Two organizations, Protect Wentworth Valley and Green Nova Scotia First, respond to the Provincial government regarding the Windy Ridge Wind Power Project Environmental Assessment.

John Woodside for the National Observer reports that the Canadian Gas Association, a fossil fuel lobby group, is under investigation for alleged greenwashing. The fossil fuel industry has secured favourable tax credits and a role for natural gas-derived hydrogen in Canada's energy transition. The federal government has introduced several initiatives to grow the hydrogen sector. These initiatives include an investment tax credit for "clean" hydrogen, a carbon capture and storage tax credit, and a Clean Fuels Fund. Supporters argue that hydrogen can be used in various industries to reduce emissions. Critics believe it is a delay tactic used by the fossil fuel industry. Environmentalists argue that the federal hydrogen strategy undermines Canada’s hydrogen ambitions by not addressing its dependence on fossil fuels.

More than 200 people attended a Pictou County town hall to ask Premier Tim Houston about the 100-turbine Websters Corner wind project Bear Head Energy is proposing for the Blue Mountain area of Pictou County. The Halifax Examiner’s Joan Baxter summarizes the event, the community's concerns, and Premier Houston’s response.

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Award-winning journalist Karin Finkenzeller writes regularly about the green hydrogen projects proposed in Canada and for the German markets; the article appears in Germany's weekly business magazine WirtschaftsWoche and the Halifax Examiner. In this article, Finkenzeller investigates the Germany-Canada energy and hydrogen partnership, which concluded in 2022, and questions the viability of the green-hydrogen economy without government subsidies.

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The Halifax Examiner criticized Tim Houston's Progressive Conservative government's plans for a new "hydrogen innovation program" as “greenwashing” when the government's Law Amendments Committee passed Bill 207, the Electricity Act amendments. The Examiner’s Joan Baxter speaks with experts, including energy coordinator Brenna Walsh at the Ecology Action Centre, who explains, “Though it is encouraging to see the intentions of this government to consider green hydrogen production, we are concerned that this amendment, as written, would open a pathway for other “flavours” [colours] of hydrogen production.”

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On November 29, 2023, Global Affairs Canada's press release about a $125 million loan to EverWind Fuels in Nova Scotia did not mention that it was in US dollars, resulting in $41 million more public dollars than initially believed. Joan Baxter and the Halifax Examiner uncovered the misleading statement about Export Development Canada’s loans to Nova Scotia-registered EverWind Fuels, a private company founded by a New York-based Australian private equity company.

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The Halifax Examiner’s Joan Baxter closely examines and questions Premier Tim Houston's 44-page Green Hydrogen Action Plan to position Nova Scotia “as a world leader in clean economic growth and environmental stewardship” and how the government plans to facilitate green energy production to assist in hydrogen/ammonia production and export. But at what cost?

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In December 2023, the provincial government released Nova Scotia’s Green Hydrogen Action Plan, promoting the province “as a world leader in clean economic growth and environmental stewardship,” says Premier Tim Houston, due to “our world-class natural resources and export capability, clean economy leadership, responsive regulation, and alignment with the Government of Canada’s vision for clean hydrogen.”

However, Green Nova Scotia First, Ecology Action Centre, and others have questions about the province's ability to generate enough wind energy for its own grid and export green hydrogen and ammonia at the same time.

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In December, the Government of Nova Scotia released a Green Hydrogen Action Plan to grow its “green” hydrogen industry. Premier Tim Houston states, “Nova Scotia is poised to be a world leader in the production of green hydrogen, which will help us and our global partners develop our green economies and fight climate change.” The government believes “green” hydrogen has the potential to help Nova Scotia achieve its goal of reaching net zero by 2050, but groups like Green Nova Scotia First, the Ecology Action Centre, and others question the government's position on supporting hydrogen projects over our dependence on fossil fuels.

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In December 2023, Colchester County Council heard remarks from proponents for and against an amendment that would have halted wind turbine development until December 2024. When put to the vote, seven opposed amending the bylaw, and four supported the amendment to pause development. Read Brendyn Creamer’s December 7 article in Saltwire (subscription-based).

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Nova Scotia’s long-awaited climate plan was released on Dec. 7, 2022. The document is detailed on the Government of Nova Scotia's website.

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The Halifax Examiner criticized Tim Houston's Progressive Conservative government's plans for a new "hydrogen innovation program" as “greenwashing” when the government's Law Amendments Committee passed Bill 207, the Electricity Act amendments. The Examiner’s Joan Baxter speaks with experts, including energy coordinator Brenna Walsh at the Ecology Action Centre, who explains, “Though it is encouraging to see the intentions of this government to consider green hydrogen production, we are concerned that this amendment, as written, would open a pathway for other “flavours” [colours] of hydrogen production.”

Click on the image or title to read the full article.