In a general election Monday, Canada elected Justin Trudeau the country's new prime minister and his Liberal Party the new majority. Trudeau, son of former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, will replace incumbent Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who has been the country's leader since 2006.
Trudeau's campaign energy platform included a focus on renewables – a good sign that wind power may have some solid federal support for the first time since Canada's ecoEnergy program ended in 2010.
The Canadian Council on Renewable Electricity, an initiative of the country's national clean energy associations, congratulates Trudeau on his election win and says member groups look forward to the Liberal government's efforts to capitalize on the benefits of renewables.
"The Liberal Party has made clean job creation a centerpiece of its economic strategy. More than $C30 billion has been invested in Canada's renewable electricity sector over the past five years, bringing tens of thousands of new, good-paying jobs and millions of dollars in direct benefits to communities across the country," comments Robert Hornung, president of the Canadian Wind Energy Association. "The new government has an opportunity to work with the provinces to build on this strong foundation and make Canada a leader in the global shift to a clean energy economy."
John Kourtoff, president and CEO of offshore wind developer Trillium Power Corp., proclaims, "Canada has turned a new leaf.’
"Canadians spoke loudly that they want a proactive government of inclusiveness that is willing to be bold and act on new and positive ideas and policies that move all Canadians forward," says Kourtoff. "They voted for a fair balance between all sectors of the economy – which had been absent for over nine years under the former government of Steven Harper.
"With respect to the issue of energy," he continues, "Canadians voted for a federal government that works with provinces to accelerate the development of an economy that has clean energy, conservation and efficiency as its founding cornerstone."
