Nova Scotia Department of Energy and Mines (NSDEM) has released a ‘Request for Proposals’ (RFP) for the assessment of tidal energy benefits to Nova Scotia.
After 10 years of sector development, NSDEM is seeking to revisit initial economic development assumptions in order to identify existing and emerging opportunities for Nova Scotians.
The deadline for submission of proposals is March 25, 2019, Offshore Energy Research Association (OERA) informed.
The Province of Nova Scotia and the Government of Canada are about 10 years into this country’s experiment with tidal energy.
It was believed that being a ‘first mover’ in this new sector would offer many advantages including access to a new renewable energy source, improved energy security, rural jobs and global opportunities for supply chain companies.
The NSDEM has identified a need to take a closer look at what, exactly, is the opportunity that tidal energy may bring to Nova Scotian companies and citizens.
Previous work has been done to capture the value in tidal energy but the slow place of development both in Nova Scotia and abroad has made these studies dated and potentially misleading.
This 2019 study is meant to identify the real benefits to Nova Scotia if the Province continues to invest in early stage tidal development.
With the consultation selection scheduled for April 15, 2019, and in-person presentation for August 28, 2019, the project completion is expected on September 30, 2019.