The province has put a lot of effort into becoming a key player in the green energy sector, but the Atlantic Economic Council says it won’t open the floodgates for economic spinoffs.

A new report by the council compared three methods of clean energy hydro electric, natural gas, and wind turbines.

Senior Researcher Patrick Brannon says out of all methods, offshore wind development is seen as the most beneficial to local economies.

With onshore wind developments, there is less local spending because most of the turbines and infrastructure is built by international suppliers. Offshore wind developments, like what has been proposed for areas in this province, are different because a bulk of the work has to done at the project site.

To get the most economic payout on clean energy developments, Brannon says government needs to ensure they aren’t falling behind.

Brannon says there are large international companies waiting to get work underway in Atlantic Canada and any further delays to starting a development is only going to hurt the potential economic benefit.