Canadian Atlantic province Nova Scotia has recently given the green light on three commercial wind projects.

Announced on August 2nd by the Nova Scotia Power Advisory, the province’s renewable energy body, the three projects announced include:

■A 78-megawatt (MW) South Canoe wind project in between Chester and Windsor Nova Scotia, which will be run and operated by Oxford Frozen Foods.

■Another South Canoe wind project, this time totaling 24 MW, will be run by Minas Paper Pulp and Power in Lunnenburg County.

■Lastly, a 13.8-MW wind farm near Canso, Nova Scotia, and operated by the Municipality of the District of Guysborough.

The three projects will help bring the province’s wind power capacity to 500 MW, while helping to reach the province’s 25% renewable energy target by 2015. Nova Scotia also plans to have 40% of its energy coming from renewable sources by 2020.

The news was a positive step by officials to create economic investment in the province.

“These large wind projects will result in C$200 million in private sector investments that will, in turn, help us meet our cleaner energy agenda,” said Nova Scotia Energy Minister Charlie Parker in a statement.

“Nova Scotia has one of the best wind regimes in North America,” Parker said. “The wind itself is free, and the cost of building wind farms can be spread over many years. The result is a stabilizing effect on electricity rates,” he said.