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Jun
19
2012
Ontario continues to build the green energy future it wants, choosing to walk away from dirty legacy leftover from last century. I thought I’d point out a few recent signs of progress along the way:
photo credit: Kristopher Stevens - OSEA
Ontario continues to build the green energy future it wants, choosing to walk away from dirty legacy leftover from last century. I thought I’d point out a few recent signs of progress along the way:
Last week, the First Nations community of M’Chigeeng on Manitoulin Island became the first Aboriginal community to own 100% of a wind project in the country! They held a ‘switch on’ ceremony for their two new windmills in a big full-day public celebration. Their state-of-the-art, 4MW project creates enough electricity to power 1,000 homes. It shows how the Green Energy Act helps communities and First Nations create their own green energy projects, keeping the benefits local. M’Chigeeng is so excited about their wind project that they have plans for a solar power project in the near future, too.
It’s worth noting that M’Chigeeng’s windmills were built by Enercon, a German company. It just so happens that this week, Enercon announced new plans to setup shop in Beamsville, in Ontario’s Niagara region. It is building a new plant that will hire at least 50 people full-time to build parts for windmills. This is excellent news, because the parts for new wind-farms going up around Ontario are being made there, new construction jobs are sourced locally and the clean electricity produced is powering its economy.
Speaking of German renewable energy, a few weeks ago Germany showed the world what renewable energy is really capable of. Making the naysayers look foolish, it set a world record for solar power produced: 22 gigawatts of electricity. That’s the same as 20 nuclear power stations at full capacity, through daylight hours. How much is that? Enough to power a third of Germany on a normal Friday workday, and half of it on the following Saturday.
It’s successes like this that make some big energy companies reconsider their plans. RWE, Germany’s second largest energy company, just announced plans to abandon nuclear in favour of making solar power. Germany is planning to replace nuclear power with renewable energy – with a target of getting 60% of all electricity from renewable energy by 2050.
It really is true. The transition to renewable energy is picking up momentum, despite what pro-pollution types say. So as the summer heat arrives, you can be glad that wind and solar are increasingly shouldering the effort of keeping the air conditioning running.
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Jun
21
2012
A little correction
Thomas says:
The post says that the Germany wants 60% renewable electricity by 2050.
I just wanted to say that the offical german Renewable energy goal that's written in the law is "a share of at least 80% of renewable electricity by 2050".
Up untill now most renewable energy targets have been minimum goals. Something the current government tries to interpret slightly different but it's still the case.
Jul
24
2012
Signs of Reality
Paul Kuster says:
Cited are 2 examples and there's now an assumption that Ontario wants this?
Let's inject some sobering reality here. Germany always seems to be pointed at as a beacon of the viability of renewables. We find now it's far from the truth;
http://notrickszone.com/2012/02/23/600000-households-in-germany-without-...
We also find that wind power in Spain isn't viable without massive subsidies;
http://www.rechargenews.com/energy/wind/article318153.ece
And before you make the arguement that other forms of energy are subsidized more, wind has by far the greater subsidy per unit of energy produced. A far better and honest metric to use.
In Ontario? A wind tower plant closes down in Fort Erie and the blame gets placed towards uncertainty by of all things a health study? Obviously this is a very fragile industry reliant on grotesque subsidies. Along with the suspension of the Scarborough Bluffs and that pending lawsuit, gas plants in Miss. and Oakville ( those plants were part of the back-up for the useless wind generation) that have to be bought off, Ontarians are starting to see the folly that is the GEA.
Your also disingenuous when talking about the First Nations on Manitoulin Island. There are certainly a great number of First Nations peoples that are not in favour of wind turbines placed on their sacred island.
Just talking about it doesn't make it so.
Aug
10
2012
windmills
Lionel says:
Why don't we see any wind turbines on Lakeshore Blvd. in Toronto? They could put one on the natural gas power plant site which will soon be vacant. Not in my back yard. Regards
Aug
13
2012
Well there actually is one at
abscott says:
Well there actually is one at Exhibition Place on Lakeshore Blvd at Dufferin, built in 2001.
In fact, the 550m minimum setback rules are the reason there aren't more windmills in downtown Toronto. They certainly would be welcomed if there was a suitable proposal.
However, Toronto Hydro does have a plan to build a 5k offshore windfarm. This is on hold due to the temporary offshore wind moratorium.
Toronto, like the rest of the province is also embracing solar power in a big way on thousands of rooftops across the GTA.
Oct
03
2012
Cleave Energy
Cleave Energy says:
This is very useful information for those who are in solar panels business. I am also one of them. I have got some important points related to my work.
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