OSEA Fires Up Farmers with Wind Talk

The Ontario Sustainable Energy Association spoke to a standing-room only audience of farmers Thursday night in Stratford.

The event was organized by the Ontario Federation of Agriculture and held at the Stratford Coliseum.

Despite the torrential rain, more than 250 people turned out to learn about how they can use wind energy to help meet Ontario's need for clean power.

Organizers expected no more than 100 to attend and scrambled to set up more chairs as farmers in Perth County continued to stream through the door.

The program began at 7:30 pm and didn't end until nearly 10:00 pm. Many attending the presentation by OFA's Ted Cowan and OSEA's Melinda Zytaruk and Paul Gipe were dairy farmers whose long day begins at 4:00 am.

Gipe, an expert on wind energy, told the farmers how Advanced Renewable Tariffs could allow them to install their own commercial wind turbines and generate clean electricity for the province.

Farmers are currently prohibited by economic and regulatory restrictions in Ontario from generating commercial quantities of wind energy.

"That was one of the most eager audiences I've addressed in many years," said Gipe. "Farmers are keen to help meet the province's need for electricity, if only Ontario would make it possible for them to do so."

The Stratford program follows a lecture on the same topic by Gipe for more than 900 people in Mississauga, March 5th.

Advanced Renewable Tariffs permit farmers to connect their wind turbines to the grid and specifies how much they will be paid and for how long without lengthy and complex negotiations. These tariffs are commonly used in Europe, notably Germany.