The wind energy sector in Ontario will generate a significant amount of both electricity and economic activity over the course of 2011 through 2018. Specifically, during this timeframe, the sector is expected to: install over 5.6 GW of wind energy capacity, bringing Ontario’s total wind energy capacity to 7.1 GW by 2018; create 80,328 job years; and attract $16.4billion of private investments.
It’s a heady cocktail of success that any North American region would like to replicate. We crunch the numbers…
The purpose of this study is to provide an understanding of the economic impact of Ontario’s wind energy industry for the period 2011-2018. Specifically, it considers the wind industry within the context of and parameters laid out by the Ontario Government in the Long Term Energy Plan (LTEP) that was released in November 2010. In the LTEP, the Ontario Government covers both demand for and supply of energy for the period 2011 to 2030, including the supply mix, conservation plans and the transmission system.
Based on the targets laid out in the LTEP, the wind energy industry is entering a period of strong growth. By 2018, the Ontario Government is targeting a wind energy generation capacity of 7.1 GW, a number that amounts to an almost five-fold increase from the capacity of 1,428 MW which was in-service at the end of 2010.
