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WIND ENERGY READY TO ANSWER BC HYDRO’S CALL FOR POWER

Ottawa – June 12, 2008 – British Columbia is about to enter a new era of clean energy generation with the largest clean power call ever issued in the province, setting the stage for BC’s untapped potential of wind energy to be realized. BC Hydro is asking power producers to submit proposals that collectively will add up to 5,000 gigawatt hours (GWh) of clean or renewable energy per year, enough to power 500,000 homes.

Wind energy can generate this power through the installation of 1,600 MW of generating capacity. With over 5,000 megawatts (MW) of potential generating capacity in the province, wind energy is in a perfect position to be part of the province’s ‘balanced energy diet’. 1,600 MW of wind energy capacity would represent close to $4-Billion in investment and would create 3,000 jobs throughout the province, placing BC amongst the leaders in wind energy generation in Canada.

"Our members have been anxiously awaiting this opportunity and are ready to respond. Despite the fact that British Columbia is only now starting construction of its first wind energy projects, the province has some of the best conditions in North America for viable wind energy facilities. Our members have participated in calls of this magnitude in other provinces which have turned to wind energy to help meet their energy needs,” says Canadian Wind Energy Association President Robert Hornung. “We anticipate an overwhelming response that will represent significantly more power than BC Hydro is looking for.

” Wind energy is among the fastest growing renewable energy technologies in the world, increasing by approximately 32 per cent globally over the last five years. Wind energy has proven to be a clean, abundant and renewable source of energy that is reliable and economical to produce. Currently Canada has 1,856 MW of wind energy – producing enough electricity to power 563,000 homes. Globally, the wind energy industry now supplies 94,000 MW of electricity capacity to systems around the world.

Wind energy is clean and does not contribute to climate change, acid deposition or produce hazardous waste by-products making it a natural supplier to BC’s Energy Plan, which calls for all new electricity generation projects to have zero net green house gas emissions and 90 per cent of the province’s electricity to come from clean or renewable sources.

The province’s abundant wind energy reserves know no geographical boundary with potential seen in the Fraser Valley, North and Central Coast, Peace River district, Vancouver Island, as well as throughout much of South Eastern British Columbia. Wind energy is an untapped resource matched with an extremely proven generation method, which can be installed quickly to meet rapidly growing energy demands.

About CanWEA
The Canadian Wind Energy Association (CanWEA) and its members advocate the responsible and sustainable growth of wind energy throughout Canada. For more information on wind energy development in Canada visit: www.canwea.ca

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For more information, contact:

Laura Ballance
Curve Communications                                           
604.684.3170 x 109 
(cell) 604.726.8350
laura@curvecommunications.com 

Jeremy Dunn
Curve Communications
604.684.3170 x 115
(cell) 604.771.5176
jeremy@curvecommunications.com

Wind Energy Key Facts:

• Modern wind turbines have a rated capacity of anywhere from 1 to 5 Megawatts (MW). A typical turbine rated at 2 MW will produce about 6.1 Gigawatt-hours (GWh) over a one year period, sufficient to satisfy the electricity demand of 600 households.

• Provincial figures for wind generation (in order of current installed generating capacity)
o Alberta.   524 MW
o Ontario.   501 MW
o Quebec.   422 MW
o Saskatchewan.  171 MW
o Prince Edward Island 72 MW
o Manitoba.  104 MW
o Nova Scotia.  59 MW
o Newfoundland & Labrador 0.3 MW
o New Brunswick  0 MW
o British Columbia  0 MW

• The first wind energy generating facility is set to open this October in the Peace Region.  The 180 MW Dokie Wind Project is a joint venture partnership of Earth First energy and Creststreet Capital and is expected to produce enough electricity to power 53,000 homes.

• Wind energy is among the fastest growing renewable energy technologies in the world, increasing by approximately 32 per cent globally over the last five years. Globally, the wind energy industry now adds 94,000 MW of electricity to systems around the world adding 20,000 MW in 2007 alone – a 27 per cent increase from 2006.

• Wind energy in production in Canada is currently 1,856 MW – enough electricity to power approximately 563,000 homes. While this is encouraging, it still represents less than 1% of Canada’s energy demand. There remain vast untapped wind resources; the Canadian Wind Energy Association (CanWEA) estimates that there is potential in wind energy to meet 20 per cent of Canada’s energy needs.

• Total installed capacity of wind energy in Canada has grown from 137 MW in 2000 to 1,856 in 2007.

• Ontario has targeted 4,600 MW by 2020, Quebec has 4,500 MW targeted by 2016 and both Alberta and British Columbia each expect to have a few thousand MW in place by 2020. Combined, these targets will amount to a minimum of 12,000 MW of wind energy by 2016.

• Quebec is moving ever nearer to its goal to be ‘a world power in renewable energy’. Through its most recent RFP process 15 bids for new wind energy were accepted in early May that will provide a total of 2,004 MW of new wind power to come on stream between 2011 and 2015. Here the province’s natural attributes make wind and water ‘a match in heaven’ and allow for diversification of clean energy sources at a highly competitive price. Approximately 1,000 jobs will be created in the Gaspe region alone.

• Like any energy project, wind farm planning and development is a significant task. Numerous municipal, provincial and federal approvals are required.  In many cases, full environmental assessments are required.  Currently in British Columbia 73 different licenses, approvals or permits are required by 23 different regulatory agencies.

• Each megawatt of wind power installed requires $2.3 Million in capital investment

• Global Total Installed Capacity is 93,864 MW

o Germany 22,247 MW
o USA  16,818 MW
o Spain  15,145 MW
o India    7,845 MW

• The Global Wind Energy Council is forecasting that the global wind market will grow by over 155% to reach 240 GW of total installed capacity by 2012 accounting for close to 3% of global electricity consumption (up from just over 1% in 2007)