Prince Edward Island’s position as a leader in wind energy research and development has been strengthened with the announcement that the Canadian Wind Energy Institute (CanWEI) will open at North Cape next year. Details of the new facility were announced today by the Honourable Joe McGuire, Minister of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) and the Honourable Jamie Ballem, Prince Edward Island Minister of Environment, Energy and Forestry.
The Canadian Wind Energy Institute will support the development of wind power generation in Canada and wind energy related products and services for Canadian and export markets. The Institute will focus on four key areas of work: testing and certification, research and innovation, industry training and public education, and technical consultation and assistance.
“The opportunity exists for Canada to be a key player in the wind energy industry. North Cape has earned the right to be a leader in this effort,” said Minister McGuire, who also spoke on behalf of the Honourable R. John Efford, Minister of Natural Resources Canada. “All Canadians benefit from technological innovation, such as wind power, which contributes to both our climate change and energy goals.”
Through ACOA, the Government of Canada is contributing $3.558 million for the establishment of the CanWEI under the Innovative Communities Fund. In addition, Natural Resources Canada will provide $1 million per year for two years, beginning in fiscal 2006-2007 for operating costs of CanWEI.
This initiative is consistent with the objects of Project Green, the Government of Canada’s broad environmental vision that links Canada’s economic competitiveness and prosperity to a sustainable future.
Through the PEI Energy Corporation, the Government of Prince Edward Island is contributing a total of $930,000 through land and assets of the existing Atlantic Wind Test Site that will devolve to the new organization. The Province will also contribute approximately $285,000 annually toward the Institute’s operating costs. Funding will come from the earnings of the North Cape Wind Farm which is owned and operated by the Energy Corporation.
“Prince Edward Island is proud to be a leader in wind energy development and we want to build on North Cape’s reputation as a centre for research and development,” said Minister Ballem. “Our province provides the perfect laboratory to demonstrate the commercialization of new technologies. We look forward to building new partnerships through the Canadian Wind Energy Institute to advance wind energy here in PEI, and across the country.”
The physical structure of the Canadian Wind Energy Institute will include the construction of a 9,500-square-foot building. It will house various testing laboratories, workshop areas and accommodations for visiting researchers. The facility will be constructed to promote maximum flexibility to meet the needs of small and large-scale projects.
The Canadian Wind Energy Institute will be an independent, non-profit organization governed by an appointed Board of Directors. It will work in close collaboration with many partners including universities, colleges and other research institutions, private sector companies, governments and utilities, to advance the development and commercialization of wind energy technologies. Work on the facility will get underway this fall and will be managed by Resources West. The Institute will be completed in 2006.
Wind energy is the fastest-growing form of electricity production in Canada, and this initiative builds on other Government of Canada investments that are helping make this growth possible. Through its Wind Power Production Incentive (WPPI), which was quadrupled in Budget 2005, the Government of Canada encourages the growth of this clean, renewable, reliable energy for Canadians.
Over the next 15 years, the Government of Canada will invest at least $920 million in promoting wind power, increasing its production target to 4,000 megawatts by 2010. That’s enough electricity for more than 1,000,000 Canadian homes.
The Government of Prince Edward Island is a national leader in developing, demonstrating and implementing leading-edge renewable energy technologies. The Province's Renewable Energy Strategy has been cited by industry experts as the most aggressive in North America. Wind energy currently supplies five per cent of PEI's electricity. Under its Renewable Energy Act, Prince Edward Island has committed to a renewable portfolio standard for electricity of 15 per cent by 2010.