On Tuesday, Newfoundland and Labrador’s Department of Industry, Energy and Technology announced it would be opening up a call for submissions to nominate “Areas of Interest” that could be used for renewable wind energy projects.
“Areas of Interest” will be located on available Crown lands, and nominations aren’t restricted to any geographic size. While the nominations aren’t competitive, lands will be assessed once the nomination period closes and a competitive land bid process will begin later in 2022.
Parallel to the call for submissions, Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro (NL Hydro) is completing a wind integration study that will determine how much wind generation the province’s current electrical grid can support.
Once nominations are submitted, NL Hydro will assess them for technical viability prior to the start of the land bid process.
Proposals for wind projects must undergo environmental assessments, as well, although the provincial government notes that approval for an environmental assessment will not mean a green light for the project.
“All proposed projects will undergo the province’s comprehensive and rigorous environmental assessment process, which includes an opportunity for the public and interested parties to provide feedback and comments before any decision is made,” says the Honourable Bernard Davis, Minister of Environment and Climate Change.
A Step Forward for Renewable Energy
Tuesday’s announcement follows the end of the province’s moratorium on wind energy development on April 5. It’s a substantial step forward in the province’s 2021 Renewable Energy Plan, which stresses its interest in diversifying their industry base to become “leaders in renewable energy” (an aim undercut by the development of the controversial Bay du Nord project).
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While interest in the nominations has primarily come from corporations (overseas and Canadian), the submissions process opens the door for community energy projects, as well.
“The level of interest in our wind and hydrogen energy potential is indicative of the role we can play in the vital global transition to a green economy,” says Davis. “Technologies such as these will be instrumental in ensuring a sustainable energy future.”
Nominations are open now, and October 1 is the deadline for submissions.
Image credit: 小谢
NFLD has world class wind energy. If a cable is linked to the mainland then they can export massive amounts. Look at the North Penn and around Churchill Falls.