Nova Scotia has unveiled an online map to show where wind turbines would be most productive, a move officials say will encourage more wind energy projects.

Yves Gagnon, an expert in renewable energy who led the project, said the map was created using wind measurements and computer modelling, and the result shows a province rich with potential for wind energy.

"Nova Scotia has an exceptional wind regime, one of the best wind regimes in the world, and therefore wind energy should be developed to generate electricity," said Gagnon, who holds the K.C. Irving Chair in Sustainable Development at the Université de Moncton.

The map shows that coastal areas, particularly in northern Cape Breton, are the windiest places in the province.

Energy Minister Bill Dooks said he hopes companies, municipal governments, co-operatives and individuals use the map to find good places to put wind turbines.

"We're very serious about putting these towers in the right place. We want to make people who live in their communities feel comfortable with this," he said.

To do that, Dooks is working with the Union of Nova Scotia Municipalities to find out what other jurisdictions are doing so the province's cities and towns can adopt a consistent set of rules for future wind energy projects.

The provincial government aims to have 20 per cent of all electricity in Nova Scotia generated by renewable resources by 2013.