The federal and provincial governments both announced that they will be making significant investments into a solar garden project being taken on by three Nova Scotia towns.
The towns of Mahone Bay, Berwick, and Antigonish are unique as they all own their own power utility, giving them the ability to pursue new ways to generate electricity. Over the past few years, they have been developing plans to construct a large-scale solar garden that will reduce each town’s carbon footprint.
Today’s funding announcement means work can now start as the $8.9 million investment from the federal government coupled with the $6 million contribution from the province make up a significant portion of the total project cost.
In total it’s estimated the project will cost $22.4 million with the remaining money coming from each of the towns. Additionally, the project is allowing residents of the towns to invest in its construction allowing them to generate revenue from the solar energy collected.
Public announcements were made in both Antigonish and Mahone Bay to celebrate the announcement. Mahone Bay Mayor David Devinee spoke at the event and was pleased to see the project they’ve worked so long on get the green light.
“Along with the other towns and the Alternative Resource Energy Authority, Mahone Bay has a proven track record of tackling the climate emergency,” Devinee said. “The investments in this project fit into our Greenhouse Gas Reduction Action Plan and enable Mahone Bay to take a leadership role among municipalities in solar energy, translating our concern for climate change into positive remedial action.”
The projects will produce energy to power 1,000 homes annually and represent seven per cent of the utilities’ total electrical energy consumption.
Although the situation of these three towns is unique as they own their own utility it’s possible other communities could pursue similar projects. Speaking on behalf of the Federal government at the announcement in Mahone Bay was Minister of Fisheries, Oceans, and the Canadian Coast Guard Bernadette Jordan who suggested other communities should use this as an example.
“We as a government have always made the environment and a priority and we are always willing to work with those who want to as we work towards our goal of net zero by 2050,” Minister Jordan said.
The project will be handled by Alternative Resource Energy Authority (AREA) which is a corporation established by the three towns involved in the project. Previously they have helped build wind turbines, delivery systems, and power storage facilities that have all helped lower the carbon footprint of the communities they serve.
AREA Project Developer Manager Sean Fleming spoke about the importance of a collaborative approach to green energy, “We are thrilled to have all three levels of government investing together in the community solar gardens, this project highlights the unique leadership role that municipalities can play in the clean energy transition,” Fleming said.
Included in the announcement were details about how much power the farms will generate.
- a 2.1 megawatt solar garden in Antigonish that will provide three per cent of the town’s electricity use
- a 1.9 megawatt facility in Mahone Bay that will account for about 16 per cent of the town’s electricity use
- a 4.8 megawatt facility in Berwick that will account for about 15 per cent of the town’s electricity use
The three towns involved are hoping to make history as together they hope to be the first communities in Canada that have net-zero carbon emissions.
