Canada's federal government as well as Nova Scotia could announce as early as next week if they will give the environmental green light on more energy development in the area reports the
Canadian Press.
Three companies are now awaiting this announcement which could allow them to install test turbines in the Bay and begin to harvest energy as early as this fall.
Currently there is one tidal power generating station in Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia that generates 20 megawatts of power but that is only one-2000th of the Bay of Fundy's energy generating potential.
As Canada tries to cut back on greenhouse gas emissions the number of tidal power generating stations is expected to increase and Canada has enough tidal power potential, approximately 40 gigawatts, to power most homes in the nation. Most of that potential is in the Bay of Fundy says Natural Resources Canada.
Some marine biologists have environmental concerns. They believe that the turbines that generate the electricity would hurt and kill marine life in the area which could be devastating to the local fishery.
Glen Darou, president and CEO of Clean Current Power Systems Inc., one of the company's waiting on the announcement said in an interview with Canadian press that the blades are not as threatening to larger animals because the tips are covered by a drum and that they make a humming sound so, "Fish and sea mammals will sense that a long way away and they will go around it."
Nova Scotia depends heavily on coal to generate electricity and wants 25 percent of it's energy to come from renewable resources by 2020.
