to multiple buildings in an area such as a downtown district, college or hospital campus, airport, or military base.
As Nova Scotia's forestry industry adjusts to life after the closure of the Northern Pulp Mill, wood heat and district energy projects, have emerged as a market for forestry residual fibre, sawdust, bark shreds and some underutilized species that aren't used for lumber production. Using efficient cogeneration technologies to provide electricity and thermal energy (heat) displaces fossil fuels, creates financial savings and reduces greenhouse gas emissions. By way of example, Université Sainte-Anne achieved 50% energy savings and significantly reduced its carbon footprint by moving to a high efficiency, clean-burning wood chip gasification district heating system.
The Nova Scotia government is encouraging the installation of wood heat systems in public buildings fuelled by low-grade wood from area woodlots. The province is also home to a variety of established district energy systems fuelled by wood biomass, natural gas, light fuel oil and heavy fuel oil.
To view a full list of the district energy systems and each of their generation capacities, explore the following web resource from the Canadian Energy and Emissions Data Centre: https://cieedacdb.rem.sfu.ca/district-energy-inventory/
Amherst Solar Farm (under development) – 2.7 GWh
Nova Scotia Power's first solar garden is located in Amherst, Nova Scotia. When complete, the garden will be connected to the electricity grid and will increase the province's overall renewable energy generation capacity. The solar garden will produce about 2.7 GWh of electricity per year, which is enough to power about 240 homes or 700 battery-powered electric vehicles.
The solar farm will provide the opportunity for any Nova Scotia Power customer to subscribe to the solar garden. As a participant in the program, subscribers can choose how much of their electricity consumption they would like to receive from the sun. About 7-10 kW will cover 100% of their personal electricity requirements for the average home. Based on the amount chosen, customers will pay a fixed monthly subscription charge for the solar output, which will generate credits that will be applied directly to their monthly power bills.
Wind - 592MW
Nova Scotia's growth in renewable electricity has been largely through wind power development! More than 300 commercial wind turbines are now generating electricity in Nova Scotia, making the province a national leader in wind energy as a percentage of total generation capacity.
Nova Scotia Power owns and operates wind farms on Nuttby Mountain and Digby Neck. They have a minority stake in three wind farms in Nova Scotia - a 23 MW wind farm at Point Tupper operated by Renewable Energy Services Ltd., a 102 MW wind farm at South Canoe operated by Oxford Frozen Foods, and a 13.8 MW wind farm in Canso operated by Municipality of the District of Guysborough.
Additional wind farms include a 30 MW wind farm at Digby Gullivers Cove operated by SkyPower Corp. and Scotian Windfields Inc., a 15.8 MW wind farm at Lingan operated by Glace Bay Lingan Wind Power Limited, a 51 MW wind farm at Dalhousie Mountain operated by RMS Energy Ltd., a 31.5 MW wind farm at Amherst operated by Acciona Wind Energy Canada Ltd. and a 30.6 MW wind farm at Pubnico Point operated by Pubnico Point Wind Farm Inc.
A unique resource in Ellershouse is the 23.5 MW wind farm, managed by Wholesale Market participants serving four Nova Scotia municipalities under a wholesale market tariff.
Many wind farms across Nova Scotia are owned by Independent Power Producers with contracts to sell their electricity back to NS Power.
The location and capacity of more Nova Scotia wind farms can be explored by using this resource created by Nova Scotia Power: https://www.nspower.ca/cleanandgreen/renewable-energy-sources/wind-power
The Maritime Link – 500MW capacity
To protect its environment, Nova Scotia is moving away from coal and carbon-based electricity generation towards the use of fuels that are cleaner and lower in carbon such as natural gas and renewables.
The Maritime Link is a 170-kilometre high-voltage direct current (HVDC) subsea cable connection recently commissioned between Cape Breton and Newfoundland and Labrador to deliver clean, reliable, renewable hydroelectricity from the Muskrat Falls Generating Station to Nova Scotia. The project, in combination with existing hydro resources, energy efficiency efforts, and a focus on additional in-Province wind and solar generation capacity will help Nova Scotia Power reduce and eliminate coal generation, reach the target of 80% renewable energy by 2030 and contribute to improved long-term price stability for electricity.
https://www.emeranl.com/maritime-link/overview
NS-NB transmission line - 300/505 MW
Nova Scotia is interconnected with the New Brunswick electric system through one 345 kV and two 138 kV lines providing up to 505 MW of transfer capability to New Brunswick and up to 300 MW of transfer capability from New Brunswick, depending on system conditions.
Maritimes & Northeast Pipeline - 0.55 Bcf/day (Canadian portion), 0.83 Bcf/day (US portion)
The Maritimes & Northeast Pipeline (M&NP) is a 1,101-kilometre pipeline initially built to transport natural gas from offshore production facilities in Nova Scotia to markets in Canada and New England. The pipeline now primarily imports natural gas from origins in Western Canada and the United States. It has an operating capacity of 0.83 billion cubic feet per day in the United States, which reduces to 0.55 billion cubic feet per day in Canada.
The M&NP system consists of a main pipeline connecting Goldboro, Nova Scotia through New Brunswick to the Canadian - U.S. border near Baileyville, Maine. In 1999, M&NP established a series of market delivery points in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts. Within Nova Scotia, these locations include Halifax, Point Tupper, Halifax Airport, Halifax, Oxford, Amherst. The M&NP links with the North American natural gas transmission system through interconnections in the States of Massachusetts and Maine.
Lingan Generating Station – 607 MW
- Constructed in the 1970s, Lingan is Nova Scotia Power's largest generating station. It has four units that were commissioned separately from 1979 to 1983.
- From 2006 to 2008, 'Low-NOx' combustion systems were installed on all four of the unit. These systems are designed to help prevent the creation of nitrogen oxides within the unit, reducing NOx emissions of about 40 percent.
Lingan Generating Station – 607 MW
- Constructed in the 1970s, Lingan is Nova Scotia Power's largest generating station. It has four units that were commissioned separately from 1979 to 1983.
- From 2006 to 2008, 'Low-NOx' combustion systems were installed on all four of the unit. These systems are designed to help prevent the creation of nitrogen oxides within the unit, reducing NOx emissions of about 40 percent.
Wind - 592MW
Nova Scotia's growth in renewable electricity has been largely through wind power development! More than 300 commercial wind turbines are now generating electricity in Nova Scotia, making the province a national leader in wind energy as a percentage of total generation capacity.
Nova Scotia Power owns and operates wind farms on Nuttby Mountain and Digby Neck. They have a minority stake in three wind farms in Nova Scotia - a 23 MW wind farm at Point Tupper operated by Renewable Energy Services Ltd., a 102 MW wind farm at South Canoe operated by Oxford Frozen Foods, and a 13.8 MW wind farm in Canso operated by Municipality of the District of Guysborough.
Additional wind farms include a 30 MW wind farm at Digby Gullivers Cove operated by SkyPower Corp. and Scotian Windfields Inc., a 15.8 MW wind farm at Lingan operated by Glace Bay Lingan Wind Power Limited, a 51 MW wind farm at Dalhousie Mountain operated by RMS Energy Ltd., a 31.5 MW wind farm at Amherst operated by Acciona Wind Energy Canada Ltd. and a 30.6 MW wind farm at Pubnico Point operated by Pubnico Point Wind Farm Inc.
A unique resource in Ellershouse is the 23.5 MW wind farm, managed by Wholesale Market participants serving four Nova Scotia municipalities under a wholesale market tariff.
Many wind farms across Nova Scotia are owned by Independent Power Producers with contracts to sell their electricity back to NS Power.
The location and capacity of more Nova Scotia wind farms can be explored by using this resource created by Nova Scotia Power: https://www.nspower.ca/cleanandgreen/renewable-energy-sources/wind-power
Point Tupper Generating Station – 150 MW
- Point Tupper Generating Station was commissioned as an oil-burning unit in 1973. It was converted to coal and recommissioned in 1987.
- A 'Low-NOx' combustion firing system was installed in 2008 to prevent the creation of nitrogen oxides. Plus, the main boiler exhausts flue gas through its electrostatic precipitator designed to capture 99 percent of fly ash emissions.
Point Tupper Generating Station – 150 MW
- Point Tupper Generating Station was commissioned as an oil-burning unit in 1973. It was converted to coal and recommissioned in 1987.
- A 'Low-NOx' combustion firing system was installed in 2008 to prevent the creation of nitrogen oxides. Plus, the main boiler exhausts flue gas through its electrostatic precipitator designed to capture 99 percent of fly ash emissions.
Port Hawkesbury, Point Tupper – 43 MW
NS Power (in cooperation with Port Hawkesbury Paper) operates a 43-megawatt biomass power plant in Point Tupper. The cogeneration project represents another important step toward meeting Nova Scotia's renewable energy commitments while at the same time creating and sustaining jobs in the province. This local biomass-fuelled cogeneration facility supplies Nova Scotia with approximately 400,000 MWh annually.
Wind - 592MW
Nova Scotia's growth in renewable electricity has been largely through wind power development! More than 300 commercial wind turbines are now generating electricity in Nova Scotia, making the province a national leader in wind energy as a percentage of total generation capacity.
Nova Scotia Power owns and operates wind farms on Nuttby Mountain and Digby Neck. They have a minority stake in three wind farms in Nova Scotia - a 23 MW wind farm at Point Tupper operated by Renewable Energy Services Ltd., a 102 MW wind farm at South Canoe operated by Oxford Frozen Foods, and a 13.8 MW wind farm in Canso operated by Municipality of the District of Guysborough.
Additional wind farms include a 30 MW wind farm at Digby Gullivers Cove operated by SkyPower Corp. and Scotian Windfields Inc., a 15.8 MW wind farm at Lingan operated by Glace Bay Lingan Wind Power Limited, a 51 MW wind farm at Dalhousie Mountain operated by RMS Energy Ltd., a 31.5 MW wind farm at Amherst operated by Acciona Wind Energy Canada Ltd. and a 30.6 MW wind farm at Pubnico Point operated by Pubnico Point Wind Farm Inc.
A unique resource in Ellershouse is the 23.5 MW wind farm, managed by Wholesale Market participants serving four Nova Scotia municipalities under a wholesale market tariff.
Many wind farms across Nova Scotia are owned by Independent Power Producers with contracts to sell their electricity back to NS Power.
The location and capacity of more Nova Scotia wind farms can be explored by using this resource created by Nova Scotia Power: https://www.nspower.ca/cleanandgreen/renewable-energy-sources/wind-power
District Energy Systems: 242.5 MW (Heating) + 5.4 MW (Cooling)
- Acadia University, Wolfville
- Canadian Forces Base, Halifax
- Canadian Forces Base, Greenwood
- Cape Breton University, Sydney
- Dalhousie Agriculture College, Truro
- Dalhousie University, Halifax
- Mount Saint Vincent University, Halifax
- Nova Scotia Community College, Bridgewater
- Saint Mary's University, Halifax
- St. Francis Xavier University, Antigonish
- Université Sainte-Anne, Church Point
- Click here to view more.
Clean-Energy Assets: 1036 MW
Wind: 592 MW- South Canoe – 102 MWM
- Nuttby Mountain – 50.6 MW
- Digby Neck – 0.8 MW
- Point Tupper– 23 MW
- Canso – 13.8 MW
- Digby Gullivers Cove – 30 MW
- Lingan – 15.8 MW
- Ellershouse – 23.5 MW
- Dalhousie Mountain – 51 MW
- Amherst – 31.5 MW
- Pubnico Point – 30.6 MW
- Click here to view more.
- Point Tupper 43 MW
- Liverpool 24 MW
- Ahmerst Solar Farm
- Project Under Development - 2.7 GWh
- Antigonish, Berwick, and Mahone Bay Community Solar Farms
- Projects Under Development - 10 GWh
- Wreck Cove - 212 MW
- FORCE Tidal Stream Research Centre
- Lequille System - 11.2 MW
- Bear River System - 13.4 MW
- Mersey System - 42.5 MW
- St. Margaret's Bay – 10.8 MW
- Sheet Harbour - 10.8 MW
- Click here to view more.
Maritime Link Transmission Line : 500 MW
NB-NS Transmission Line - 300/505 MW
Natural Gas (500 MW+)- Maritimes & Northeast Pipeline
- Tufts Cove Thermal Generating Station (462 MW)
- Natural Gas Availability:
- Halifax
- Dartmouth
- Amherst
- Oxford
- New Glasgow
- Stellarton
- Burnside - 132 MW
- Victoria - 66 MW
- Tusket - 33 MW
- Lingan - 607 MW
- Point Aconi – 168 MW
- Point Tupper - 150 MW
- Trenton - 304 MW