Citing the financial befits of industrial wind farms, officials with the Canadian Wind Energy Association (CanWEA) say a Liberal defeat in this fall’s provincial election will jeopardize the “great economic potential” of the industry in Ontario.
“There’s been no commitment to wind [from the other parties],” said Stephen Rach, supply chain manager with CanWEA. “That uncertainty is causing a chill in the industry.”
Rach and Justin Rangooni, CanWEA’s Ontario policy manager and legal counsel, are visiting various politicians, media outlets, and community groups across Ontario to explain a new study by ClearSky Advisors Inc. entitled The Economic Impacts of the Wind Energy Sector in Ontario 2011-2018.
According to the 46-page study, wind energy proponents will install over 5.6 gigawatts (GW) of wind energy capacity over the next seven years, at an average of 709 megawatts (MW) per year, bringing the province’s total capacity to 7.1GW by 2018.
That will help create 80,328 “person-years of employment” and attract $16.4-billion of private investments, the study states. Locally, the wind energy sector will contribute more than $1.1-billion in revenue to municipalities and landowners through taxes and lease payments over the lifespan of various projects, the study also notes.
Rangooni said the study shows that if the current commitment to wind energy by the Ontario government is not continued over the next seven years, there could be a loss of over 48,000 potential jobs.
Rach acknowledged many of the jobs created through wind energy are for construction, and thus temporary, but he noted there are over 1,000 long-term jobs directly and indirectly tied to wind farms. Most of those are local, “high tech” jobs requiring specialized skills, he added.
Rach and Rangooni repeatedly stressed that the benefits of wind energy could be lost if this fall’s election does not result in a government committed to renewable energy.
“We really need that stable framework,” Rangooni told the Advertiser. “It’s a proven technology; it’s not a green energy experiment.”
Rach admitted it will be expensive to rebuild the province’s energy system and phase out coal and nuclear energy. But wind energy is “cost effective” compared to other types of energy, he said.
He cited a July 4 article by the Pembina Institute that states energy prices in Ontario will rise with or without renewable energy.
“It is easy (and overly simplistic) to blame the Green Energy Act for higher electricity prices, as is happening all too often in Ontario,” wrote Tim Weis, the director of renewable energy for the Pembina Institute.
“The truth is electricity prices are increasing all across North America, largely due to the simple fact that we are building new power plants and relying less on those built decades ago.”
Rangooni noted, “There’s a lot of great economic potential for the province” – and also for local municipalities – when it comes to wind energy.
Some residents in Centre Wellington and Mapleton Townships, where two large wind farm projects are proposed, have stated they don’t care about local economic benefits if the turbines make people sick, disrupt farming activities, or lower property values.
When informed of those concerns, Rangooni said, “We’re happy to address every issue.”
He stressed there is no peer reviewed study showing wind turbines have any effect on human health. There have been no such problems associated with wind projects in Europe or the U.S., he added, and the 550 metre setback in Ontario is “one of the most stringent in North America.”
As for possible effects on livestock, Rangooni said the common complaint he hears about is stray voltage. But that is not a turbine issue, he said, and can occur with any type of electrical infrastructure. Any such problems are the responsibility of hydro companies, not wind energy producers.
And a study in the Chatham-Kent area showed wind turbines have a “negligible” effect on property values, Rangooni explained. Particularly in rural areas, real estate price fluctuations are tied more to commodity prices than wind turbines, he added.
Most people simply do not like change and there are a lot of misconceptions about wind energy, Rangooni said when asked about what appears to be growing opposition to wind farms in Wellington County.
Once projects are up and running, people will see wind is an “excellent” form of energy that will help get rid of nuclear and coal, he opined.
“The economic benefits are the icing on the cake,” said Rangooni.
Rach agreed, calling wind farms “a win” for the entire community. Both he and Rangooni said the rest of the world is seeing the benefits of renewable energy and Ontario will lose if its framework changes, because wind energy companies will take their business elsewhere.
“There’s a lot at risk if we don’t have a stable policy framework,” Rangooni said.
For more information about CanWEA, visit canwea.ca.
