Canada is expected to almost double the amount of wind projects that were installed in 2010, announced the Canadian Wind Energy Association (CanWEA) on Monday.
Wind developers throughout Canada will be installing about 1,338 megawatts (MW) worth of wind power projects by the end of this year. Canada will have over 5,300 MW of wind power when the projects are completed, that’s enough electricity for 1.5 million homes. Last year 690 MW were installed. The projects from this year are expected to cost about $3.5 billion.
Ontario is leading Canada’s wind power endeavors with an estimated 500 MW of wind power to be brought online by the end of the year. All provinces will be utilizing wind farms in some way this year with the exception of Newfoundland and Prince Edward Island.
“Canada, and in particular Ontario, is emerging as a very competitive destination for wind energy investment globally,” says Robert Hornung, president of CanWEA in a news release.
In May 2009 Canada began its feed-in-tariff (FIT) program as part of Ontario’s Green Energy and Green Economy Act. This program is in partially responsible for Canada’s growing use of wind power as an energy resource.
As described on cbc.com, the FIT program offers a guaranteed long-term pricing structure many times the current market value for electricity for those building wind farms, solar power and renewable biogas projects in exchange for a promise to use a certain portion of Ontario-made components to bolster local manufacturers.
Some of Canada’s trading partners say the FIT program violates international trade laws because it gives an advantage to domestic business. We may see the FIT program discontinued because of the controversies surrounding it.
ClearSky Advisors have estimates that by 2018 Ontario’s wind power projects will gather $8.5-billion worth in investments and over $1.1 billion in revenues to landowners and local municipalities.
That’s all for now,
Cori
