Question Period Note: Marine Renewable Energy Development

• Canada is committed to investing in clean growth, innovation, and emerging forms of renewable energy.
• Under the Blue Economy Strategy, Fisheries and Ocean Canada will continue to work with provinces, territories, other federal departments and the marine renewable energy industry to support projects and technology which advance this sector while ensuring the protection of our fisheries resources and aquatic species at risk.
• I will be hosting a virtual roundtable on the role of marine renewable energy in Canada’s Blue Economy on XXXX to learn about the opportunities and challenges facing this emerging sector.

• Marine renewable energy, including tidal power and offshore wind, is still an emerging industry in Canada. Only a few tidal projects having produced grid connected energy and no offshore wind projects have reached the stage of being grid connected.
• DFO is hosting a series of virtual roundtables on Canada’s Blue Economy and one was initially scheduled for marine renewable energy on March 18, 2021 but has been rescheduled for XXXXX.
• As stated in the Blue Economy Strategy, future development of ocean-based energy projects must consider the impact that they may have on marine species and habitats, the rights of Indigenous peoples, and the surrounding environment to avoid undermining other economic and environmental objectives and reconciliation.
• DFO plays an important role in the environmental assessment and regulatory review processes for projects that have the potential to impact fish and fish habitat in Canada, including marine renewable energy projects.
• Most marine renewable projects would require a review under the Fisheries Act and Species at Risk Act for potential impacts to fish and aquatic species at risk.
• For tidal projects, there is an absence of information to both predict and monitor for impacts to fish and aquatic species at risk as most instream tidal projects (tidal turbines which do not impound water) have only operated for a very limited time before failing or being removed.
• Maritimes Region’s Fish and Fish Habitat Protection Program has been working with the Province of Nova Scotia and the tidal energy sector on marine renewable energy projects and continues to support a phased approach to tidal energy development that balances technology demonstration with effects monitoring and research. However, this approach is viewed by some in the industry as a barrier to development.
• DFO continues to support a staged approach to tidal energy development based on a developer’s ability to demonstrate that the project can be operated in a manner that is consistent with DFO’s mandate and objectives.

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