Millions laid out for new large scale community solar gardens in Nova Scotia
The Nova Scotia government is spending $7.5 million to construct the province's first large-scale community solar gardens to be built in Antigonish, Berwick and Mahone Bay.
The community solar gardens will allow utility customers who may not have the ability or means to install solar panels on their personal property, to benefit from renewable solar energy.
“This is a game changer. These projects will make the residents of Antigonish, Mahone Bay and Berwick big players in Nova Scotia’s clean energy future,” Premier Iain Rankin said in a release.
“Nova Scotia is a national leader in fighting climate change, and transitioning to more renewable energy sources, like a solar garden, is a prime example of how community-led projects can have a major positive impact on our environment.”
The new solar gardens will include:
- a 2.1 megawatt solar garden in Antigonish that will provide three per cent of the town’s electricity use
- a 1.9 megawatt facility in Mahone Bay that will account for about 16 per cent of the town’s electricity use
- a 4.8 megawatt facility in Berwick that will account for about 15 per cent of the town’s electricity use
In a release, the province says the three towns aim to be the first net-zero emissions communities in Canada powered by 100 per cent renewable energy.
The solar gardens project will produce energy to power 1,000 homes annually and represent seven per cent of the utilities’ total electrical energy consumption.
The Alternative Resource Energy Authority will lead the project. It was founded in 2014 by Antigonish, Berwick and Mahone Bay to reduce their energy costs and environmental impact.
The authority owns and operates the 10-turbine 23.5 megawatt Ellershouse Wind Farm in Windsor-West Hants.
Construction on the solar gardens is expected to begin in the fall.
The federal government is spending $8.9 million to the community solar garden, while the municipalities are providing $6 million.
The total cost of the project is $22.4 million.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
'It was joy': Trapped B.C. orca calf eats seal meat, putting rescue on hold
A rescue operation for an orca calf trapped in a remote tidal lagoon off Vancouver Island has been put on hold after it started eating seal meat thrown in the water for what is believed to be the first time.
Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
B.C. judge orders shared dog custody for exes who both 'clearly love Stella'
In a first-of-its-kind ruling, a B.C. judge has awarded a former couple joint custody of their dog.
Saskatoon police to search landfill for remains of woman missing since 2020
Saskatoon police say they will begin searching the city’s landfill for the remains of Mackenzie Lee Trottier, who has been missing for more than three years.
Shivering for health: The myths and truths of ice baths explained
In a climate of social media-endorsed wellness rituals, plunging into cold water has promised to aid muscle recovery, enhance mental health and support immune system function. But the evidence of such benefits sits on thin ice, according to researchers.