55,000 MW by 2025
That is the bold new vision for wind energy in Canada announced today by the Canadian Wind Energy Association as it kicked off the CanWEA Vancouver 2008 conference. With WindVision 2025, CanWEA wants Canadians to start thinking big about wind energy, to power a greener future and to capture our fair share of the opportunities from the explosive worldwide growth in this industry. Considering that today total energy produced from wind is approximately 2,500 MW, WindVision 2025 truly is an impresive agenda for the Canadian wind energy industry.
Some of the highlights of WindVision 2025, as provided by CanWEA, are as follows:
To make WindVision 2025 a reality, CanWEA believes that six things will have to happen:
- Make wind energy a national priority;
- Provide a level playing field for electricity prices;
- Utilities must adopt wind-friendly procurement practices;
- Investment in smart grids;
- Incentives to stimulate equipment manufacturing; and
- Improve the efficiency of permitting and approval processes.
CanWEA believes that wind energy can satisfy 20 percent of Canada's electricity demand by 2025. Achieving this vision will pay huge dividends by:
- Generating $79 billion of investment that will make Canada's wind energy sector a real player in a $1.8 trillion global wind industry;
- Creating at least 52,000 high quality, full-time jobs including many in rural communities;
- Producing $165 million in new annual revenues for municipalities;
- Adding 55,000 MW of clean generating capacity that will strengthen our electrical goals and head off potential power shortages;
- Stabilizing electricity prices; and
- Cutting Canada's annual greenhouse gas emissions by 17 Megatonnes.
Canada needs this new vision for green energy and given the buzz WindVision 2025 created today at the conference, the Canadian wind energy industry is more than willing and able to meet the challenge.
