Clean energy sector creates 1,400 new jobs

OTTAWA, CANADA - Canada's latest forays into clean energy projects for solar and wind power generation are set to create 1,400 jobs that are a small part of a 50,000-job target in the green energy sector.

The 1,400 jobs will be created as Ontario's first wind turbine blade manufacturing plant and a solar module manufacturing facility get going, officials said. Together the projects will serve Ontario's growing clean, green energy industry and create the new jobs, said the officials.

Canadian Solar Inc. said that Guelph, 60 miles west of Toronto, would be the site of its first module facility in North America that will create up to 500 jobs.

Siemens and Samsung said they would build a wind turbine blade manufacturing plant elsewhere in Ontario that will create up to 900 direct and indirect jobs.

The announcements were hailed by officials as a success for Ontario's landmark Green Energy Act, launched last year. Several other companies have announced plans to set up or expand solar and wind turbine manufacturing facilities in Ontario.

Companies that want to secure clean energy Feed-in Tariff contracts must use Ontario products and services for a specific percentage of their project.

The 694 clean energy contracts already announced are expected to create approximately 20,000 direct and indirect green economy jobs over five years and about $9 billion in private sector investment. The projects will generate enough electricity each year to power 600,000 homes, a Ministry of Economic Development and Trade news release said.

Ontario's clean energy economy is creating jobs in construction, installation, operations and maintenance, engineering, manufacturing, finance, information technology and software. It is part of an "Open Ontario" plan to improve employment and generate opportunities for growth in the province.

"Ontario is celebrating two major milestones by attracting its first-ever wind turbine blade manufacturing plant and one of the largest solar module facilities in North America," said Brad Duguid, minister of energy and infrastructure.

"Ontario is open for business and we look forward to welcoming more businesses as they invest in local economies and deliver a clean energy supply to Ontarians," he said.

Ontario is Canada's leader in wind and solar capacity and is home to the country's largest wind and solar farms. The latest projects are part of Green Energy Act implementation and will create 50,000 new jobs in the sector.

Officials say Ontario's Green Energy Act, which became law in May 2009, will expedite the growth of clean, renewable sources of energy like wind, solar, hydro, biomass and biogas, helping Ontario become North America's leader in renewable energy.

Plans include implementing a "smart" power grid to support the development of new renewable energy projects and prepare Ontario for new technologies like electric cars.

Siemens, Samsung C&T and its development partner Pattern Energy welcomed the deals.

"Canada continues to be a major wind power market for Siemens and we are pleased to reach this milestone with Samsung on the first phase of Ontario's FIT program," said Bill Smith, senior vice president energy for Siemens Canada.

He said the "Ontario government has shown tremendous leadership in ensuring that the province is one of the world's most progressive jurisdictions."

Attracting the province's first-ever turbine blade factory is a major milestone in Ontario's plan to create 50,000 jobs and become a North American leader in the clean energy economy," said Duguid.

Cheol-Woo Lee, senior executive vice president, Samsung C&T Corp., said, "Canada is a very important market for Samsung and we support the province's commitment to green energy and related industries."

Siemens has installed 130 2.3-megawatt rated wind turbines at Kruger Energy's 101.2-megawatt Port Alma wind farm and TransAlta's 197.8-megawatt Wolfe Island wind farm in Ontario.

Siemens is supplying an additional 152 units of its 2.3-megawatt wind turbines to four recently announced projects that will bring Siemens' installed capacity to a total of 550 megawatt by the end of 2011.

Siemens is one of the largest and most diversified companies in the world of electronics and electrical engineering, employing about 5,000 people in Canada.

Samsung C&T Corp., founded in 1938, is the mother company of the Samsung Group, South Korea's largest conglomerate with interests in electronics, chemicals, finance and numerous other fields. It has a network of more than 100 offices in 44 countries.

Pattern Energy Group LP is an independent, fully integrated energy company that develops, constructs, owns and operates renewable energy and transmission assets in the United States, Canada and Latin America.