Reliability, cost, and environmental impacts consistently rank as priority concerns for Canadians in respect to the supply of electricity. Many Canadians are asking themselves whether more wind power generation could help address them.
The growing popular interest in wind was part of the motivation behind CEA’s "An Assessment of the Prospects for Wind Power Development in Canada." This policy paper, available on CEA’s Web site at www, canvasses the current state of wind generation in Canada and comments on the possible contributions of wind to the generation supply mix in Canada.
CEA member companies are amongst the largest owners and operators of wind-powered
generation in Canada. These companies view wind generation as one of the suite of technology options available, and necessary, to maintain diversity in the nation’s power generation fleet. Diversity is essential, as it helps companies deliver reliable, affordable, and sustainable supplies of electricity by balancing the strengths and weaknesses of various technologies in meeting power needs.
The ideal amount of wind in a diverse Canadian supply portfolio is subject to debate. The Canadian Wind Energy Association has set a target of 10,000 MW of installed wind power capacity by 2010. Given current installed capacity stands at approximately 439 megawatts (MW) or less than 1% of Canada’s gross generation capacity, this target would require an annual growth rate of 60%. Achieving the target would result in significantly higher energy levels from wind than are currently available, and it would represent a significant wind technology economic opportunity for Canada. However, it would also present a number of technical challenges.
At the heart of these challenges, is the fact that wind cannot be turned on at will: it cannot replace the need for and availability of generating sources that can meet immediate demand.
Short-term fluctuations of wind power require that other generation facilities be available to increase or decrease system production very quickly. Additionally, wind cannot contribute to load following requirements because of its intermittent nature – meaning that wind turbines cannot be ramped up or down to meet instantaneous changes in demand.
CEA members do not feel it appropriate to commit to a target for wind power, in part because these challenges are not well understood yet, but also because the amount that can be readily incorporated will vary by region, by power pool, and depending upon the mix of resources in that region. This means that the correlation between wind availability and regional energy requirements, and therefore the ability to incorporate wind generation into the regional systems, will not be uniform across the country.
CEA therefore recommends that industry and policy-makers focus on the continued
development of wind generation – as with any technology – with a focus on the three
fundamental concerns of improving reliability, reducing costs, and maintaining high
environmental performance standards. Wind farms represent a significant development in
energy infrastructure in Canada and CEA
member companies intend to be leaders in the sector as they continue to meet the electricity needs of Canadians.
Photos courtesy of GE Energy,
© 2005, General Electric Company.
The growing popular interest in wind was part of the motivation behind CEA’s "An Assessment of the Prospects for Wind Power Development in Canada." This policy paper, available on CEA’s Web site at www, canvasses the current state of wind generation in Canada and comments on the possible contributions of wind to the generation supply mix in Canada.
CEA member companies are amongst the largest owners and operators of wind-powered
generation in Canada. These companies view wind generation as one of the suite of technology options available, and necessary, to maintain diversity in the nation’s power generation fleet. Diversity is essential, as it helps companies deliver reliable, affordable, and sustainable supplies of electricity by balancing the strengths and weaknesses of various technologies in meeting power needs.
The ideal amount of wind in a diverse Canadian supply portfolio is subject to debate. The Canadian Wind Energy Association has set a target of 10,000 MW of installed wind power capacity by 2010. Given current installed capacity stands at approximately 439 megawatts (MW) or less than 1% of Canada’s gross generation capacity, this target would require an annual growth rate of 60%. Achieving the target would result in significantly higher energy levels from wind than are currently available, and it would represent a significant wind technology economic opportunity for Canada. However, it would also present a number of technical challenges.
At the heart of these challenges, is the fact that wind cannot be turned on at will: it cannot replace the need for and availability of generating sources that can meet immediate demand.
Short-term fluctuations of wind power require that other generation facilities be available to increase or decrease system production very quickly. Additionally, wind cannot contribute to load following requirements because of its intermittent nature – meaning that wind turbines cannot be ramped up or down to meet instantaneous changes in demand.
CEA members do not feel it appropriate to commit to a target for wind power, in part because these challenges are not well understood yet, but also because the amount that can be readily incorporated will vary by region, by power pool, and depending upon the mix of resources in that region. This means that the correlation between wind availability and regional energy requirements, and therefore the ability to incorporate wind generation into the regional systems, will not be uniform across the country.
CEA therefore recommends that industry and policy-makers focus on the continued
development of wind generation – as with any technology – with a focus on the three
fundamental concerns of improving reliability, reducing costs, and maintaining high
environmental performance standards. Wind farms represent a significant development in
energy infrastructure in Canada and CEA
member companies intend to be leaders in the sector as they continue to meet the electricity needs of Canadians.
Photos courtesy of GE Energy,
© 2005, General Electric Company.
