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Government
of Canada Invests in Canada’s Largest Wind Energy
Project
SAULT STE. MARIE , Ontario,
November 8, 2007 – The Honourable Tony Clement,
Minister of Health and Minister for the Federal Economic
Development Initiative for Northern Ontario, was at the Prince
Wind Energy Farm today to announce more than $53 million
in funding, over ten years, for the largest wind energy project
in Canada. Minister Clement, speaking on behalf of the Honourable
Gary Lunn, Minister of Natural Resources, was joined by Mr.
Harry Goldgut, Chairman and Co-Chief Executive Officer of
Brookfield Power, to make the announcement.
“We need energy to power our economy, and we need clean energy to protect
our environment — that’s a priority for our government and the foundation
of our practical, balanced approach to climate change,” said Minister Clement. “By
investing in projects like this one, we are making sure that clean, renewable
power from the wind, the sun and the tides will form an increasingly important
part of our energy mix for the future.”
The Prince Wind Energy Farm, situated on 20,000 acres of land northwest of
Sault Ste. Marie, qualified for the one cent per kilowatt-hour incentive under
the
ecoENERGY for Renewable Power initiative. The wind farm’s 126 turbines
are capable of generating up to 189 megawatts of clean, renewable power, enough
to power nearly 40,000 homes. Over ten years, this ecoENERGY program will provide
about $53 million to the wind project and ensure that renewable energy generated
at the wind farm can be delivered at competitive prices for Canadian consumers.
"As a global renewable power company based in Ontario, we are proud to be
the developers of Canada’s largest wind energy farm. The approximately
$400-million project took a little over twelve months to construct and has now
been generating clean renewable energy for the past year,” said Mr. Goldgut. “The
project’s success is a tribute to the members of the local community,
the First Nations community, our employees and construction partners, and the
federal,
provincial and municipal governments and their agencies.”
Businesses, municipalities, institutions and organizations are eligible to
apply for funding under ecoENERGY for Renewable Power, announced by the Government
in January 2007. The initiative provides $1.48 billion to increase Canada’s
supply of clean electricity from renewable sources such as wind, biomass, low-impact
hydro, geothermal, solar photovoltaic and ocean energy. It will encourage the
production of up to 4,000 megawatts of new electricity from renewable energy
sources — enough electricity to power about one million homes.
The Prince Wind Energy Farm is owned by Brookfield Power, the company that
comprises the power generating and marketing operations of Brookfield Asset
Management
Inc. Brookfield Power has developed and successfully operated hydroelectric
power facilities for over 100 years. Brookfield Power’s portfolio comprises
more than 3,800 megawatts of capacity and includes more than 155 hydroelectric
power
generating stations and one pumped storage facility located on 60 river systems,
one wind farm, and two thermal plants, principally in northeastern North America
and Brazil.
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Media may contact:
Louise Girouard
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister
Natural Resources Canada
Ottawa
613-996-2007
Shelley Moorhead
Director of Communications, Canadian Operations
Gatineau, Quebec
Tel: 819-561-8921
shelley.moorhead@brookfieldpower.com
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