Lakeshore Advance, 2013-03-20, Page 2020 Lakeshore Advance • Wednesday, March 20, 2013
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ADVERTISEMENT
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f' ■
Farm
ruty News
Gord Potts
Director Business Development
and Project Manager
Grand Bend Wind Farm for
Northland Power Inc.
Canada has 6,500
MW of wind energy
in operation
enough to meet
the annual powc...,
needs of almost :;
two million horrtes.
http://grandbend.northlandpower.ca
Introducing Windfacts.ca
Did you know that by 2016, Canada is on track to have 12,000
MW of wind energy in operation? And that by 2025, wind
energy could meet up to 2o% of Canada's electricity demand?'
Achieving this vision would result in significant benefits:
• Generating $79 billion of investment that will make
Canada's wind energy sector a real player in a $1.8 trillion
global wind industry;
• Creating at least 52,000 high quality, full-time jobs including
many in rural communities;
• Producing $165 million in new annual revenues
for municipalities;
• Adding 55,000 MW of clean generating capacity that
will strengthen our electrical grids and head off potential
power shortages;
• Stabilizing electricity prices;
• Cutting Canada's annual greenhouse gas emissions
by 17 Megatonnes;
• In Ontario, if we successfully implement government's Long -
Term Energy Plan, it is expected that over $313 million will be
paid to landowners in lease payments from the wind energy
sector in Ontario from 2011 to 2018 alone.
Today, Canada ranks ninth globally in total installed capacity.
Currently, we have 6,5oo MW of wind energy in operation —
enough to meet the annual power needs of almost two million
Canadian homes. Canada also experienced the ninth largest
increase in wind installations in 2012, adding 936 MW of new
wind farms in the year when global installed wind capacity
increased by 19 per cent to 282,000 MW.
As the fastest-growing renewable energy source in Canada, and
with wind energy projects currently in development in the Grand
Bend region, it's natural to have questions about wind energy.
To provide answers to these important questions, the Canadian
Wind Energy Association (CANWEA) recently launched
Intelligent energy for a greener planet
by Gord Potts
a new website, Wind Facts — windfacts.ca. The website
provides access to facts, figures, and links to important
resources that aim to help Canadians make educated choices
about their energy future.
Factual information is available on a number of important topics.
Whether you're interested in learning more about how wind
energy works, how it impacts health, the environment, wildlife
or property values, how wind energy is benefitting communities,
or whether or not it is an affordable energy source, you can find
it on the Wind Facts website.
The site is also very interactive. By logging into social media
programs including Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedln, you can ask
the Wind Facts team any questions you have about wind energy.
They will reply to your question and post the response right on
the site.
So far, a number of great questions have been received and
answered, including:
• What effect do wind turbines have on nearby weather
stations/radars?
• How does the cost of building wind energy compare to building
nuclear, hydro or natural gas plants?
• What are some methods being developed to store the electricity
from wind farms when the power isn't required, so it can be
dispatched later on?
If you'd like the answers to these questions, or if you have
any other questions about wind energy, I encourage you
to visit the Wind Facts website and submit your question,
or contact me at grandbend@northlandpower.ca. By
actively participating in the clean energy dialogue, we can
each play our part in ensuring a healthy, sustainable future
for our communities.
' http://www.canw•a.ca/windvision_•.php
Northland Power is an Ontario -based company with over 25 years experience developing,
owning and operating facilities that produce and sell clean and green energy
l
NORTHLAND
POWER