Canada’s Senate has approved a new law, named bill C-49, which is set to unlock the country’s offshore renewable energy potential in the provinces of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador, on Canada’s Atlantic coast. The bill, which includes the production of wind power as well as hydrogen, now awaits royal ascent.
The two provinces are required to pass mirror legislation as part of the Atlantic Accord. Nova Scotia did that in September 2024 and Newfoundland and Labrador is expected to do the same in the near future. Following the bill, the provinces are expected to launch bids for offshore wind projects as early as 2025. Nova Scotia aims to offer leases for 5 GW of offshore wind energy by 2030.
At the national level, as of end-2023, wind represented about 11% of Canada’s installed capacity with 17 GW (100% of it being onshore), and 6% of its power generation with 38 TWh.