In 2007 the Nova Scotia Department of Energy commissioned the Offshore Energy Research Association of Nova Scota (OERA) to complete a Phase I Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) to guide the development of tidal energy in the Bay of Fundy. Since that time, the tidal energy industry has evolved in Nova Scotia; consequently OERA commissioned this Phase II SEA Update to accomplish two primary objectives:

1. Describe the contemporary state of the tidal energy industry both regionally and globally; and,

2. Present the current scientific and community knowledge base on this subject in the Bay of Fundy.

Since 2008, two fundamental changes have occurred in the tidal energy industry that will affect projects developed in Nova Scotia. First, proponents of the most advanced technologies are now seeking sites that can host arrays of turbines for commercial purposes, rather than individual sites for demonstration of their technologies. Second, the industry has evolved large devices to serve utility-scale transmission projects, as well as smaller units suited to community-scale distribution projects. The provincial Department of Energy has supported this development through the introduction of the Decelopmental FIT and COMFIT programs, which offer power producers fixed prices for the electricity produced. These different project types and supporting regulatory incentives offer a number of opportunities for the Nova Scotia marine industry and the skilled services and technologies that support this industry.

Since 2008, monitoring and site investigations near the FORCE site in Minas Passage and elsewhere in Minas Channel have provided a much more complete understanding of critical subject areas that were not well know in 2008.