December 1, 2025
Halifax, Nova Scotia
With more than 140 attendees, CanREA’s Fall Connects event in Halifax marked our largest regional meeting yet, bringing together a broad cross-section of Atlantic Canada’s renewable energy and energy storage community for high-impact networking and forward-looking market discussion.
Hosted at Stewart McKelvey, the reception brought together developers, suppliers, utilities, policy leaders, municipal representatives, Indigenous organizations, community advocates and emerging professionals at a pivotal moment for the region’s electricity future.
Highlights from special speakers
The evening’s speakers painted a clear picture of both the momentum and the responsibility facing Atlantic Canada as the region accelerates its renewable energy transition.
Johnny Johnston, President and CEO of the new IESO Nova Scotia, provided an in-depth look at how the organization is rapidly building capacity to guide the province’s future electricity system. He emphasized that despite ongoing volatility in broader North American markets, Nova Scotia is entering a period defined by renewed focus, ambition and long-term purpose in energy planning.
Honourable Seamus O’Regan, Senior Business Advisor at Stewart McKelvey, highlighted that the long-anticipated shift in the electricity market is now fully underway. He noted that Atlantic Canada is entering a defining window for scaling renewable energy, advancing innovative project models and strengthening community-centered development. Years of preparation are translating into concrete momentum, and stakeholders across the region are well-positioned to act.
Honourable Tim Halman, Nova Scotia’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change, reinforced this sense of urgency. He underscored that the conditions for growth are aligned and that Atlantic Canada is uniquely positioned to move quickly on renewable deployment, transmission planning and regional collaboration. He stressed that the region’s potential will only be realized through coordinated, timely action.
Michelle Robichaud, President of the Atlantica Centre for Energy, added an important perspective grounded in regional system realities. She emphasized that Atlantic Canada’s path forward must balance affordability, reliability and climate objectives, three priorities that reinforce one another rather than compete. Robichaud highlighted that regional collaboration, supported by thoughtful planning and a modest amount of firm, flexible capacity, will be essential to ensuring the region can meet its climate goals while maintaining public confidence.
Together, their perspectives underscored several shared themes:
- Nova Scotia’s transition is accelerating as new institutions take shape.
- Maritime provinces face capacity shortfalls beginning in 2026, making coordinated action essential.
- Indigenous participation and equity ownership remain central to responsible development.
- A balanced mix of wind, community and behind-the-meter solar, energy storage and flexible, dispatchable resources will be required to maintain reliability and affordability.
- Regional collaboration is critical to advancing net-zero objectives while keeping public confidence strong.
These insights helped set the tone for a forward-looking and solutions-focused conversation throughout the evening.
A strong community conversation
Over light refreshments, attendees reconnected with colleagues and met new partners, discussing upcoming procurement opportunities, regional transmission priorities, workforce needs, community engagement and the growing role of energy storage across Atlantic Canada.
Atlantic member network meetings
Earlier in the day, CanREA convened its Atlantic member network for a dedicated meeting focused on key developments across Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador. Members received updates on provincial policy, anticipated procurement timelines, emerging supply chain considerations and upcoming work led by CanREA’s policy team.
Working together for Atlantic Canada’s energy future
CanREA extends its sincere thanks to everyone who attended CanREA Connects—Atlantic Canada and contributed to the day’s discussions. The event demonstrated the region’s momentum and the commitment of local, national and international partners working to accelerate wind, solar and energy storage deployment.
We invite all attendees, and those who could not join us, to explore our events calendar for upcoming CanREA events across the country.
Thank you to our sponsors:
