Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston is heading to Virginia this week to promote investment opportunities in the province’s growing offshore wind sector.
Houston will serve as a keynote speaker at the Oceantic Network’s 2025 International Partnering Forum, which runs from April 28 to May 1 in Virginia Beach. The event is considered the largest offshore wind and ocean renewables conference in the Americas, drawing thousands of industry professionals from around the world.
“Nova Scotia is open for business, and there are countless opportunities for us to be more self-reliant and grow our economy in key areas like wind energy,” Houston said in a statement. “We’re blessed with incredible onshore and offshore wind speeds that we can use to our advantage with partners who invest in our wind sector, provide good-paying jobs for hard-working Nova Scotians, and deliver clean energy that can create export opportunities and power our domestic needs.”
During the conference, Houston plans to share Nova Scotia’s strategy for building an offshore wind industry, showcase existing partnerships, and stress the importance of strong U.S.-Canada collaboration in developing clean energy markets.
The province is preparing to open the first call for bids on offshore wind development later this year, with a target of licensing five gigawatts of offshore wind capacity by 2030. Houston’s office notes that Nova Scotia’s offshore wind sector is projected to become a $4.6-billion industry within seven years.
Offshore wind is one of the fastest-growing energy sources worldwide, and Nova Scotia’s location — with consistent wind speeds and access to a large continental shelf — gives it a competitive advantage, according to the province.
Liz Burdock, President and CEO of the Oceantic Network, welcomed Houston’s participation, saying, “Cross-border partnerships like these are already delivering results and will be critical to the development of our supply chains, developers, and our shared energy future.”
The delegation includes Houston, Chief of Staff and General Counsel Nicole LaFosse Parker, and Kim Doane, Executive Director of Energy Resource Development at the Department of Energy.
