U.S. WIND LOOKS TO CANADA

Whoa, Canada! U.S. Wind Energy Companies Look To The North

Mark Del Franco, 12 June 2012 (North American Windpower)

“The uncertainty surrounding the extension of the production tax credit (PTC) for wind power in the U.S. has led some developers and suppliers to seek opportunities in the Canadian wind energy market. …EDP Renewables North America...is aggressively exploring opportunities to either acquire Canadian wind projects or partner in them…[Pattern Energy, RES Americas and Invenergy have expanded into the Canadian market over the past few years]…

“…[According to the Canadian Wind Energy Association (CanWEA), interest from the U.S. in the Canadian market has never been higher…[illustrating] the importance of stable policy…Ontario and Quebec - the leading provinces for wind energy in Canada - have each reaffirmed their commitment to wind energy with long-term policy agendas.”

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“Ontario's Long Term Energy Plan, which was announced in 2010, envisions 10.7 GW of non-hydro renewable energy capacity by 2018. Of that amount, 7.5 GW is expected to be wind energy…[and] that plan is in addition to the province's Green Energy Act of 2009, which includes North America's first feed-in tariff…[Quebec] set an energy target of 4 GW of wind energy by 2015, which includes a goal of building 100 MW of wind energy for every 1 GW of new hydropower. A request for proposals to procure the target's remaining 700 MW is expected…later this year.

“Canada’s 5.4 GW of installed wind power capacity pales in comparison to the U.S.’ 48.611 GW. However, with similar or higher levels of growth expected over the next four years, Canada's wind energy industry is on pace to surpass 10 GW of installed capacity by 2015…Even without the interest from U.S. entities, CanWEA expects 1.5 GW of wind energy capacity to be installed this year, which would be an annual record…”

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