PRESS RELEASE: Atlantic Offshore Wind Coalition applauds N.S./Massachusetts offshore wind agreement, calls for similar collaboration between Atlantic provinces

Mi’kma’ki/Nova Scotia – A coalition of three of Atlantic Canada’s leading environmental organizations is applauding a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between Nova Scotia and Massachusetts, focused on offshore wind development and cross-border energy delivery. The Atlantic Offshore Wind Coalition (AOSWC) says the agreement is a welcome step and hopes to see similar coordination and collaboration between Atlantic provinces, Quebec and the Government of Canada.

“This kind of inter-jurisdictional partnership is crucial for the transition to clean energy,” says Gretchen Fitzgerald, Executive Director at Sierra Club Canada. “It’s important for Canada to seek collaboration with states that will respect our sovereignty – especially at a time where the U.S. federal government seeks to undermine it.”

The MOU – which was signed by Premier Tim Houston and Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey on Wednesday – states that both parties will explore options for energy transfer and interregional transmission planning, coordinate offshore wind supply chain and logistical infrastructure and share data, learnings from procurement strategies, technical analysis and more. The AOSWC says these are important steps in developing wind energy along the Atlantic coast – but in order for Canadians to see the full benefits of offshore wind, more needs to be done here at home.

“This same kind of collaboration is needed between Atlantic provinces,” says Shauna Kelly, Offshore Wind Coordinator at Sierra Club Canada. “If done right, offshore wind has the potential to create thousands of good jobs, boost local economies and deliver affordable, reliable clean energy to our communities across Atlantic Canada.”

A key part of this collaboration involves creating an improved process for planning interregional transmission, which can support the construction of high-voltage power lines linking all four Atlantic provinces and Quebec. In 2024, an expert panel recommended that the Government of Canada establish a collaborative framework to help plan and financially support electricity transmission projects connecting provinces. That recommendation has not been implemented. The AOSWC encourages the federal and provincial government and other partners to provide certainty around East-West power transmission in advance of the first call for bids (expected in the coming months).

The AOSWC says this infrastructure would increase power reliability, allowing each province to import clean energy during periods of high demand and export a surplus when demand is low. New modelling also shows that it could give Canadians a much-needed break on their energy bills.
“Atlantic Canadians are struggling to pay their energy bills,” says Renée Fougère, Offshore Wind Coordinator with the Ecology Action Centre. “High-voltage transmission would allow for unprecedented growth in renewable energy across the region, lower electricity rates by an average of 11 per cent in Atlantic provinces and boost GDP in Atlantic Canada by as much as $8 billion.”

The AOSWC hopes yesterday’s MOU is a signal of more offshore wind announcements to come. 

“The world is moving toward clean energy,” says Lisa Mitchell, Executive Director of East Coast Environmental Law. “Atlantic Canada has the potential to be a key player in the transition to clean, responsible, and renewable power. This memorandum of understanding represents a meaningful collaboration that can support better offshore wind projects and expand opportunities to use the power they generate. It is an important step forward, and we look forward to seeing similar collaboration take place within Canada.”

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