Canada’s First Offshore Wind Zones Identified Off Nova Scotia

July 30, 2025, by Adnan Memija

The Government of Canada and the Province of Nova Scotia have designated the first four offshore wind areas to be made available for development, with a call for bids expected by the end of the year.

Three of the identified areas are situated south of Nova Scotia’s eastern mainland, while the fourth is located to the east of Cape Breton Island.

Offshore wind areas Nova Scotia Canada — *Source: Nova Scotia*

The Middle Bank and Sable Island Bank areas are remaining the same size as originally proposed. The boundary of Sidney Bight was changed so that its closest point to the shore is about 25 kilometres.

The boundary of the French Bank was reduced slightly, and its closest point to shore is about 20 kilometres.

“With some of the top wind speeds in the world, Nova Scotia has the potential to become a clean energy superpower. With the right infrastructure, we’ll have the opportunity to send our wind west to power other parts of Canada. By becoming an energy exporter, we can secure long-term prosperity for Nova Scotians,” said Tim Houston, Premier of Nova Scotia.

The next step is identifying the parcels within the designated areas that will be included in the first call for bids later this year. The aim is to license 5 GW of offshore wind by 2030.

This summer, the Government of Canada and the Province of Nova Scotia will provide strategic direction to the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Energy Regulator to begin the process for a licensing round to commence for offshore wind energy. That process starts with a call for information and a pre-qualification step.

After the first round of licenses is awarded, four other areas in the January 2025 regional assessment of offshore wind development will be revisited.

Western/Emerald Bank, which was included as the fifth area in the announcement in March, will be considered post-2030, along with the three Tier 2 areas identified in the regional assessment.

“As this industry continues to build, it’s creating good-paying jobs, bringing investment into our communities and making Nova Scotia more resilient. Designating these areas tells industry that it’s time to go, it’s time to get ready for the first call for bids, and it’s time to invest in Nova Scotia,” said Trevor Boudreau, Minister of Energy.