CANADA, March 25 - NOTE: The following is a statement from Premier Tim Houston in response to Hydro-Québec issuing a request for information from offshore wind developers today, March 25; the news release about the announcement is at: https://news.hydroquebec.com/news/press-releases.html

Hydro-Québec sees Nova Scotia as an important player to supply that province with clean energy. It announced plans today to develop an offshore wind strategy that fosters the industry in Atlantic Canada and our Wind West plan.

A key focus of Wind West is getting our wind energy to market, so early interest from large potential buyers helps reduce market uncertainty for developers and investors.

This strengthens the business case for projects and increases confidence that Nova Scotia’s offshore wind industry can move forward at scale.

Hydro-Québec operates one of the largest electricity systems in Canada and is an important gateway to New England customers. We have been in conversation with company representatives for several months and are delighted to see their request for information move ahead today.

This, along with our signed agreement with Massachusetts to work toward Nova Scotia supplying the state with clean energy from our offshore wind, will further bolster developers’ confidence to participate in our call for bids and invest in transmission infrastructure – making Wind West a reality and the cornerstone of Nova Scotia’s burgeoning energy economy.