The winds of change are blowing in Nova Scotia — although it is not quite clear in what direction they are going.

The province has long laboured to rid itself of a reputation for energy inefficiency and environmental disregard. First, there is its overreliance on coal. This, in many ways, is understandable. Coal is easily accessible and relatively affordable, two positive factors in a province not flush with cash.

But in Nova Scotia, coal is much more than an economic issue. It is a political one. The province has a centuries-old, often disastrous history of coal mining and of supporting mines long after they were profitable or safe.

It’s also clear that coal is not eco-friendly. According to a 400-page report released in late 2005 by think-tank GPIAtlantic, Nova Scotia’s heavy reliance on imported coal to generate electricity produces sulphur dioxide emissions per capita that are seven times the Canadian average.

Despite the province’s small population of about one million, Nova Scotia Power is Canada’s fourth-worst air polluter. Out of 29 coal-fired plants in the country, the power company’s Trenton, Lingan and Point Tupper plants were ranked as three of the country’s four dirtiest in acid gas emissions in 2005.

So, it makes sense to look elsewhere for energy. Nova Scotia Power has put a push on for renewable energy and is tilting at windmills, or, more specifically, wind turbines. According to the company, 41 wind turbines are now in place throughout the province, “supporting Nova Scotia Power’s efforts to expand renewable energy as an indigenous resource.”

It’s unclear whether this total includes five turbines that were to be built as part of a $14- million project in Cape Breton. Apparently, the deal fell apart over a $150,000 performance bond. Neal Livingston, owner of Black River Wind Ltd., which had the contract for the six-megawatt initiative, told the Nova Scotia Business Journal that Nova Scotia Power was dictating terms in the absence of a “standard offered contract” similar to the type Ontario uses.

Nova Scotia Power has fired back by stating it would not be fair to other wind energy producers if Livingston was given more time to finalize the deal.

In the end, why the agreement fell apart may not matter. The fact is the project disappeared in a puff of air. (Or, it may be more accurate to say, it disappeared in a cloud of smoke.) Although the bureaucracy of business must be adhered to, the loss of a large wind-energy contract sends out signals of concern.

The provincial government appears to be feeling the public’s unease. Within a few weeks of the wind running out of Black River’s sails, the government stepped up to the press release plate and announced: “Nova Scotia is setting the standard for renewable energy in Canada.”

According to Energy Minister Bill Dooks, almost 20% of Nova Scotia’s electricity will be generated by renewable energy — including wind, tidal, biomass, solar and hydro — by 2013. To bolster that prediction, Dooks has introduced mandatory renewable energy targets “that are some of the most aggressive in Canada.”

The new regulations under Nova Scotia’s Electricity Act will change the electricity market in the province for generations to come, he claims. Specifically, roughly 400 megawatts a day will come from clean, sustainable energy sources, enough energy to meet the needs of more than 100,000 households within the next six years.

Interestingly, about 150,000 homes in Nova Scotia are already powered by energy from renewable sources, according to Nova Scotia Power.

Although all this sounds optimistic — and a tad confusing — the GPIAtlantic study found that the proportion of electricity-generating capacity from renewable sources in the province has actually declined in the past 20 years. (Neighbouring Prince Edward Island, on the other hand, aims to produce 100% of its electricity from wind by 2015.)

Clearly, it’s hard to separate fact from hyperbole. But, certainly, someone is blowing wind. IE