CanWEA unveils strategic vision for Quebec’s wind energy industry to 2025: Strategy would see $25 billion in investment and create nearly 91,000 jobs.

The Canadian Wind Energy Association (CanWEA) today unveiled its strategic vision for wind energy development in Quebec at the opening of the association’s 26th annual Conference and Exhibition in Montreal. Titled 2025 – WindVision 2025 - A Strategy for Quebec, it proposes that an average of 800 MW of wind energy capacity be added each year between 2016 and 2025 – for a total of 8,000 MW - increasing wind energy to 20% of Quebec’s overall installed capacity for electricity generation.

This long-term objective would stimulate $25 billion in industry investment, ensure the sustainability and growth of this rapidly developing industry, and serve to diversify Quebec’s renewable energy portfolio. Implementing this strategy would see significant economic benefits for Quebec and its regions, creating nearly 91,000 new construction jobs, which represents more than 9,800 jobs (p/y), 1,200 permanent new jobs in wind farm maintenance and operations, while providing continued support for 800 regional manufacturing jobs.

“We believe it is critical that the Quebec Government explore options for wind energy development beyond 2015 in an effort to provide investors in wind energy projects and manufacturing facilities with the long-term certainty required to maintain their focus on opportunities in Quebec”, said CanWEA President Robert Hornung. “Increased wind energy development can also support Quebec’s goals to increase electrification of the economy and increase electricity exports”.

A longer-term vision for wind energy development in Quebec can allow Quebec to build on its success to date and further strengthen wind energy’s role as an emerging pillar of Quebec’s energy and industrial development. CanWEA believes that future development of wind energy should continue to proceed through competitive tendering processes for major projects, while smaller, community based projects, should be provided a fixed price for the energy produced.

“Social acceptability of wind energy development is fundamental to the achievement of CanWEA’s vision and remains at the heart of CanWEA’s commitment to support the responsible and sustainable growth of wind energy in Canada,” said CanWEA President, Robert Hornung. “New wind energy projects will support Quebec’s leadership role in addressing climate change and will also provide significant economic benefits to rural communities throughout the province, but successful implementation will require project developers to seek and obtain broad community support through proactive and effective community engagement and consultation.

CanWEA is the voice of Canada’s wind energy industry, actively promoting the responsible and sustainable growth of wind energy on behalf of its more than 450 members. A national non-profit association, CanWEA serves as Canada’s leading source of credible information about wind energy and its social, economic and environmental benefits. To join other global leaders in the wind energy industry, CanWEA believes Canada can and must reach its target of producing 20 per cent or more of the country’s electricity from wind by 2025. The document Wind Vision 2025 – Powering Canada’s Future is available at www.canwea.ca .