Canadas Wind Energy Potential

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Canadas Wind Energy Potential

• Sean Whittaker, P.Eng
• Vice-President, Policy
• Canadian Wind Energy Association
• June 24, 2008

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Presentation Outline

• Status of wind in Canada
• Current installed capacity
• Future prospects near-term and long-term
• Why wind?
• Factors driving wind energy growth in Canada
• What are the challenges ahead?
• Political, technical and social challenges

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About CanWEA

• CanWEAs members
• Over 340 members including turbine manufacturers,
  component suppliers, project developers, project
  owners, utilities and service providers
• CanWEAs vision
• Work on behalf of our members to advocate for the
  responsible and sustainable growth of wind energy
  throughout Canada
• Serve as Canadas leading source of credible
  information about wind energy and its social,
  economic and environmental benefits and effects

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Wind Energy in Canada Today 1,856 MW
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Wind Energy in Canada in 2016 12,000 MW

• Provincial objectives now represent a minimum of
  12,000 MW by 2016, including
• Ontario 4,600 MW by 2020
• Quebec 4,500 MW by 2016
• Alberta Transmission options for 2,000 3,000
  MW
• Manitoba 1,000 MW by 2017
• Maritime Provinces more than 800 MW by 2015
• BC, Newfoundland Labrador large untapped
  potential

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Wind Energy in Canada in 2016 12,000 MW

• 12,000 MW by 2016 would
• service 3.6 million Canadian homes annually
• meet 5 of Canadas total electricity demand
• represent 30 of electricity produced from new
  facilities constructed in 2005-2015
• represent a 20 billion investment (2005-2015)
• directly employ 10,000 people in 2015
• reduce GHG emissions by 9 million tonnes CO2 per
  year

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Wind Energy in Canada beyond 2016

• Canada only scratching the surface of its
  potential
• Canada has one of the worlds best wind
  resources
• Longest coastline, second largest landmass
• Canada is well positioned to integrate wind
  energy
• 60 of Canadas electricity produced from hydro
• Canada has good interconnections
• Access to growing US market for renewable energy
• Canada has the skill sets
• Skills and education systems needed to capture
  the industrial development benefits of wind
  energy

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Why Wind?

• Economic benefits
• Competitive, stable cost of power
• Rapid, incremental installation
• Social benefits
• Job creation and local investment
• Rural economic diversification (turbines occupy lt
  5 of the land, allowing for mixed uses)
• Environmental benefits
• No emissions of GHGs, air pollutants or other
  waste
• Minimal impacts on surrounding environment

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Challenges

• Canada needs a Wind Energy Strategy
• Canada must see wind energy as a strategic
  resource (its not just the icing, its the
  cake)
• Follow lead of European countries in seizing
  opportunity for investments in green energy
• Canada needs stable, streamlined policies
• Continued federal support for wind energy
• Stable investment environment in provinces
• Place value on environmental benefits (carbon
  markets)

Wind Canada's infinite source of clean energy.
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Challenges (cont.)

• Need to make better use of infrastructure
• Make better use of existing transmission and
  distribution
• Invest in new transmission and distribution to
  support distributed generation technologies
• Support right to connect
• Need to address economic issues
• Turbine availability and cost issues
• Growing permitting/approval and interconnection
  costs

Wind Canada's infinite source of clean energy.
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Challenges (cont.)

• Need to engage with communities
• Need to remember the 5 Cs of development
• Wind energy has broad public support, but there
  are many questions (and myths)
• The debate has to be based on facts and consensus
• Need to support All Wind All the Time
• Many different development models (co-operative,
  private, large, small)
• Many different proponents (communities,
  municipalities, developers, Aboriginal
  communities, utilities)
• In all cases need to be aware of risks

Wind Canada's infinite source of clean energy.
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Summary

• Wind energys prospects have never been better
• Has quickly gone from marginal to mainstream
• Tremendous resource, easily integrated
• Canada is in a great position to benefit
• Clean, reliable power for generations
• Significant investments in rural communities
• but there are many challenges
• Need to establish stable, long-term policies
• Need to communicate and engage with stakeholders
• Need to collaborate in all development models
• Need to ensure good projects!

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To Learn More.

• Here at WWEC 2008
• Visit us at Booth 307
• Wind Aboriginal Communities Workshop
• September 11 12 2008 - Ottawa, Ontario
• CanWEA Annual Conference and Trade Show
• October 19-22, 2008 - Vancouver, British Columbia
• 2,000 participants and 200 exhibitors expected
• Online
• www.canwea.ca