Wind

A transition to wind generated energy is the next step in ensuring a healthy economic future for Nova Scotia. There are some roadblocks and challenges to implementing a 100% renewable policy, but the models exist and the resource exists. All it takes now is the political will to make it happen.

Here is a brief summary of the technical background to the wind energy revolution.

Resource Potential

The potential for wind energy development in Nova Scotia is so evident, it led the creator of the Nova Scotia wind atlas, Professor Yves Gagnon of the University of Moncton to proclaim in the Globe and Mail that, "Nova Scotia has an exceptional wind regime – one of the best wind regimes in the world".

Check out Nova Scotia’s new wind atlas at:

www.nswindatlas.ca/

The Department of Energy and Nova Scotia Power are exploring the addition of 500MW of wind energy to meet the 2013 Renewable Standard Portfolio. This number would represent approximately 12% of total electricity demand.

In a recent call for proposals, more than 800MW in wind energy proposals was submitted. If all those projects were implemented, they would meet about 19% of total demand. In September 2007, there were more than 1800MW in wind energy waiting in line to connect to NS Power’s grid. These projects would meet about 43% of Nova Scotia’s electricity needs.

The potential to implement wind power and eliminate our dependence on fossil fuels is limitless.  For example, there are 4000 farms in Nova Scotia. If every farm had just one 1MW wind turbine, together they would produce over 95% of our electricity demand. By comparison, Germany has plans for more 48,600MW of wind energy by 2020 (See: Scheer,
Hermann, Energy Autonomy - The economic, social and technological case for renewable energy, 2007.)

These numbers may seem astronomical, but local wind energy developer Renewable Energy Services Ltd has estimated that Nova Scotia’s wind energy capacity is about 14,000MW, or almost 400% of our electricity demand.

Regardless of how it is calculated, Nova Scotia's goal of 10% wind energy by 2013 is just the tip of the iceberg of the actual potential of this great resource.

Wind Energy Applications
One of the most attractive features of wind energy is its wide range of applications. Wind energy installations can range from a few Watts to 100’s of Megawatts. No other source of energy has such an extensive range of applications.

Any Scale is Possible
The increased efficiency of large scale machines (greater than 1MW) has generated an incredible demand and market domination by these machines. Continued growth of the wind industry will depend on the distributed application of a variety of machine sizes.

In Nova Scotia, projects consisting of many large scale machines can be used to meet our increasing electricity demand as well as offset our emission-intense sources of electricity.

Single large scale machines can be used to provide electricity directly to rural and industrial users.As well, there are many opportunities for small businesses and residents to offset their electricity usage, with the installation of small scale wind turbines.

Cost is Competitive and Stable
With better technology and advances in efficiency of scale and production, the cost of wind energy has been consistently decreasing over the past three decades. At the same time, the price of traditional fuels has been rising exponentially. Today, wind energy is considered to be cheaper than most sources of fossil fuel energy on a price point basis. When we add in the external costs associated with the environmental and health impacts of fossil fuels, wind energy is even lower in cost than the low-end fossil fuels such as coal and pet coke, as well.

In fact, every single wind energy power purchase agreement ever signed in Nova Scotia has been well below the average retail electricity rate.

Secure Local Energy
Wind energy does not only provide a competitive edge to traditional energy sources in terms of the unit cost of energy, but it also provides energy security when compared to unsustainable imported fuels.

Jobs, Jobs, Jobs
It also provides far greater economic benefits than other fuel sources. With wind energy come jobs in project development, manufacturing, construction, operations and maintenance. As of 2006, there were more than 100,000 people employed in the wind energy industry in Denmark, Germany and Spain.

For instance in Pincher Creek, Alberta, wind energy projects have injected over $10 million into the local
economy.

Long-term benefits to their economy include:

• Establishment of 3 new company offices.
• 21 new full-time jobs, with a $1.4 million annual payroll.
• Estimated $900,000 in municipal taxes
• Estimated lease payments to landowners of $3,000/MW for every installed turbine.
• from: Canadian Wind Energy Association, Fact Sheet: Community Benefits 2007

The Case for 100% Renewable in Nova Scotia

Read more about the case for 100% Renewable Energy in our 2008 submission to the Department of Energy, Renewed Energy Strategy + Climate Action Plan consultations. Download 2008 Submission Document.