Blowing up a storm

The government made the same offer a few years ago for another 2,000 megawatts of power and accepted 15 projects across Quebec worth $5.5-billion.

By promising jobs, investments and a cut of the profits, the Quebec government helped appease opposition in many communities and allowed the penetration of wind farms in regions that had been reluctant to accept the projects.

"Ontario is now looking closely at what we've done here in Quebec," said Daniel Deschênes, director of energy production at the Quebec Ministry of Natural Resources. "Just look at the Gaspé region. We helped revitalize a region by helping to establish a new industry. And now Quebec has become a gateway for others."

Renewable energy company SkyPower Corp.'s president, Kerry Adler, said some government regulations can actually attract developers.

His company has launched wind-power projects in Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia and Ontario, and he has welcomed the proposed changes by the Ontario government because they make parameters clear for developers.

He said the Ontario government has taken steps toward listening to critics of wind-power projects, and now it's the opponents' turn.

"If I had a choice of having 100 wind turbines in my backyard [and it meant] a small blight of my view, or not being able to see out my backyard because we have so many emissions out there, I'd choose the wind turbines," he said. "At the end of the day, you've got to find the middle of the road."

****

'ECSTATIC' AT THE EX

An ambitious plan for two windmills in Toronto is in jeopardy after proposed Ontario government regulations were released yesterday.

If approved, the rules would require wind turbines to be located at least 550 metres away from homes, compared with 250 metres proposed by the city's electrical utility and a community green power co-operative.

"At first glance ... we may not be able to install any more machines there," said Joyce McLean, director of strategic issues for Toronto Hydro, which operates one wind turbine at the proposed site at city-owned Exhibition Place on Lake Ontario.

Last month, the board of Exhibition Place approved leases for the two turbines. Even before yesterday's proposed regulations, however, Toronto Hydro and its partner were not set to make a decision until this summer.

Deputy mayor and Exhibition Place chairman Joe Pantalone still holds out hope for the project.

"We'd want to see if there could be exemptions or regulations to permit a situation such as Exhibition Place to have wind turbines," he said.

Despite opposition in some areas, he said his residents are "ecstatic" about the current wind turbine.

Jennifer Lewington

****

Fresh breeze

The first modern wind farm in Canada is the Cowley Ridge development in Cowley, Alta. The 57-turbine, 21.4-megawatt project was erected by Canadian Hydro Developers in 1993 and 1994.

Wind farms cost about $1.8-million to $2.2 million per megawatt to build.

The Canadian Wind Energy Association predicts that by 2025, 20 per cent of Canada's electricity will be generated by wind.

Staff

*****

A growing source of energy

By 2015, new wind power developments will double the amount of wind energy produced in Canada, with major expansions of capacity in Quebec, Ontario, Alberta, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and British Columbia

	Number of projects, 2009	Number of projected projects, to 2015	Megawatt capacity (2009)	Projected megawatt capacity (2009-2015)
YUKON	2		10.81 MW
BRITISH COLUMBIA		3		149.2 MW
SASKATCHEWAN	4	1	171.2MW	24.75 MW
ALBERTA	22	6	523.9 MW	394 MW
ONTARIO	23	8	963.7 MW	1,436.9 MW
QUEBEC	10	23	531.8 MW	2,889.5 MW
MANITOBA	2	1	104 MW	300 MW
PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND	7	1	72.4 MW	79.2 MW
NEW BRUNSWICK	1	3	96 MW	213 MW
NEWFOUNDLAND/ LABRADOR	3		54.4 MW
NOVA SCOTIA	19	6	59.3 MW	214 MW