Each project is majority-owned by one or more Mi’kmaw communities
Simon Smith · CBC News · Posted: Aug 17, 2022 7:01 PM ADT | Last Updated: August 17, 2022
Nova Scotia has selected five wind projects in its largest ever procurement for low-cost renewable energy, each majority-owned by one or more Mi’kmaw communities.
The five projects are expected to generate 372 megawatts or 1,373 gigawatt hours per year of electricity, approximately 12 per cent of Nova Scotia’s total energy consumption, the province’s independent procurement administrator said in a news release Wednesday.
When the projects are complete in 2025, the province will be generating 70 per cent of its electricity from renewable sources, the release said.
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One of the projects is majority-owned by Wskijnu’k Mtmo’taqnuow Agency Ltd. (WMA) the economic development organization that represents all 13 Mi’kmaw communities in the province.
In an interview, WMA president Crystal Nicholas said the project — a joint venture with previous collaborator Natural Forces Development — is a “win-win.”
“They’re providing green energy to Nova Scotia at a competitive price while also bringing economic and other benefits to 13 communities,” Nicholas said.
She said the Hants County project will power about 13,000 homes and create over 370 jobs. She estimates the project will yield about $7 million in municipal taxes over the next 25 years.