Study Area defined in the Agreement to Conduct a Regional Assessment of Offshore Wind Development in Nova Scotia. The study area was created by the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada in collaboration with Natural Resources Canada and the province of Nova Scotia.

Study Area defined in the Agreement to Conduct a Regional Assessment of Offshore Wind Development in Newfoundland and Labrador. The study area was created by the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada in collaboration with Natural Resources Canada and the province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Depicts priority area for work under the Regional Assessment of Offshore Wind Development in Newfoundland and Labrador. The Committee for the Regional Assessment of Offshore Wind Development in Newfoundland and Labrador (Committee) is responsible for providing information, knowledge and analysis regarding future offshore wind development (OSW) to inform and improve future planning, licencing and impact assessment processes. The Committee’s mandate is set out in the Agreement to Conduct the Regional Assessment of Offshore Wind Development in Newfoundland and Labrador (Agreement), and includes assessing potential environmental, health, social and economic effects of future OSW. The Agreement includes a broad Study Area. In November 2023, the Committee determined OSW interest in the foreseeable future is more likely within a portion of the Study Area set out in the Agreement. The Committee defined this portion of the Study Area as the assessment's Focus Area. The Committee continues to conduct the Regional Assessment (i.e., present information on existing conditions and consider potential impacts of OSW) within the Focus Area. The Committee's decision to define the Focus Area and supporting rationale is available here: https://iaac-aeic.gc.ca/050/evaluations/document/153431 The Agreement to conduct the Regional Assessment is available here: https://iaac-aeic.gc.ca/050/documents/p84343/147037E.pdf

This geospatial data depicts potential development areas (PDAs) recommended by the Committee for the Regional Assessment of Offshore Wind Development in Nova Scotia. The Committee for the Regional Assessment of Offshore Wind Development in Nova Scotia (Committee) provides federal and provincial Ministers with information, knowledge, and analysis regarding future offshore wind (OSW) development in Nova Scotia. Its work is intended to inform and improve future planning, licencing, permitting, and impact assessment processes. Under the Terms of Reference, the Committee submitted an interim report to Ministers on March 23, 2024. This report included the preliminary identification of recommended areas for potential future development areas (PFDAs) for offshore wind. Based on work completed since the interim report, the Committee issued its final report on January 23, 2025, which included refined development areas, the Potential Development Areas (PDAs). These PDAs are based on technical feasibility (using available information) and have the least impact on other offshore users. It should be noted that the PDAs are recommendations only and do not reflect official offshore wind energy areas.