EverWind pitching up to 404 wind turbines in Guysborough County
Residents question use of energy, environmental impacts of development
A company planning to build a series of wind farms in Nova Scotia is offering more details of its ambitious next phase in Guysborough County, but many residents who attended recent information sessions are skeptical such a big project will ever get off the ground in the area.
EverWind is pitching what could be Nova Scotia's largest wind farm, and recently revealed it hopes to build up to 404 turbines across three locations in the county, which would easily dwarf similar projects elsewhere in the province.
The company hopes to use wind energy to produce green hydrogen and ammonia in Point Tupper, N.S. In addition to the hundreds of proposed wind turbines for Guysborough County, EverWind is first planning to build 80 of the structures — which are up to 125 metres in height with 80-metre blades — at three locations in central Nova Scotia.
Brendan Chard, vice-president of power at EverWind, said there is precedent for the development size, citing examples in Texas and Quebec.
"What we're seeing is that as the technologies developed and become more economic and efficient, that people have started developing larger-scale wind farms," Chard said.
Residents at the open house in Sherbrooke last week said they suspect EverWind will be similar to other area projects that never got off the ground or have stalled, such as the abandoned Goldboro LNG project, a yet-to-open whale sanctuary announced in 2020, and a plan floated 10 years ago by a Chinese firm to build a resort.
'New ball game'
Canada's largest wind farm has 175 turbines and is located north of Quebec City, according to a federal map of commercial operations. The two largest wind farms operating in Nova Scotia have 34 turbines each.
The size of the EverWind project and possible environmental impacts concern Tori-Lynne Evans, who lives in Manassette Lake near one of the Guysborough sites.
"I think a lot of people would support wind farms that are 30 turbines generating power for our grid," said Evans. "This is a whole new ball game."
Evans, like other Nova Scotians, is concerned about the end use of the wind energy.
EverWind anticipates exporting hydrogen and ammonia to Europe. The company is also interested in the domestic market and recently signed a memorandum of understanding with Dartmouth-based Eastward Energy.
"There are sectors of the economy that are very difficult to decarbonize and they're very difficult to electrify," said Chard. "Heavy transportation, shipping, mining, for example, and hydrogen can be used as a fuel for those industries."
The three sites would be connected to the Point Tupper facility through a transmission line crossing the Strait of Canso.
EverWind has installed a meteorological tower at the first site near St. Francis Harbour and Boylston that is slated to hold up to 84 turbines. The company plans to submit an environmental assessment for the first location this summer.
The company is also starting field work at the second site near New Harbour, Larrys River and Goldboro, which could have up to 160 turbines.
The third site — the last to be developed — stretches from areas near Port Bickerton on the Atlantic coast to the inland community of Aspen. Up to 160 turbines are proposed for that area, which straddles the district municipalities of Guysborough and St. Mary's.
EverWind anticipates the three locations will open in phases. Construction could begin in 2026 and all turbines are expected be operational by early 2029.
The company has proposed a similar project in Newfoundland and Labrador, with upward of 450 turbines planned for the Burin Peninsula. That project has yet to clear the environmental assessment stage.
Wardens support project
"Council strongly supports growth and sees new business activity as an opportunity to create local benefits including employment opportunities that may result from wind farm construction and operation," Greg Wier, warden of the St. Mary's municipality, said in a statement.
EverWind estimates the St. Mary's municipality will receive $3.2 million each year in tax revenue.
Meanwhile, the Municipality of the District of Guysborough, where the bulk of the project is located, will receive approximately $14.3 million annually in tax revenue. The municipality has signed a community benefit agreement — promising $1,000 per megawatt of electricity capacity installed — on top of tax revenue.
"I see hydrogen, wind as our fuel in the future," said Vernon Pitts, warden of the Guysborough district municipality. "The province, Canada, the world has to decide. Do we want green energy or do we not want it?"
While EverWind is in discussion with private landowners in the area, the project is located primarily on Crown land.
"I think there's a huge potential for green energy in Nova Scotia and in this part of the province," said Greg Morrow, the MLA for Guysborough-Tracadie, in an interview at one of 11 open houses hosted by EverWind.
EverWind said there will be about 1,000 jobs during construction of the Guysborough County sites and up to 100 permanent positions during the 35-year lifespan of the project.
Scott Beaver, president of the St. Mary's River Association, said the organization does not yet support or oppose the project — which would be the first commercial wind development in the municipality.
"In this day and age, it is important for us to find a balance," said Beaver. "This is definitely a greener project for the area than in the past. We also have to take into consideration the residents that live in the area and the ecological significance of the St. Marys [River] has and provides."
Beaver said the area has seen promises of jobs and tax revenue from industrial developments like Signal Gold's open pit mine in Goldboro, N.S. — a project he opposes due to environmental concerns. The province gave the project the green light in August 2022, but Signal Gold has yet to obtain all the necessary permits.
"We are maybe a little bit jaded," Beaver said. "The company will have to understand that."
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