Premier Tim Houston stops by with his January column as submitted to media.
2026 is going to be a big year for Nova Scotia.
This isn’t just classic new year’s resolution rhetoric – it’s a prediction based on just how many big projects and initiatives are on the horizon.
We are working to develop Wind West – an offshore wind energy transmission project that could meet about a quarter of Canada’s energy needs.
At the end of April, bids will close for offshore natural gas exploration. Royalties from offshore gas brought jobs and prosperity to Nova Scotia in the past, and can do so again in the future.
By developing our wind, oil and gas, we can stop importing fuel. In fact, there’s so much that we can meet our own needs while selling what we don’t need to the rest of the world.
And we are committed to doing this safely. We are working with Dalhousie University to determine where onshore natural gas can be developed safely and to come up with rules and regulations that will allow us to do so responsibly.
These energy projects will drive our Province forward towards a more prosperous and sustainable future.
Sometimes the pace of government can seem slow. As Premier, I get that. It’s why our government’s motto is “more, faster.”
It can take time to see progress because for any big project, be it a hospital, a highway or Canada’s first offshore wind development, it needs designs, workers to be hired and construction.
Last year we told the world that Nova Scotia is saying “yes” to developing our natural resources. We modernized government policies and officially opened the calls for energy projects to begin.
Too often governments only focus on governing for the short term and it’s easy for politicians to peddle “quick fixes” – but it’s long-term projects like this that will bring good-paying jobs to Nova Scotia. And it’s energy projects like these that bring in the revenue needed to pay for the services we depend on.
I’m optimistic that 2026 is going to be a big year for Nova Scotia as our government unleashes the potential and becomes not only energy secure, but an energy exporter.
Tim Houston
Premier of Nova Scotia