Ontario, Canada: Newsroom
News Release
February 24, 2011 9:45 AM
Forty New Clean Energy Projects To Create 7,000 Jobs
McGuinty Government Takes Next Step In Building Clean Energy Economy
Even more homes and businesses will soon be powered by clean energy as Ontario takes another step forward in building its clean energy economy. Through the province’s clean energy Feed-In Tariff (FIT) program, the Ontario Power Authority (OPA) has approved 40 new large scale renewable energy projects including solar, wind and water. This will create 7,000 direct and indirect jobs, including construction, operation and maintenance, and attract $3 billion in private sector investment.
These projects represent more than 872 megawatts (MW) of clean, renewable power – enough electricity each year to power more than 200,000 homes or a community the size of Burlington. They also mean more jobs and investments in 31 communities across the province. This builds on the 180 FIT projects under development from contracts the OPA announced in April 2010, which represent more than 2,400 MW of power – enough electricity each year to power more than 600,000 homes.
Ontario’s clean energy plan is getting Ontario off smog-producing coal and on to cleaner energy sources like wind, solar and bio-energy. These projects are an important part of the plan, which is making Ontario a global clean energy leader and has sparked a new industry in the province, making it a clean energy leader on a global scale.
Bringing on new sources of clean energy and attracting new investment is part of the province’s Open Ontario Plan to create jobs and strengthen our economy.
QUICK FACTS
- The 40 new clean energy projects include: 35 solar projects totalling 257 MW, four wind projects totalling 615 MW, and one 500-kilowatt water project. These new projects will result in at least 240 more wind turbines and at least one million more solar panels in Ontario.
- Feed In Tariff means Ontarians are paid a guaranteed rate over 20 years or 40 years (for water power projects) to produce renewable energy that is used to feed into the electricity grid.
- Ontario now has more than 1,500 megawatts of wind power online generated by more than 800 wind turbines. In 2003, there were only 15 megawatts of wind power generated by 10 turbines. This is a 100-fold increase in wind power capacity.
- More than 3,700 small-scale solar projects are feeding electricity into Ontario’s grid.
- Ontario coal generation was two-thirds less in 2010 compared to 2003 levels. By the end of 2014, coal-fired generation will be eliminated.
LEARN MORE
CONTACTS
- For public inquiries call
1-888-668-4636
TTY: 1-800-239-4224
Ministry of Energy
ontario.ca/energy