This dataset contains inputs and resultant data layers from the Preliminary Technical Resource Assessment for Offshore Wind in Canada’s Pacific Region completed by CanmetENERGY-Ottawa (CE O). The layers included in this dataset can be used to support early stage offshore wind planning and future decision making in the coastal waters of British Columbia.

The analysis applied an exclusion based methodology to identify areas that met the assigned technical requirements for offshore wind developments for both fixed-bottom and floating offshore wind structures. Five technical constraints were assessed: water depth, annual average wind speed, distance from the coastline, seabed geology compatibility, and Marine Protected Areas (MPAs).

These constraints were sequentially applied across the entirety of Canada’s Pacific offshore waters within the federal marine bioregions present on the west coast, covering approximately 454,000 km².

For each scenario, areas that did not meet the defined technical thresholds were removed from the study area, resulting in spatial layers that delineate technically feasible offshore wind areas.

This dataset represents only a technical assessment. It does not account for economic feasibility, regulatory approvals, Indigenous rights and interests, environmental sensitivities beyond MPAs, or other social and ecological considerations. The data are intended to inform future site specific studies, by initially identifying areas that merit further exploration to determine full suitability before decisions can be made on whether offshore wind will be deployed in the region.

The link to the full report can be found here: https://doi.org/10.4095/g350288