Cautious approach urged for tidal power development

A cautious approach to tidal energy development and benefits for nearby communities are among recommendations in a report prepared for the province’s Department of Energy.

The report emphasizes that adverse effects on the Bay of Fundy’s billion dollar fishery or on aquaculture should be avoided or minimized.

It also says an energy development strategy should strengthen local community development capacity, through measures such as access to the resource, encouragement of community‐scale technology developments and uses, or revenue sharing.

The Offshore Energy Environmental Research Association (OEER) is scheduled to release a final Strategic Environmental Assessment report to the public today, May 1.

With some conditions, the report recommends the province allow demonstration of a range of tidal in-stream energy technologies in the Bay of Fundy.

The projects would be to determine feasibility, environmental impacts, and effectiveness of mitigation approaches.

OEER’s strategic environmental assessment (SEA) was commissioned by the province, which promised not to proceed with tidal energy development before completion of the report.

However, in January, the provincial government said it had selected three technology candidates to demonstrate tidal devices in the Bay of Fundy. It gave Minas Basin Pulp and Power conditional approval to build the host facility.

The OEER’s draft report noted that marine renewable energy in the Bay of Fundy could play an important role in securing a more sustainable energy supply for Nova Scotia.

But it adds that development of such energy “should not be permitted to outpace our understanding of its effects…and our ability to mitigate them. A cautious approach is essential.”

The province is also advised to make sure it is the owner of tidal energy sites. The report advises the province to clarify in legislation the resource is owned by the Crown.

Although the draft report has been out only a short time and the final report is just being released today, OEER is looking for public response in a series of community forums.

In this area, a forum will be held next Wednesday, May 7, in Cornwallis Room at Annapolis Basin Conference Centre in Cornwallis Park.

The Offshore Energy Environmental Research Association is a consortium of Acadia University, St. Francis Xavier University, Cape Breton University and Nova Scotia Energy.