Ontario’s $8 Billion Renewable Energy Investment: The Most Significant Climate Change Investment in North America

With an exciting announcement yesterday, Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty secured the province’s place as the North American leader in green energy. The 184 projects, which include 36 community and aboriginal proposals located throughout the province,  will be receiving the money. The projects are expected to generate 20,000 new jobs in Ontario,  which has been among the Canadian provinces hit the hardest by the recession in recent years.

Premier McGuinty and Energy Minister Brad Duguid made the announcement in Cornwall yesterday. They said the projects are expected to create almost 2,500 megawatts – more than Niagara Falls generates – of renewable energy from wind, solar and run-of-river hydro projects, and generate enough energy to power 600,000 homes in the province, McGuinty said.

A breakdown of the projects looks like this:

• 76 ground-mounted solar panel
• 47 onshore wind
• 46 waterpower
• 7 biogas
• 2 biomass
• 1 rooftop solar
• 1 offshore wind

“This is the most significant climate change initiative in all of North America,” Duguid said. “It puts us ahead of the game and that’s where we fully intend to stay.”

“It’s just the kind of investment in clean energy that is needed to create good green jobs, and revitalize the economy.” Rick Smith, Executive Director of Environmental Defense said in response to the announcement.

Click here to read more at The Star.com, and here for the OPA news release.

Wind-Works Co-op Lagerway Turbine