Governments Designated Offshore Wind Energy Areas

The federal and provincial governments have jointly identified suitable potential areas for future offshore wind Calls for Bids and possible developments. These designated areas are known as Wind Energy Areas (WEAs).

Background

Governments designated WEAs provide clarity and direction on where: 

  • Future offshore wind Calls for Bids may happen;
  • Future Submerged Land Licences may be issued;
  • Future offshore wind developments may proceed.

The precise location of future offshore wind Calls for Bids, submerged land licences and subsequent wind developments within these WEAs is determined by additional steps within the land tenure and authorization processes.

The process of identifying WEAs began in 2023 when governments appointed an independent assessment committee to undertake a Regional Assessment of Offshore Wind Development in Nova Scotia. The committee’s final report was published in January 2025. Their report identified eight potential development areas separated into two tiers based on “the overall understanding of conditions within each area and uncertainties for potential offshore wind development to take place.”  

In March of 2025, as a further step toward designating WEAs, governments requested public feedback on the five modified Tier 1 areas identified within Regional Assessment of Offshore Wind Development in Nova Scotia final report. This request for feedback was supported by two documents: Offshore Wind Energy Areas Summary and an Offshore Wind Energy Areas Discussion Paper.   

Following this government-led feedback period, on July 29, 2025, governments formally designated four WEAs. These WEAs are French Bank, Middle Bank, Sydney Bight and Sable Island Bank. 

On Tuesday, July 29, 2025, the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Energy Regulator received a letter from Natural Resources Canada and the Nova Scotia Department of Energy to host the maps and shapefile data related to the jointly designated Wind Energy Areas (WEAs). To view the letter, click the document below:

Maps of Governments Designated WEAs

Offshore wind government designated Wind Energy Areas
Offshore wind designated Wind Energy Area - French Bank
French Bank
  • The French Bank WEA is roughly 33 km from the community of Goldboro and 65 km from the port of Sheet Harbour.
  • At its nearest point it is located 20 km from shore and the entire French Bank WEA has water depths greater than 70 m. A decommissioned pipeline route transects this WEA and terminates in the Sable Island Bank WEA.

To download a PDF version of the WEA French Bank, click the link below:

Offshore wind designated Wind Energy Area - Middle Bank
Middle Bank
  • The Middle Bank WEA is located roughly 60 km from shore at its closest point and roughly 120 km from the port of Port Hawkesbury.
  • Based on available data, this area has suitable water depths and surficial geology for offshore wind development, in particular fixed-bottom offshore wind projects, and lies adjacent to a decommissioned pipeline route.

To download a PDF version of the WEA Middle Bank, click the link below:

Offshore wind designated Wind Energy Area - Sable Island Bank
Sable Island Bank
  • The Sable Island Bank WEA is a large area that is approximately 110 km from shore at its closest point. It is conducive to fixed-bottom offshore wind development and lies along a decommissioned pipeline route, like the French Bank and Middle Bank WEAs.
  • There is a 25 km boundary around the Sable Island National Park Reserve to avoid impacts to avian species and other species on the island.

To download a PDF version of the WEA Sable Island, click the link below:

Offshore wind designated Wind Energy Area - Sydney Bight
Sydney Bight
  • The Sydney Bight WEA is relatively close to shore, existing grid infrastructure, and port facilities along the northeastern coast of Cape Breton.
  • The Sydney Bight WEA possesses depths and geological conditions potentially suitable for fixed-bottom or floating offshore wind development and is 25 km from shore at its nearest point.
  • This WEA is intersected by two ferry routes that transit between Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador; the constitutionally mandated North Sydney (NS) to Port aux Basques (NL) route and the North Sydney (NS) to Argentia (NL) route.

To download a PDF version of the WEA Sydney Bight, click the link below:

 

To download Governments Designated Wind Energy Areas shapefile, click here.

 

Next Steps  

With these WEAs being designated by the federal and provincial governments, one or more will be included in future offshore wind Calls for Bids.  
 

Questions?

If you have any questions about the offshore wind land tenure process or the associated public engagement activities, please email info@cnsoer.ca