A wind farm in the eastern part of the province has been granted an environmental assessment approval by the Nova Scotia government.
According to the province, construction of the Upper Afton Wind Project in Antigonish and Guysborough counties is slated to begin in 2027 and employ up to 250 people.
It will include up to 28, eight-megawatt turbines that should be operational in 2029.
Electricity from the wind farm will be used for the production of green hydrogen from a plant that is supposed to be built by the Membertou Development Corp. and EverWind N.S. Holdings Ltd.
Once operational, it is expected to employ about eight people, full- and part-time, for about 35 years and generate about $1.5 million in municipal tax revenue each year.
The province says it has modernized its environmental assessment process to “help speed up the province’s transition to clean energy, fight climate change faster, grow the economy and support sustainable development.”
The approval of an environmental assessment earlier this month on the 22-wind turbine Eigg Mountain project in Antigonish County received backlash from animal advocates in the province.
The Moose Conservation Association of Nova Scotia called for stricter guidelines to be written into environmental assessments, including adding monitor collars on the mainland moose population to track migration through development areas.
With files from The Canadian Press
