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BOSTON — The governments of Massachusetts and Nova Scotia signed an agreement Wednesday formalizing a partnership to develop offshore wind in their respective regions and share knowledge, workforce, ports and, potentially, the wind-generated energy itself.
The memorandum of understanding, signed by Gov. Maura Healey and Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston, establishes the North Atlantic neighbors as leaders in offshore wind that have something to offer one another.
“We have this recipe of deep industrial ports, supply chain investment, trained workers and strong coastal winds,” said Healey, donning a red pantsuit in the same shade of the Canadian flag.
“Whatever actions may or may not be coming out of Washington, rest assured that here in Massachusetts, we’re moving forward in any which way to bring more energy into this region,” she said. “And we’re continuing with an international collaboration that helps us increase supply, lower costs and brings economic development to our port communities.”
Massachusetts has been developing offshore wind for more than a decade. Through the buildout of Vineyard Wind, the state has established critical (and expensive) port infrastructure, a trained workforce, policy and regulations, and a deep catalog of lessons learned. But the investments are at risk of being stranded following attacks by the Trump administration that have seriously stalled further buildout.
Meanwhile, Canada has land-based turbines but zero offshore. Nova Scotia, an eastern province of about 1 million people that sits directly east of Maine, is looking to change that with a project called Wind West. It’s still in its early stages, but the plan calls for at least 40 gigawatts of offshore wind energy, with construction starting as early as 2031.
The province could be a lifeline for Massachusetts if projects like SouthCoast Wind and New England Wind stall long-term, or pull out altogether.
After the Trump administration suspended five under-construction offshore wind projects, the region’s grid operator, ISO New England, warned that canceling or delaying projects will “increase costs and risks to reliability.”
(Federal judges temporarily struck down the suspensions of all five projects, but the industry remains under threat.)
Now, Massachusetts and Nova Scotia say they will consider an interregional transmission system and explore the “integration of offshore wind across the region.”
“Massachusetts and Nova Scotia will examine potential pathways for delivering offshore wind energy from Nova Scotia to the New England grid, including bi-directional transmission options to allow for two-way transfers of offshore wind energy,” the MOU reads.
New England already gets some energy from Canada in the form of hydropower from Québec.
As for the ports and people who have gotten offshore wind off the ground and into the water in Massachusetts, the agreement states the two governments will look for opportunities to coordinate on port development and create a “skilled regional offshore wind workforce.”
Vineyard Wind has utilized ports in Canada to send or stage turbine blades before they are installed offshore of Massachusetts.
The agreement, a three-year, not legally binding commitment, also calls for a working group among government officials in their respective energy departments, who will share insights, coordinate on policy and goals, and report back to the agency heads.
The state’s energy department has been in regular contact with Nova Scotia officials on developing energy sources since at least last summer.
Houston said Nova Scotia only needs 2 gigawatts of energy. Planning for at least 40 gigawatts of wind power, the province will have “a lot of excess energy” to sell in other markets, he said.
Massachusetts Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs Rebecca Tepper said the state does not have a specific amount of wind energy in mind that it wants to secure from Nova Scotia, but that the work directed by the MOU will help answer the questions of how much, how long it would take, and how it would happen.
While Healey remains a strong advocate for offshore wind, Houston has become a prominent voice for the industry here in the U.S. He emphasized his province’s commitment to the industry on stage during an offshore wind conference in Virginia last year.
Houston will be appearing again at the conference next week in New York to share his vision of building a “binational energy alliance.” Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources Commissioner Elizabeth Mahony is also set to speak on a panel about how Canada and Massachusetts can partner on offshore wind.
“With the Vineyard Wind project nearing completion, Massachusetts is well positioned to share its sector experience with Nova Scotia,” said Mahony in a statement Wednesday. “This partnership creates an opportunity to learn from each other and coordinate on grid integration, ports, and workforce needs to support successful offshore wind deployment across the region.”
Email Anastasia E. Lennon at alennon@newbedfordlight.org.
