By Gary Thomas
The Ontario Clean Technology Alliance (OCTA) has announced that it is participating in WINDPOWER 2012 in Atlanta. Plans have been completed for 270 MW South Kent Wind project, which is a joint venture between Samsung Renewable Energy and Pattern Energy Group.
The objective of the OCTA is to attract more players from the wind industry to the province. Ontario is the first province in North America having the authority to launch a detailed structure for the production of renewable electricity, which includes large, small and on-shore wind projects.
Ontario has claimed to become Canada’s largest wind energy producer, this year, wherein more than 1,000 turbines produced over 1,950 MW potential of wind power. More than 5,600 MW of wind energy potential is expected to be installed in Ontario by 2018 and 80,000 jobs have been created in a year.
The Ontario Ministry of the Environment has given the final approval for this project. The 124-turbine Ontario joint venture project is expected to commence the construction by Q3 of 2012 and may become wholly operational by early 2014.
The South Kent Wind project plan, budgeted at $600 million, will generate economic benefits to Ontario, including around 20 permanent jobs and 300 construction jobs, a yearly tax revenue calculated to be $800,000, and a community benefits campaign that helps local causes over the project’s life. The ecological advantages of the project have included the renewable and clean energy generation that is similar to the yearly demands of 73,000 homes in Ontario and balancing over 877,000 t of CO2, when compared to coal-based electricity.
Source: http://www.ontariocleantechalliance.com/