Fundy Tidal Energy: 
Strategic Environmental Assessment

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Climate change, rising energy prices, and declining supplies of fossil fuels means Nova Scotia must consider how to meet future energy needs while protecting the environment. Ocean renewable energy can be generated by harnessing the power of tides, waves or offshore winds. New technologies show great promise, especially for application in the Bay of Fundy, which may be North America’s best location for grid-connected tidal power generation.

Nova Scotia has committed to generate almost 20 per cent of the province’s electricity through renewable energy by 2013. The new Environmental Goals and Sustainable Prosperity Act also sets targets for greenhouse gas emissions. Can the new ocean renewable technologies help us meet these targets without adversely affecting the environment and other resource uses in and around the Bay of Fundy? How could the new technologies best contribute to community and regional economic development?

The Nova Scotia Department of Energy commissioned the Offshore Energy Environmental Research Association (OEER) to carry out a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) process to help answer these questions.

The SEA is an environmental assessment process carried out before decisions have to be made about specific projects. It involved the participation of a wide range of stakeholders and the general public, and resulted in recommendations to the provincial government on whether, where and how to develop tidal energy in the Bay of Fundy.

At the same time, the Province of New Brunswick is carrying out its own tidal energy SEA, and OEER collaborated with the New Brunswick Department of Energy to share information and ideas.