New Wind Farm Will Fight Climate Change, Create Jobs

Press Release

January 27, 2025

Environment and Climate Change

A new wind farm will make more clean, low-cost energy in Nova Scotia, creating jobs, stabilizing power bills and helping fight climate change.

The Melvin Lake wind farm has received its environmental assessment approval to proceed. It is owned by ABO Energy Canada and the Eskasoni, Potlotek, We’koqma’q L’nue’kati and Wagmatook First Nations. It will be located on private land in Hants County and Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM).

“If we are serious about addressing climate change and greening our grid we need to build our green energy sector faster,” said Timothy Halman, Minister of Environment and Climate Change. “That means we need to get our natural resources out of the ground faster while still holding companies accountable for being responsible environmental citizens and complying with our environmental laws and regulations. Today, ABO Energy has received environmental assessment approval for the Melvin Lake wind energy project, which will help lead Nova Scotia forward as a global leader in green energy, while also creating good jobs for Nova Scotians.”

The Melvin Lake wind farm is part of the Green Choice Program, which provides large-scale energy customers with clean electricity. These customers include government offices, hospitals, schools and universities, and some large industrial and commercial businesses.

The Melvin Lake wind farm will:

• together with the other Green Choice wind projects, lower Nova Scotia’s carbon emissions by at least eight per cent, the single-largest greenhouse gas reduction in the province’s history
• move Nova Scotia four per cent closer to reaching its goal of 80 per cent clean energy by 2030; together with other Green Choice wind farms and Nova Scotia’s 2030 Clean Power Plan actions, it will get the province to 78 per cent clean energy by 2028
• create about 75 to 125 construction jobs and two to five full-time jobs over the lifetime of the project
• once operating, flow about $1 million total in tax revenue each year to the Municipality of East Hants and HRM combined
• generate enough green energy to power the equivalent of 51,520 homes
• have to comply with 59 terms and conditions to protect the environment and human health; adhere to all federal and provincial laws which protect drinking water, wildlife, species-at-risk, worker safety, human health and the environment; and comply with all applicable municipal zoning requirements and bylaws.

Quotes:

“This is a major accomplishment for the team and our second wind project environmental assessment approval this year. We look forward to contributing to the clean energy transition in Nova Scotia.”
— Sean Fleming, Managing Director, ABO Energy Canada

Quick Facts:

• Melvin Lake is the second Green Choice project and the 14th onshore wind energy project since 2021 to receive environment assessment approval
• ABO Energy Canada received environmental assessment approval for its Rhodena wind project in Inverness County, also a Green Choice project, on January 6
• these 14 wind projects, once operational, will generate the equivalent amount of energy to power about 547,000 homes
• the Green Choice Program is part of Nova Scotia’s commitment to fight climate change; see Action 34 in Our Climate, Our Future: Nova Scotia’s Climate Change Plan for Clean Growth
• Nova Scotia’s legislated greenhouse gas reduction targets are to be at least 53 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030 and to achieve net zero by 2050

Additional Resources:

Melvin Lake wind project: https://www.aboenergy.com/ca/company/projects/melvin-lake-wind/index.php

Environmental assessment approval for Melvin Lake wind project: https://novascotia.ca/nse/ea/Melvin-Lake-Wind-Project

Green Choice Program: https://novascotia.ca/green-choice-program

Environmental Goals and Climate Change Reduction Act: https://nslegislature.ca/sites/default/files/legc/statutes/environmental%20goals%20and%20climate%20change%20reduction.pdf

Our Climate, Our Future: Nova Scotia’s Climate Change Plan for Clean Growth: https://climatechange.novascotia.ca/sites/default/files/uploads/ns-climate-change-plan.pdf

Nova Scotia’s 2030 Clean Power Plan: https://beta.novascotia.ca/sites/default/files/documents/1-3582/nova-scotia-clean-power-plan-presentation-en.pdf

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