Posted on September 29, 2025
United States President Donald Trump’s ramped-up attacks on green energy will bring more investment to Nova Scotia’s ambitious offshore Wind West project, says Premier Tim Houston.
Trump on Tuesday told world leaders at the United Nations that wind turbines are pathetic and climate change is “the greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world.” He has banned offshore wind development in American waters, and nine already permitted projects are under investigation or have already been paused by the government.
Houston doesn’t seem worried about any investor fallout.
“The president is not an expert that I’m relying on,” he said at the Nova Scotia Offshore Wind R&D Forum. “(Wind West) does not depend on the United States in any way, shape or form. I actually think it’s pushing investors here. There’s lots of capital interested in the industry, capital allocated to the Eastern seaboard in the United States that now needs a home.”
Houston said investors are seeing that Nova Scotia has winds that are the fastest in the world and a solid seabed in fairly shallow water. He also said there’s “a ton” of interest from private capital in Nova Scotia offshore wind.
In July, provincial officials said their goal was to issue a call for development bids by year-end, with a goal of licensing up to five gigawatts of offshore wind energy by 2030, and construction of offshore turbine sites might begin by 2033.
Nova Scotia estimates the initial capital cost of Wind West at around $60 billion. It expects a four per cent royalty from offshore production and is seeking federal investment tax credits and low-interest financing through the Canada Infrastructure Bank.
Houston said he’s been in discussions with Prime Minister Mark Carney about establishing tax credits and financing designed to attract proponents.
“There’s incredible demand for this energy,” he said.
Houston said Wind West would supply Ontario, Quebec and the northeastern states as well as the Nova Scotia market and would give a badly needed boost to a province that ranks last in gross domestic product per capita in North America and is forecasting a record deficit of $1.2 billion for its current fiscal year.
The Canada–Nova Scotia Offshore Energy Regulator is reviewing the Wind West project and Carney earlier this month said it is on the Liberal government’s radar as a potential nation-building project that could be fast-tracked, but requires more advance work to proceed.
Houston pitched the project in June, saying Wind West could produce 27 per cent of Canada’s energy needs if there was vast transmission infrastructure carrying the power westward.
