More Renewable Energy Projects Move Forward in Nova Scotia

Energy Minister Charlie Parker announced on July 9 that five renewable electricity projects have received approval under the Community Feed-in Tariff (COMFIT) program.

The projects are:

• two 800-kilowatt wind projects in Barney’s River, Pictou Co., owned by Northumberland Wind Field.

• a four-megawatt wind project in Barrachois, Cape Breton Regional Municipality, and a 2.3-megawatt wind project in Gaetz Brook, Halifax Regional Municipality, owned by Wind4all Communities.

• a 50-kilowatt wind project on the campus of Université Ste-Anne in Church Point, Digby Co.

• a 4.8-megawatt project in Kemptown, Colchester Co., owned by Affinity Renewables, a not-for-profit organization owned by the Nova Scotia SPCA.

• a 1.6-megawatt project in Marion Bridge, Cape Breton Regional Municipality, owned by Celtic Current.

“We’re pleased that these community groups, including one university, are taking advantage of the COMFIT program to develop local renewable electricity projects,” said Mr. Parker. “They are demonstrating leadership by participating in the COMFIT program in order to meet their energy needs and reduce their environmental footprint.”

“This approval completes another step in Université Sainte-Anne’s drive to be Canada’s greenest university,” said Allister Surette, president and vice-chancellor, Université Ste-Anne. “Along with our biomass furnace and 118 solar panels, this wind turbine with COMFIT will further contribute to reducing greenhouses gases and operating costs to the university.”

The 2010 Renewable Electricity Plan introduced the COMFIT concept to help provide a secure supply of clean energy at stable prices, build community support for renewable energy projects and create jobs.

“Developing renewable energy projects throughout the province will help us move away from our dependency on costly imported coal and reach our legislated goal of 40 per cent renewable energy by 2020,” said Mr. Parker. “COMFIT is an important piece of the renewable energy mix for Nova Scotia.”