The Nova Scotia Department of Energy has approved four wind energy projects under its community feed-in tariff (COMFIT) program. The projects include the following:
- a 4.8 MW wind project in Kemptown, owned by Affinity Renewables, a not-for-profit organization owned by the Nova Scotia Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals;
- two 800 kW wind projects in Barney's River, Pictou County, owned by Northumberland Wind Field;
- a 4 MW wind project in Barrachois, Cape Breton Regional Municipality, and a 2.3 MW wind project in Gaetz Brook, Halifax Regional Municipality, owned by Wind4all Communities; and
- a 50 kW wind project on the campus of St. Anne University in Digby County.
The Department of Energy's 2010 Renewable Electricity Plan introduced the COMFIT concept to help provide a secure supply of clean energy at stable prices, build community support for renewable energy projects and create jobs.
More than 25 community groups have submitted more than 100 locally based renewable energy development proposals under the program thus far.
According to the Department of Energy, COMFIT provides eligible groups an established price per kilowatt-hour for projects producing electricity from renewable resources such as wind, biomass, in-stream tidal and run-of-the-river and tidal hydroelectric developments. The FIT rates were established by a utility and review board in September 2011.
Eligible groups include municipalities, First Nations, co-operatives, universities, community economic development investment funds and not-for-profit groups. The province expects 100 MW of installed capacity to be produced through the COMFIT.
