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 future development areas recommended by the Committee for the Regional Assessment of Offshore Wind Development in Nova Scotia. These areas were identified as an interim product during the Regional Assessment process. They do not reflect official offshore wind licencing or development areas. The Committee for the Regional Assessment of Offshore Wind Development in Nova Scotia (Committee) is providing federal and provincial Ministers with information, knowledge, and analysis regarding future offshore wind development (OSW). Their work is intended to inform and improve future planning, licencing, permitting, and impact assessment processes. The Committee is tasked to complete its Regional Assessment Report by January 2025. As part of the terms of the amended agreement set out by the Governments of Canada and Nova Scotia, the Committee submitted an interim report to Ministers on March 22, 2024. This report included the preliminary identification of recommended areas for potential future offshore wind. Based on work completed to date, the Committee has identified areas where offshore wind development is technically feasible (based on available information) and will have the least impact within other offshore users. These areas are preliminary and will be refined throughout the remainder of the Regional Assessment. The offshore wind areas identified by the Committee do not reflect official offshore wind licencing areas. The Committee is providing these areas to Ministers for their consideration, as the offshore wind regulatory process is being established.