On Oct. 7, the Canadian Wind Energy Association (CanWEA) announced the recipients of the 2015 CanWEA Awards at the banquet closing its 31st annual conference and exhibition in Toronto.
‘Canada is now the world's seventh-largest wind energy market and is consistently in the top 10 for new investment on an annual basis. Our industry's rapid growth would not be possible without the visionary leaders and dedicated supporters who have worked hard to the benefit of us all," said CanWEA President Robert Hornung. ‘Honoring their contributions is one of the highlights of our annual gathering.’
CanWEA 2015 award winners are the following:
R.J. Templin Award: Loren Knopper, senior associate and senior risk assessor at Stantec; and Chris Ollson, vice president of strategic development at Intrinsik Environmental Sciences.
CanWEA says Knopper and Ollson are recognized experts in the field of wind turbine sound and human health and together have published six important studies, including the widely referenced "Health Effects and Wind Turbines: A Review of the Literature," published in Environmental Health.
Group Leadership Award: The Municipality of the District of Guysborough in Nova Scotia.
CanWEA says the municipality, located in the northeast corner of Nova Scotia, was an early participant in the province's highly successful community renewable energy program, first installing five small wind turbines and later partnering with Nova Scotia Power to develop a 13.8 MW wind farm named Sable Wind. It is the first municipality in Nova Scotia to invest in, build and own a major wind power project.
Individual Leadership Award: Peter Clibbon, senior vice president of development at Renewable Energy Systems Canada Inc. (RES Canada).
Clibbon, a pioneer in Canada's wind industry with 15 years of experience, is responsible for his company's development activities in Canada. He leads a multi-disciplinary team that has developed projects across the country and is playing a leadership role in the continued modernization of Ontario's electricity system. RES Canada installed the province's first grid-connected battery system and plans to use smart-grid technology to shape the electricity consumption profile of commercial energy users.
Friend of Wind Award: Sandra de Jong.
de Jong currently sits on the community liaison committee for the Cedar Point wind project in Lambton County, Ontario. She is committed to working closely with industry to ensure wind projects are developed responsibly and safely in her community, advocates decisions made on the basis of solid research, and continually provides balanced and thoughtful recommendations for improved communications and dispute resolution.
Matt Holder Community Connection Award: Frits de Kiewit, director of development at Invenergy Wind Canada LLC.
de Kiewit, who heads business development in Quebec and the Atlantic provinces for Invenergy, has more than 35 years of experience in the energy sector. Through proactive communication and a sincere effort to work closely with the communities that host Invenergy projects, de Kiewit has been able to create long-lasting relationships of trust and mutual respect.
Wind Energy Project Award: EDF EN Canada and Enbridge Inc.'s Blackspring Ridge Wind Project.
The 300 MW Blackspring Ridge Wind Project, located in Alberta's Vulcan County, is the largest wind facility in western Canada and one of the biggest in the country. The project owners were able to build strong local and landowner support for the project through a series of initiatives designed to foster communication with all stakeholders and was nominated for the award by Kym Nichols, mayor of the Village of Carmangay.
