Massachusetts and the Canadian province of Nova Scotia issued a joint request for information on November 12, 2026, asking developers and others how offshore wind farms off Nova Scotia could deliver power to New England. The request is non-binding, and responses are due December 31, 2026.
Key points
- The request for information (RFI) was issued on November 12, 2026, by three Massachusetts agencies and the Nova Scotia Department of Energy.
- Connecticut, Maine, Rhode Island and Vermont are coordinating on the RFI as participating states.
- It asks about two delivery routes: a direct subsea high-voltage direct current (HVDC) cable to New England, or power wheeled through New Brunswick or Québec.
- Responses are due by 5:00 p.m. Eastern time on December 31, 2026, and are limited to 15 pages.
- Nova Scotia plans to offer licences for up to 5 GW of offshore wind in its first call for bids, with further calls for up to 10 GW more.
What the Massachusetts-Nova Scotia RFI asks
The RFI was issued by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, the Department of Energy Resources and the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, together with Nova Scotia’s Department of Energy. Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston and Massachusetts Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper announced it at the New England-Canadian Business Council’s annual energy conference in Boston.
The questions fall into three groups:
- Generation: market interest, realistic project sizes and technology, Nova Scotia’s call for bids and permitting, ports, supply chain, the Jones Act and the workforce.
- Delivery and transmission: the feasibility and permitting of a direct HVDC cable or of wheeling power through neighboring provinces, possible grid connection points in New England, and how a project could comply with or benefit from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s Order No. 1920.
- Cross-cutting issues: how generation and transmission could be procured and contracted, how risk would be shared, the role of energy storage, and effects on the environment and fisheries.
The document uses a single HVDC link of 1,200 MW or more as a hypothetical example, but it sets no capacity target. Invited respondents include developers, utilities and grid operators, ports, labor groups, researchers, environmental and fisheries groups, and tribal and First Nations groups.
The parties state that the RFI is not a request for proposals and does not commit them to any procurement, call for bids or delivery model. Responding, or not responding, does not affect eligibility for any future process.
How it fits the Massachusetts-Nova Scotia partnership
The state’s announcement calls the RFI an early step under the memorandum of understanding that Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey and Premier Houston signed in February. The RFI describes that memorandum as a three-year framework, and the Nova Scotia government dates the agreement to February 4, 2026. “We need more affordable, reliable energy, and that’s going to take working with our neighbors,” Healey said in the state’s announcement.
Nova Scotia says its offshore wind resource could power about a quarter of Canada’s electricity needs. Under its plan, called Wind West, the province wants to deliver that power to Ontario, Québec and possibly the northeastern United States, which would require new transmission. The Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Energy Regulator is preparing a call for bids for submerged land licences, according to the RFI, which does not give a date for it.
Why it matters
Massachusetts officials present the partnership as a way to bring down energy costs. In the state’s announcement, Healey says the work could lower energy costs, strengthen the energy supply and create jobs in port communities, but the release gives no estimate of savings for ratepayers.
The effort is regional: the RFI says responses may be shared with Connecticut, Maine, Rhode Island and Vermont to inform their future policy, planning, regulatory or procurement work. Our guide to wind energy pros and cons explains the trade-offs of the technology.
What’s next
Responses are due by December 31, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. Eastern time. The Massachusetts and Nova Scotia parties say they will use the input to inform Nova Scotia’s offshore wind program and Massachusetts’ electric sector planning and procurement; they have not announced a date for any procurement.
Sources
- Massachusetts and Nova Scotia Take Next Step to Advance Atlantic Offshore Wind and Transmission Partnership — Commonwealth of Massachusetts, November 12, 2026
- Massachusetts-Nova Scotia Offshore Wind Request for Information — Massachusetts EEA, DOER, MassCEC and Nova Scotia Department of Energy, November 12, 2026
- Offshore wind — Province of Nova Scotia
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