Canada added 340 megawatts of wind generation in 2017, courtesy of three new projects in Nova Scotia, Ontario, and British Columbia that represented C$800 million in new investment.
The total fell short of the country’s new installed capacity of 702 MW in 2016, and of the Canadian Wind Energy Association (CanWEA)’s target for 2017, Windpower Monthly reports. But “CanWEA expects the market to rebound slightly in 2018, with 600 MW of new capacity to be added this year,” and the association was pleased with the record-low price of 3.7¢ per kilowatt-hour that Alberta reported from a separate, 600-MW procurement in December.
“From Nova Scotia to British Columbia, wind once again proved in 2017 that it is a reliable, scalable solution to climate change that is delivering low-cost energy and local economic benefits to communities across Canada,” said CanWEA President Robert Hornung.
“Municipalities and communities have ownership stakes in half of the new projects, which is a reflection of a growing global trend towards greater community involvement in wind energy development,” the association added in a release.
