| TORONTO (Reuters) - Ontario's government awarded C$2 billion in
contracts to build wind and hydro power projects on Monday in an
effort to have 10 percent of electricity in Canada's biggest market
generated by renewable sources.
Ontario Energy Minister Donna Cansfield said she had granted awards
for eight wind facilities and one hydroelectric development, which
will supply a total of 975 megawatts, enough to power more than
250,000 homes.
The awards come in response to a request for proposals for 1,000
MW, issued in April 2004.
"We have made an important commitment to clean, green, renewable
energy and we're on track not only to meet, but to exceed our target,"
Cansfield said in a speech in Toronto.
Combined with a previous request for proposals completed last year,
Ontario, home to more than 12 million people, will be adding 1,370
megawatts of renewable energy, accounting for about 5 percent of the
province's capacity, Cansfield said.
The government of Premier Dalton McGuinty hopes to double that by
2010, she said.
Over the past 10 years, the province has grappled with severely
tight power supplies due to a combination of surging demand, failed
deregulation attempts, idle nuclear facilities and plans to shut down
older and dirtier coal-fired plants.
"By replacing coal, Ontario will eliminate up to 30 megatonnes of
greehouse gas emissions annually, or more than 10 percent of Canada's
overall target," Cansfield said.
The winning bidders include Canadian Hydro Developers Inc., which
will build two wind farms near Shelburne and Kingston, Ontario, for
C$675 million, and a hydroelectric project near Timmins for C$64
million.
Enbridge Inc., Canada's No. 2 pipeline company, will build two wind
farms on the eastern shore of Lake Huron -- in the shadow of Bruce
Power, Ontario's biggest nuclear facility -- for C$400 million.
Epcor Utilities Inc., owned by the city of Edmonton, Alberta, will
spend C$300 million building the Kingsbridge II wind farm, also near
breezy Lake Huron.
Brascan Corp.'s power unit was awarded the 90 MW Prince Phase II
wind farm near Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario.
| Other projects include the 76 MW Ripley, Ontario, wind
project, a C$165 million development to be built by Suncor
Energy Inc. and Spain's Acciona Energia, and another 101 MW
wind project near Port Alma, Ontario.
The projects are slated to begin operations between 2006
and 2008.
Ontario's renewable projects follow a C$1.9 billion award
for eight wind farm developments in neighboring Quebec last
year. There has also been brisk wind farm development in
southern Alberta over the past five years.
|
|
© Reuters 2005. All Rights Reserved.
|