In a legal twist, Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia are using the Impact Assessment Act — or the dreaded Bill C-69 — to make amendments to the Atlantic Accords that gave them control over offshore oil resources to include offshore renewable energy..The proposed amendments to the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Resources Accord Implementation Act and the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Atlantic Accord Implementation Act will change the respective names of the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board and the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board to the ’Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Energy Regulator’ (CNSOER) and ‘Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Energy Regulator’ (C-NLOER)..In addition to establishing new authorities to support Ottawa’s marine conservation agenda, each will be granted new powers to regulate offshore renewable energy projects such as floating windmills and subsea tide turbines. .In a statement, Natural Resources Canada said the legislative changes would improve alignment between the previous accords and the Impact Assessment Act — which Albertans call the ‘no new pipelines act’ — to “ensure a clear, consistent and predictable regulatory regime in federal–provincial jointly managed offshore areas.”.Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson made the announcements along with representatives of each province in Ottawa Tuesday..The irony is Newfoundland is supporting Alberta’s C-69 challenge to the Supreme Court, which was heard in March. Nova Scotia is only one of two provinces, along with Prince Edward Island, that haven’t joined the cause..It would mark the biggest changes to the original Atlantic Accords since they were signed under former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney in 1985. The deal was widely credited with giving the green light to the massive Hibernia oil field off Newfoundland and the Sable Island natural gas field off Nova Scotia..Now, the provinces and federal government are looking to attract some $1 trillion in global investment by 2040. .In a statement, Wilkinson said the amendments would also enable Canada to make good on commitments to allies such as Germany to provide reliable, clean power.."Canada has enormous potential to become a global supplier of choice for clean energy and technology; these amendments to the Atlantic Accords will help us realize that potential. The amendments to the Accord Acts are a necessary step in enabling Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia to effectively pursue the economic opportunity presented by offshore renewable energy generation and associated opportunities, including hydrogen production.".Added Andrew Parsons, Newfoundland’s minister of Industry, Energy and Technology: "We are pleased the federal government is moving forward legislative amendments to modernize the Accord Acts to enable new clean energy opportunities, grow the economy and protect the environment. This is consistent with our government's commitment to achieving net zero by 2050.”.For his part, Timothy Halman, Nova Scotia’s environment and climate change critic said his province “has some of the most ambitious climate change goals in the country and needs modern, forward-looking solutions to achieve them. We look forward to making similar amendments to our provincial legislation once the federal changes are complete."
