Trudeau announces $255M for clean energy in Nova Scotia

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced up to $255 million in new spending on clean energy Thursday morning in Halifax, money the government says will power hundreds of thousands of homes and create hundreds of new jobs in Nova Scotia.

The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said in a news release that $125 million of the funds will be dedicated to new wind power projects.

"New wind energy projects will provide clean power to around 350,000 homes in Nova Scotia, create hundreds of good jobs, and deliver benefits to local Indigenous communities, including jobs and training," it reads.

The remainder of the funds, $130 million, will go to four battery sites across the province that will store clean energy.

"With this investment, Nova Scotia will have one of the largest battery systems in North America," the release says.

The government announced earlier this year a goal of reaching net zero electricity emissions by 2035.

Canada has also committed to a Paris Agreement target to reduce its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 40-45 per cent of 2005 levels by 2030, and to reach net zero emissions by 2050.

Canada Energy Regulator figures say in 2019 51 per cent of Nova Scotia's electricity was powered by coal.

"This is an investment we're making in the future of Nova Scotia, by recognizing the work that has been done but needs to continue to be done on greening the grid here," Trudeau said at the announcement.

"We're very, very excited about the hundreds of jobs that will be created, the hundreds of thousands of homes, and how we're moving about building a stronger future for everyone."

The PMO's release says the projects are part of a competitive federal and provincial process, and exact funding amounts and allocation are not final until the process is complete.