Information for the General public of nova scotia

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This webpage has been provided for members of local communities who have a low-impact renewable electricity project proposed near them. It explains how to best engage with the Rate Base Procurement, the role of Coho (formerly Customer First Renewables), and who to contact if you have any questions or commentary regarding a proposed renewable energy project.       

The Procurement Administrator (PA) and the Department of Natural Resources and Renewables have also compiled a list of Frequently Asked Questions, which can be found on the Public FAQ page.        

Engaging with Rate Base Procurement Projects:    

Members of the local community near a potential project and the general public are encouraged to engage with the Rate Base Procurement in the following ways:       

1) Participate directly in a Proponent's community engagement activities:     

Proponents are required by the PA to engage with communities local to their proposed project (see RFP Section 6.3.1 Engagement with the General Public for details).  The best way to have your voice heard is to participate in these engagement opportunities and by contacting the Proponent directly. Asking questions, reviewing materials provided, raising concerns, requesting specific information or specific accommodations are an important part of the project’s development process. At a minimum, Proponents must publicly post contact information and Project information within 30 Business Days of the RFP Date of Issuance (by mid-March).   

2) Provide commentary to be reviewed by the PA as part of the RFP scoring:    

If you are a member of the general public and would like to provide comments regarding a specific proposed project for the Rate Base Procurement, you can do so by emailing wind.info@novascotia.ca. If you would like your comment to be considered with respect to the scoring of a specific proposed project, we request that you make clear which proposed project you are commenting on by providing us with the name of the developer if known, if not, then the community or location where the project is proposed to be built. If you would like your comments to be considered for the evaluation of Proposals by the PA, kindly send your comments by the Proposal Submission Deadline (May 11, 2022).       

Comments sent to wind.info@novascotia.ca by the Proposal Submission Deadline will be gathered, anonymized, and forwarded to the PA. Any personal information (e.g. your name or your email) submitted as comments through this process will be kept private and confidential. Your comments will be used by the PA to conduct additional due diligence on the materials submitted by project developers (referred to below as Proponents).       

The PA will use these comments to evaluate the following Minimum and Scored Criteria related to engagement with the general public. 

 For a proposed project to be eligible to participate in the RFP, they are required to have:   

• Publicly posted contact information and Project details in a way that is easily accessible to the general public by 30 days after the RFP Date of Issuance (mid-March) 
• Identified a lead contact for questions and feedback   
• Provided opportunities for comment and feedback prior to the Proposal Submission Deadline  (early May)
• Ensured information distributed to the general public is accurate, current, and accessible in multiple channels (including a non-internet channel)   
• Demonstrated engagement with the Mi'kmaq of Nova Scotia in proximity to the project site   
• Demonstrated evidence of an understanding of the principles of engagement in the Proponents Guide: The Role of Proponents in Crown Consultation with the Mi'kmaq of Nova Scotia      

Proposed projects may be eligible for additional points if they:   

• Have conducted a range of activities to facilitate effective and efficient dialogue with members of the general public   
• Are not the subject of substantial local opposition   
• Can demonstrate examples of how the Proposal has evolved to address feedback received from the general public    
• Produce letters of support from local governments and/or local groups (including a community liaison committee   
• Can demonstrate robust engagement with the Mi'kmaq of Nova Scotia in proximity to the project site   
• Can demonstrate examples of how the Proposal has evolved to address feedback received from the Mi'kmaq of Nova Scotia     

 The Procurement Administrator will review materials provided from the Proponent as well as commentary provided by members of the general public to conduct due diligence for the purposes of evaluating proposed projects.       

3) Participate in the project's Environmental Assessment process    

If a project is selected through the competitive bid process, an Environmental Assessment will be conducted and applications made for any other regulatory approvals, permits or authorizations the project may need. During the Environmental Assessment there is an in-depth public consultation process where you can formally submit comments on the proposed project.