Hydro-Québec, the power utility owned by Canada’s Québec province, has issued a Request for Information (RFI) to assess options to connect to offshore wind farms in waters off Nova Scotia, which is now running the country’s first offshore wind tender.
With the RFI, Hydro-Québec aims to gather information from developers on technological options, timelines and costs associated with offshore wind projects near the coast of Nova Scotia, and electricity transmission solutions.
The company says that with 16 interconnections linking it to neighbouring jurisdictions, it occupies a strategic position at the heart of the major energy corridors in the Northeastern North America region.
“In this context, ties with neighbouring provinces are part of a broader strategic vision aimed at optimizing regional energy systems, as Nova Scotia seeks to develop the significant offshore wind potential along its coast” , Hydro‑Québec said on 25 March. “The market information request launched today is intended to inform Hydro‑Québec’s ongoing reflection in this regard, within a collaborative framework involving neighboring provinces.”
Hydro-Québec noted that no investment or procurement decisions have been made, and that the initiative will help clarify its positioning with respect to the development of offshore wind in Atlantic Canada. The power utility also emphasised that this does not affect energy development and plans in Québec.
Nova Scotia kicked off both the province’s and Canada’s first offshore wind tendering process through the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Energy Regulator (CNSOER) in the autumn of 2025.
The call was opened after the Canadian government and the Province of Nova Scotia designated the first four Wind Energy Areas (WEAs) in July 2025, three of which are situated south of Nova Scotia’s eastern mainland, while the fourth is located to the east of Cape Breton Island.