Electricity: plan Nova Scotia wants to draw 40% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2020. It's a lofty goal. And to meet it, the province must rely on the vision of its developers

In 2005, Reuben Burge set up two wind turbines on his family's farm in rural Nova Scotia. The experience made him wonder: Could this be done on a larger scale? 

Five years later, Burge operates Nova Scotia's largest wind farm - a project heralded as both a financial and environmental success.

Situated on Dalhousie Mountain, not far from his family's homestead in Pictou County, the wind farm consists of 34 tall turbines, which jut out of the densely wooded mountainside.

On a sunny morning last month, only a few of the looming machines were turning - quietly whooshing as a light breeze blew over the site.

"You can't train Mother Nature, you have to live with what the wind is doing," said Burge, pointing at the many turbines on the horizon."That's why we can't pump 100 per cent renewable power into the grid."

A few moments earlier, Nova Scotia's premier, Darrell Dexter, stood at a podium under one of Burge's slowly-spinning General Electric Co. turbines.

Using the wind farm as a backdrop, Dexter unveiled the province's Renewable Electricity Plan, which calls for Nova Scotia to draw 40 per cent of its electricity from renewable sources, such as wind and tidal, by 2020. If successful, the plan would quadruple 2009 renewable energy production.

It's a lofty goal. And to meet it, the province must rely on the vision of developers such as Burge.For Burge, president of RMSenergy Ltd., the idea of building a large-scale wind farm on Dalhousie Mountain took four years to develop.

From the start, he faced many hurdles: securing the necessary funding, passing environmental assessments and persuading his community of the benefits.

"It took a lot of convincing to make landowners and the local community believe it would work," he said.

"But I think the idea that we can do this ourselves is proven on Dalhousie Mountain. We just have to start at the bottom and work our way up.

"The wind farm, which cost $130 million to develop, is owned through a limited partnership between Burge's RMSenergy and Firelight Infrastructure Partners PL.Firelight, backed by one of Canada's largest public pension funds, has invested $100 million into renewable energy projects across North America since 2006, including a 99-megawatt wind project on Prince Edward Island.

The Dalhousie Mountain wind farm, built with a team of 100 workers, has a 25-year contract to supply electricity to Nova Scotia Power, with the electricity set at a fixed price for the duration of the deal.

The farm has a maximum output of 51 megawatts, but usually runs at about 35-40 per cent of full capacity. Over the course of a year, the farm will produce enough electricity to power 17,500 homes.

And despite some of the worst economic conditions in decades, the wind farm was completed on time and on budget late last December.

For the Nova Scotia government, the hope is to see that success copied at other renewable energy sites around the province.

The main goal is to get Nova Scotia off its heavy addiction to imported fossil fuels, such as coal. Currently, about 90 per cent of the province's electricity comes from fossil fuel generation.

The province's renewable energy plan also aims to stabilize long-term power rates. Electricity rates in Nova Scotia have climbed 30 per cent in the last five years, in part because of volatile fossil fuel prices.

As Burge sees it, the province's large renewable energy target will encourage more developments like his.

"Without a plan, developers and financers are very hesitant to put too much time or money into a project. Nobody is going to invest in something if they think it's going to disappear in two years," said the 38-year-old.

"But with a plan in place, it gives us something to work towards. It gives you the confidence to proceed."In fact, Burge already wants to expand his wind farm and increase his renewable energy output.

"It's a hard business. It takes a lot of commitment. To put up more turbines will be equally as complicated and equally as hard, but I look forward to doing it," he said.

"We're going to do everything we can to meet these targets."It will be exciting over the next few years to see how this goes."