Hydro-electricity in Nova Scotia
Hydroelectricity is a widely used in many parts of the world. In Nova Scotia, it was our first source for our electricity. But our geography and lack of a major river system keeps it from being a major source for us here at home.
Most of our potential freshwater resources have already been developed for hydroelectricity, and, with the exception of the Wreck Cove plant in Victoria County, those plants are small by utility standards.
Currently there are approximately 400 megawatts of renewable hydroelectricity capacity generation in Nova Scotia, forecasting for 2013 an average of about 1,000 gigawatt hours of power annually or about 9% of our electricity supply.
Over time, hydroelectricity from other provinces will play a larger role in Nova Scotia's electricity mix. However, to take advantage of these resources, the transmission system must be expanded and upgraded. Work on expanding our connections is being undertaken through the Maritime Link and the related Atlantic Energy Gateway project.