Abstract
This Roadmap and Action Plan is a key deliverable associated with the Atlantic Canada Offshore Wind Grid Integration and Transmission Study1 led by Net Zero Atlantic (NZA) to identify the next steps for the development and integration of offshore wind and associated transmission infrastructure in Atlantic Canada. This report was developed by Stantec, and is informed by engagement with the project sponsor, NZA, additional input from subcontractor E3 based on the modeling they performed, and the technical and project management committees supporting this work. The overall objective of the Atlantic Canada Offshore Wind Grid Integration and Transmission Study is to develop a collection of reports evaluating the technical and market considerations associated with integrating over 1GW of offshore wind into Atlantic Canada’s grid.
The development of offshore wind in Atlantic Canada presents a significant opportunity to foster an emerging sector capable of delivering clean energy and economic benefits to the region. Since 2024, steady progress has been made in developing the frameworks and policy structures to support the offshore wind industry. The July 2025 announcement of the first Governments Designated Offshore Wind Energy Areas (French Bank, Middle Bank, Sable Island Bank, Sydney Bight) in Nova Scotia2 was a critical first step to identifying where the first offshore wind projects could be located.
Outside of the Atlantic Canada Offshore Wind Grid Integration and Transmission Study there has been significant work in the region and other organizations and frameworks that have been created that are contributing to the future development of offshore wind. This roadmap acknowledges an inexhaustive list of organizations, regulators or frameworks in place that have already established contributing mandates that could support offshore wind development:
- The Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Energy Regulatory and the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Energy Regulator are established to provide regulatory direction to all offshore energy development in each of the respective provinces.
- The Maine & Atlantic Technical Planning Committee (MATPC) is an existing and currently functioning technical committee that meets to discuss items of common technical interest and practice.
- Marine Renewables Canada has issued multiple reports that have assisted in informing the current state or next steps required for certain elements of offshore wind development and some actions within this report are informed by publications from Marine Renewables Canada.
- The Northeast Grid Planning Forum is a cross-border non-partisan advocating for interregional planning and market alignment for investing in clean electricity infrastructure across the Canadian and American Northeast. Their publications have informed initial steps and requirements for development of infrastructure that could support offshore wind.
- The Atlantic Energy Collective is a pan-Atlantic initiative that brings together governments, utilities, industry participants, and other stakeholders to support dialogue on the future of the Atlantic Canadian energy system. Through its analytical work, the Collective has worked to advance shared understanding of regional electricity system need, interprovincial coordination challenges, and transmission investment considerations relevant to offshore wind development.
There is value in considering how offshore wind deployment scenarios and associated transmission system impacts may unfold across the Atlantic region over time. Building on the techno‑economic assessment completed in earlier phases of the Atlantic Canada Offshore Wind Grid Integration and Transmission Study, this Roadmap and Action Plan translates those findings into a set of sequenced recommendations and actions to support the continued integration of offshore wind in the region.