The following statement was read in the House of Assembly today by the Honourable Andrew Parsons, Minister of Industry, Energy and Technology:
I am pleased today to notify members of the House of Assembly that the Provincial Government is lifting the current moratorium on wind development, creating an opportunity for industrial customers to generate wind energy for their own consumption and wind generation for export.
Speaker, a moratorium on wind development has been in place since 2007 and was a barrier to wind investment and development.
Newfoundland and Labrador has some of the best wind resources in North America. These can be used to power wind turbines and generate electricity for: industrial customers; export through transmission lines; for the production and export of hydrogen/ammonia; and, to supply energy to Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro.
Speaker, my department has been engaged with a number of companies interested in exploring industrial development. By lifting the existing moratorium to enable onshore wind development, we are allowing companies to proceed through an approval process for wind development. Details on this process will be released in the coming weeks.
This compliments the joint announcement today on the expanded mandate of the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Energy Board to include the regulation of offshore renewable energy development, such as offshore wind and clean hydrogen.
Our government launched the Province’s Renewable Energy Plan in December 2021. One of the short-term commitments in the plan was to review the wind moratorium policy on the Island Interconnected Electricity System. This is an initial step in a multi-stage process to enable wind generation in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Speaker, this is a significant move in supporting our transition to a greener economy. This supports government’s focus on working with the private sector to find new export markets for the province’s underdeveloped renewables.
Newfoundland and Labrador possesses valuable and abundant developed and undeveloped renewable energy resources, as well as experience and expertise in the province’s technology and energy sectors. Our renewable energy industry is growing; this news today continues to grow on the experience and economic potential of the sector.