The Canadian Wind Energy Association (CanWEA) released the forecast at its annual conference in Toronto. Wind’s contribution to Canada’s electricity supply will grow by 20% this year, marking the second consecutive year with more than 1 GW of installations. Total installed wind capacity by the end of the year will be top 6.4 GW.
More than 60% of the new capacity will be installed in Quebec, with only about 80 MW expected to come on line in Ontario despite the fact there are thousands of megawatts under contract with the province’s power authority.
The low Ontario numbers for 2012 are a reflection of the fact that the permitting and approvals process is "taking longer than any of us had hoped," says CanWEA president Robert Hornung.
"The good news is that for many projects the end of that process is very near and for that reason we see a number of projects that will be moving into construction very shortly. It ensures that 2013 is going to be a banner year for wind energy development in Ontario."
Next year will also be a record year for new installations in Canada, says CanWEA.
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