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Wind Energy
Wind Energy Sets Global Growth Record in 2007 - Canada Expects a Record Year for New Installations in 2008
OTTAWA - As another global record was set in 2007 with the installation of 20,000 MW of new, emission-free wind power, Canada's total installed capacity grew to 1,846 MW with the addition of 386 MW of new wind energy projects, its 2nd best year ever. Wind energy now produces enough electricity in Canada to meet the needs of 560,000 homes. The North American market experienced the strongest growth globally in 2007, with more than 5,200 MW of new wind energy capacity installed in the United States alone.
Canada currently ranks as the world's 11th largest nation in terms of
installed wind energy capacity. With an anticipated minimum installation of
another 800 MW in 2008, representing well over $1.5 billion in investment,
Canada is poised to set a new record for annual installed wind energy
capacity. These 2008 installations have already begun with the commissioning
of Sky Generation's 10 MW Ravenswood project in January. This project is the
first to be constructed under Ontario's Renewable Energy Standard Offer
Program.
"Wind energy must be a key component of any Canadian strategy to address
climate change and Canada has still only scratched the surface of its massive
wind energy potential," says Robert Hornung, President, Canadian Wind Energy
Association (CanWEA). "Although wind energy is growing rapidly in Canada,
other countries continue to view wind energy as a strategic resource and are
moving much more quickly to support its deployment. If Canada is to become a
'global clean energy leader' and capture the multiple economic and
environmental benefits of wind energy, federal and provincial governments must
start to "think big" about wind energy and make it a core element of their
future energy development strategies."
Provincial governments are currently seeking to put in place a minimum of
12,000 MW of installed wind energy capacity by 2016. This would meet 5% of
Canada's total electricity demand in that year and result in more than
10,000 annual person years of employment by that date. While this represents
rapid growth, countries like Denmark, Germany, Spain, Ireland and Portugal
already receive between 5 and 20 percent of their electricity from wind energy
and have more aggressive targets in place.
Wind energy produces no air pollution or greenhouse gas emissions. In
addition to its environmental benefits, wind energy delivers substantial
economic benefits to rural communities through investment and job creation,
lease income for landowners, and a new tax base for municipal governments.
View a map of some Canadaian wind farm installations missing Southern Ontario
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