Nova Scotia to open all of Bay of Fundy to small turbine projects

The McNeilgovernment is keen to send the signal Nova Scotia is open for business, and is paving the way for companies that want to test small tidal turbinesto have almost unlimited access to the world's strongest tides.

Bill 29, introduced Thursday by Energy Minister Geoff MacLellan in the House of Assembly, gives companies in the tidal-power business what the minister calls "a new pathway to develop these turbines" in the Bay of Fundy.

The amendment to the Marine Renewable-energy Actwill allow the province to issue tidal demonstration permits anywhere in the Bay of Fundyto companies with turbines able to generate up to fivemegawatts of power.

Legislation currentlyrestrictsturbinesto a section of theMinasPassage.

Five megawatts is equivalent to the powergenerated by two large wind turbines, and tidalcompanies will be able to connect to a power grid and sell energy at a premium price.

The province will only issue permits to a maximum of 10 megawatts worth of overall power generation. Permits will last five years, with the possibility of extensions, but none will last longer than 18 years.

"This will foster innovation by allowing industry to asses new, lower cost devices without long-term commitments," MacLellansaid during a bill briefing.

Devices that can generate more than twomegawatts of power will have to undergo formal environmental assessments, but smaller ones will not.

MacLellan saidthat doesn't mean the environment will be sacrificed in the process.

"Anything that's going to be considered, obviously the environmental assessment has to be spot on," he said."We're not doing any damage to the environment just to develop tidal."

The only grid-connected tidal turbine in the Bay of Fundyrecentlyhas been two-megawatt turbineoperated byCape Sharp Tidal Venture. It was deployed in November and retrieved from the Minas Passage in mid-June so the company could make upgrades.

'Small-scale opportunities'

The turbine has been source of controversy. Earlier this year, a Bay of Fundy fishermen's group, concerned the turbine could cause environmental harm,launched an unsuccessfulbid to have a judge overturn the provincial approval for the project.

Marine Renewables Canada, an industry lobby group,applauded the government's legislation Thursday.

"The Bay of Fundyis recognized as the place for tidal energy development in the world and there's both small-scale opportunities and large scale, so I think it just creates that market for them," said the group's executive director,ElisaObermann.

"Our association has 90 members, both international and Canadian technology developers, and they all have a keen interest for the Bay of Fundy."