Wind energy is growing in all regions of the country, according to the Canadian Wind Energy Association (CanWEA), which said the latest announcement would position Ontario firmly at the forefront of wind-based energy.
Canada's installed wind energy capacity of 590MW provides enough power to meet the electricity needs of approximately 230,000 Canadian households.
Ontario energy minister Donna Cansfield approved a total of nine renewable energy projects: eight wind farms and one 20MW hydroelectricity project.
The details of the wind farm projects are:
• Kingsbridge II Wind Power Project, Goderich, 158.7MW.
• Kruger Energy Port Alma, Port Alma, 101.2MW
• Enbridge's Leader Wind Project A, Kincardine, 100.65MW.
• Enbridge's Leader Wind Project B, Kincardine, 99MW.
• Melancthon II Wind Project, Shelburne, 132MW.
• Prince II Wind Power Project, Sault Ste. Marie, 90MW.
• Ripley Wind Power Project, Ripley, 76MW.
• Wolfe Island Wind Project, Kingston, 197.8MW.
The projects have been approved after the Ontario Government made a second Request for Proposals (RFP) in a bid to generate a further 1000MW of renewable energy.
"The success of this request for proposals means that, combined with our first renewables RFP completed last year, we will be adding over 1300MW of wind power to Ontario's electricity system," said Cansfield.
"We're on track to achieve our goal of 10% of Ontario's generation coming from renewable sources by 2010."
The Government issued the second RFP on April 22 and received 22 proposals for a total of 2029MW. The RFP was open to wind, water, solar, biomass and landfill gas projects.
Following the RFP submission and selection process, the operators of each project have signed a renewable energy supply contract with the Ontario Power Authority spanning 20 years.
The stated commitments of Federal and provincial governments would see Canada's installed wind energy capacity increase to more than 8000MW by 2014.
"Wind energy can make a serious and significant contribution to Ontario's future electricity supply," said CanWEA president Robert Hornung.
Hornung said CanWEA's objective was the installation of 6000MW of wind energy in Ontario alone, well in excess of the province's renewable energy targets.
