Canadian province launches second renewable procurement round

Nova Scotia has opened a second round of its Green Choice Program, a system that lets large electricity users — public institutions and big industrial or commercial customers — buy renewable power generated in the province. The province is seeking about 350 MW of new renewable capacity, enough to supply 1,200 GWh of electricity a year. Bidding opened September 10 and closes January 14, 2027, with winning projects chosen by May 2027.

This program is mainly for large organizations, not individual homeowners, since selected developers sign 25-year contracts with Nova Scotia Power, the province's utility. The utility recovers those contract costs through its regular rate base, meaning the cost is spread across its overall electricity rates, while the large customers who opt into the program pay a separate, capped fee. The first round of this program, launched in 2023, picked two wind projects worth 262 MW, expected to come online by the end of 2028, at prices between about 64 and 66 Canadian cents per kWh (roughly 4.6 US cents). This new round is technology-neutral, but public discussion has focused mostly on wind power again.

The bigger picture: this procurement is part of Nova Scotia's Clean Power Plan, which aims for 80 percent renewable electricity and the end of coal power by 2030. The province wants close to 2,000 MW of new wind, solar, and battery storage by then. For homeowners in Nova Scotia, this doesn't create a new rebate or program to sign up for directly, but it does mean more renewable power is being added to the grid that supplies your home over the next few years.