The minority government of Nova Scotia is positioning itself as a lean, mean, green political machine, a move — and a smart one — designed to bolster its political popularity. Progressive Conservative premier Rodney MacDonald announced in January that his government is backing a project that will test new technology designed to harness tidal power in the Bay of Fundy.

In April, the government issued a progress report on the greenhouse-gas emission targets it set for itself in last year’s new legislation, the Environmental Goals and Sustainable Prosperity Act. And in May, it predicted Nova Scotia will use more green electricity over the next five years, according to a study the government had prepared.

Tidal power is a key player in these plans, and in the political posturing. Hantsport, N.S.-based Minas Basin Pulp and Power Co., an 80-year-old company that makes paperboard out of recycled material, has won the government contract to move forward with a tidal-power pilot project that could transform Nova Scotia into a world leader in this alternative form of energy. (The government is also giving MBPP upwards of $20.7 million for a processing plant that will convert plastic from landfills to biodiesel for heating.)

The tidal project got off the ground when money started flowing in: a $4.7-million grant from the province’s Ecotrust for Clean Air and Climate Change program; a $3-million, zero-interest loan from Calgary-based EnCana Corp.’s Environmental Innovation Fund; and contributions that range from $10 million to $15 million from each of the successful developers. They include Nova Scotia Power, in partnership with Ireland-based OpenHydro (NSP’s parent, Emera, acquired 7.35% of OpenHydro in February for $15.4 million); UEK Corp. of Maryland, which is teaming up with MBPP; and British Columbia’s Clean Current. Nova Scotia will make $300,000 available for environmental and permitting work.

While much of the new technology is coming from outside the province, Nova Scotia has its own history in the sector. In the 1980s, NSP built a demonstration tidal power initiative that is still generating 20 megawatts of electricity on a daily basis; it is one of only a handful of such operations in the world. The new technology is distinguished by its use of underwater turbines, similar in design to wind turbines. This “in-stream” model, as its known, dispenses with the need for building costly dams and plants that capture tidal flows in and out of the Minas Basin. It also reduces negative impacts on the environment; installations are silent and invisible from the surface, there is no oil or other fluid to contaminate the water, and fish do not become entangled in the machinery.

The project will be a first in North America. The Bay of Fundy is considered one of the most optimal locations for harnessing tidal energy: it’s close to existing transmission grids and its tides are the strongest in the world.

Hopes for the MBPP project are high. One of the three turbines that will be tested is designed to generate one million watts of power. If Mother Nature complies, as many as 300 more of these turbines could be put in place, producing enough power to supply the electrical needs of more than 200,000 homes.

Whatever the outcome, however, the government is hoping its green initiative will help give it a majority in the next election, which is likely to be later this year. It’s a savvy tactic in a province that considers itself a leader in environmental measures. IE