For more than eight years, Brookfield Renewable Power has been actively involved in pursuing high value development opportunities in the wind energy sector.
In 2006, Brookfield Renewable Power commissioned the Prince Wind Energy Project, located northwest of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada. Comprising 126 wind turbines, the project extends over nearly 20,000 acres. With a total installed capacity of 189 megawatts (MW), Prince is one of the largest wind farms in Canada. The project was constructed in two phases, each with its own 20-year power purchase agreement with the Ontario Power Authority.
Wind power can be thought of as a form of solar energy as heat from the sun causes wind to circulate on the Earth's surface. Wind can be harnessed directly to produce electricity when it spins the blades of a wind turbine, which drives an electric power generator.
Advances in aerodynamics and materials have made electricity generation from wind turbines economically cost competitive. Wind power is a renewable resource that produces clean energy - with no emissions and no hazardous wastes.
A wind farm is a cluster of wind turbines that harvest the power of the wind, and is usually connected to the electric grid of a utility for widespread consumption of its electricity. Wind farms are located in areas with reliably favourable wind speeds, and can be comprised of 10 to over 100 turbines.
For more information on wind energy, please visit the following websites:
- Significant contribution to local tax base revenue;
- Royalty payments will be made to participating landowners who are likely to spend part of the new income locally;
- Wind energy is renewable, reliable, efficient, is associated with few adverse environmental effects, and assists in reducing our contributions to global climate change;
- More energy dollars are retained in local economies;
- Monies will be spent locally during construction on goods, services, and labour to the extent practicable;
- The creation of jobs during the construction phase; and
- The creation of full and part-time employment during the operation phase.