The Ontario Power Authority’s latest RFP for wind power projects has resulted in the OPA awarding 6 new projects, mostly in southern Ontario, that will provide Ontario with another 492.1MW of renewable energy. OPA also estimates that this will create approximately 2,200 jobs both directly and indirectly.
All of the pertinent information is located at the link in the paragraph above. Why this is newsworthy is that all of the provinces are boosting their wind power generating capacity by considerable amounts; and that’s a great thing, because studies I’ve read have shown that Canada is one of the best places in the world to harness the wind. The Ontario Wind Atlas helps prove the point, providing a great visual way to tell where the best places (and how high the towers need to be) in Ontario are.
The Globe & Mail also tells of new projects in Quebec, BC and Manitoba. If all goes as planned in BC in the spring, these 4 provinces combined will have doled out contracts to bring on around 3,800MW of clean, renewable energy in a year. I’d say that’s some decent progress!
I guess the main point here is that, at least on the surface, it would seem that Canada is finally starting to play to it’s strengths. Solar is certainly something that needs to be included, but when we have so much wind (and let’s face it, the great lakes region certainly does), why not use it?
The other good news is that the jobs these help create will certainly be welcome, and somehow I don’t think that the companies will be looking for very long before the right people apply for them with the way the economy is right now.
Thumbnail photo courtesy of .bullish