Article
Announcement may kick-start community wind turbines
Orangeville Citizen|March 23, 2006
Organizations behind the development of North America's first urban wind turbine have applauded the provincial government's announcement on Standard Offer Contracts (SOC).
Organizations behind the development of North America's first urban wind turbine have applauded the provincial government's announcement on Standard Offer Contracts (SOC).
The announcement this week by Premier Dalton McGuinty "removes the final barriers that farmers, small businesses and community groups face when trying to build wind power generation in Ontario," said Evan Ferrari, president of the WindShare Co-operative.
"The SOC announcement will kick-start numerous projects throughout the province," said David Robertson, president of the Toronto Renewable Energy Co-operative (TREC), Windshare's sister co-operative.
SOCs offer stable power purchase agreements for small and medium-sized renewable electricity generators at a predictable price.
This new program will provide incentive for community groups that want to develop communitybased wind or other renewable energy projects up to 10 megawatts.
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The announcement this week by Premier Dalton McGuinty "removes the final barriers that farmers, small businesses and community groups face when trying to build wind power generation in Ontario," said Evan Ferrari, president of the WindShare Co-operative.
"The SOC announcement will kick-start numerous projects throughout the province," said David Robertson, president of the Toronto Renewable Energy Co-operative (TREC), Windshare's sister co-operative.
SOCs offer stable power purchase agreements for small and medium-sized renewable electricity generators at a predictable price.
This new program will provide incentive for community groups that want to develop communitybased wind or other renewable energy projects up to 10 megawatts.
"We are confident that the SOC program will help communities to collectively create a 'decentralized megaproject,'' Mr. Ferrari said.
"This means that numerous small facilities across the province can cumulatively create a large amount of power while improving the stability of our electrical system at the same time,"
The SOC program will encourage development of local renewable power projects and partially address Ontario's projected electricity generation shortfall. Along with energy efficiency programs, renewable power can assist the province in retiring coal-fired powered plants and reduce the need for more nuclear plants.
"Renewable energy is the way to the future for electric power production in Ontario and the SOC Program will become its standard bearer," Mr. Robertson said.
TREC is a non-profit environmental organization, formed in 1998 by members of the North Toronto Green Community which created an innovative proposal for a community owned wind turbine located on Toronto's Lake Ontario waterfront. With strong public interest in the project, TREC formed WindShare to own and operate renewable projects.
In partnership with Countryside Energy Cooperative, TREC is now developing Lakewind, a 10 megawatt co-operatively owned wind power project, near Kincardine.