Although the province of British Columbia just commissioned its first commercially operational wind project this month, the Canadian Wind Energy Association (CanWEA) says the province is moving toward a greater embrace of wind energy.
Citing AltaGas' 102 MW Bear Mountain Wind Park and the Grouse Mountain wind turbine – which features an innovative observation pod – as well as the recently announced provincial cabinet committee rules on climate action and clean energy, are clear examples that British Columbia (BC) is moving in the right direction.
‘We are delighted to see such innovative projects get the support of government, investors and the communities in which they are located, and believe there are significant prospects for future wind energy development in British Columbia,’ says CanWEA President Robert Hornung. ‘The BC government's new cabinet committee on climate action and clean energy has an opportunity to develop the roadmap that can now move British Columbia to the forefront of sustainable and green energy development.’
By the end of the year, Canada will have 3,159 MW of installed capacity – with wind developments operating in every province for the first time ever. Wind energy currently supplies about 1% of Canada's electricity demand.
SOURCE: Canadian Wind Energy Association
