Wind power in Canada

Wind power in Canada as of January 2008 amounted to an installed capacity of 1856 MW, [cite web | title=Canada’s Current Installed Capacity | work=Canadian Wind Energy Association | url=http://www.canwea.ca/images/uploads/File/fiche_a_29_janv_08.pdf | format=pdf | accessdate=2008-06-26] with at least another 700 MW of capacity expected to come online by the end of 2008. Wind energy currently accounts for 0.8% of Canada's domestic electricity supply, or roughly 540,000 households.

Overview

Early development of wind energy in Canada was located primarily in Ontario, Quebec, and Alberta. Throughout the late 1990s and early years of the 21st Century, every Canadian province has pursued wind energy to supplement their provincial energy grids. As of August 2007, British Columbia is the only province without an operating commercial wind farm, but BC Hydro (the province's electricity supplier) has currently issued Electricity Purchase Agreements for over 300 MW of wind-powered electricity. A 140 MW windfarm at Bear Mountain, Dawson Creek, is currently being built.

thumb|350px|left|This map shows wind power by province as of January 2008With increasing population growth, wind energy in Canada has been seen as a way to diversify energy supplies away from traditional reliances on fossil-fuel burning thermal plants, and heavy reliance on hydroelectricity in some provinces. In provinces like Nova Scotia, where only 12% of electricity comes from renewable sources, [cite web | title=Nova Scotia Power is generating cleaner, greener energy | work=Nova Scotia Power website | url=http://www.nspower.ca/documents/NSP-Generating%20Cleaner%20Greener%20Energy.pdf | format=pdf | accessdate=2007-12-16] the development of wind energy projects will provide a measure of electricity security that some jurisdictions are lacking. In the case of British Columbia, wind energy will help close the electricity deficit that the province is facing into the 2010s and help reduce the reliance on importing power from other jurisdictions that may not use renewable energy sources.

An additional 2,004 megawatts of wind power is to come on stream in Quebec between 2011 and 2015. The new energy will cost 10.5 cents per kilowatt-hour, a price the utility described as "highly competitive". [ [http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/story.html?id=b130379e-9590-4fe1-8fb3-71b80218dda9&k=17643 Quebec picks 15 wind-power projects] ]

Wind Hybrid Projects

Of potential use in smaller isolated communities not connected to the main power grid are Wind-Diesel and Wind-Hydrogen. One Canadian example is the community of Ramea, Newfoundland and Labrador [ [http://www.ieawind.org/wnd_info/KWEA_pdf/Oprisan_KWEA_.pdf untitled ] ] that initially used a Wind-Diesel system and is now being converted to Wind-Hydrogen technology.

Wind tower manufacture

Canadian industry has started to supply major components for Wind Tower projects, Hitachi Canadian Industries being one example.

Public opinion

In a survey conducted by Angus Reid Strategies in October 2007, 89 per cent of respondents said that using renewable energy sources like wind or solar power was positive for Canada, because these sources were better for the environment. Only 4 per cent considered using renewable sources as negative since they can be unreliable and expensive. [ [http://www.angus-reid.com/uppdf/ARS_Energy.pdf Canadians favour energy sources that are better for the environment] ]

According to a Saint Consulting survey in April 2007, wind power was the alternative energy source most likely to gain public support for future development in Canada, with only 16% opposed to this type of energy. By contrast, 3 out of 4 Canadiansopposed nuclear power developments. [ [http://www.tscg.biz/media/releases/Saint%20Index%20Canada%202007%20Energy.pdf Wind power developments are least likely to be opposed by Canadians – Nuclear power opposed by most] ]

ee also

*Energy policy of Canada
*List of wind farms in Canada
*Science and technology in Canada

References

External links

* [http://www.businessedge.ca/article.cfm/newsID/15746.cfm Renewable energy players opt to network]
* [http://www.canwea.com Canadian Wind Energy Association]
* [http://www.renewableenergyaccess.com/rea/news/story?id=51365 The Great Lakes May Soon be Home to Offshore Wind]
* [http://www.ontario-sea.org/ The Ontario Sustainable Energy Association]