Canada among top 10 wind producing nations

Global Wind Power Growth shows surging capacity as turbines add megawatts to the grid; GWEC reports China, the United States, and Canada expanding wind farms, accelerating renewable energy generation across Europe despite economic headwinds.

Canada expanded its wind power production last year at a record pace, putting it among the top 10 countries that built new turbines in 2009.

Data unveiled by the Global Wind Energy Council showed that Canada's 950 megawatts of new wind turbines that were hooked up last year to the electrical grid placed it ninth overall among wind power producing nations.

China was the busiest at adding new capacity, with a massive 13,000 MW built, more than doubling its existing base of wind power production overall. The United States came second with 9,900 MW of new capacity, and Spain was third with 2,460 MW.

Around the world, global wind capacity rose as more than 37,000 MW of new wind farms were built last year.

"The continued rapid growth of wind power worldwide, despite the financial crisis and economic downturn, is testament to the inherent attractiveness of the technology, which is clean, reliable and quick to install," said Steve Sawyer, the Brussels-based wind council's secretary-general.

While Canada's wind industry is growing fast, it still doesn't make it into the top 10 for overall wind power capacity, even as China drives global wind growth elsewhere, a measure that includes existing and newly constructed wind farms.

The United States has the most wind farms, enough to generate more than 35,000 MW of power, though some warn it could fall behind China in development. Germany is second at 26,000 MW and China is third at 25,000 MW.

In Canada, there is 3,300 MW of wind capacity, enough to pump electricity to about a million homes, but it's only about 1 per cent of the total power produced in the country. All non-hydro renewables — including wind, solar, biomass and tidal power — add up to less than 2 per cent.

In Europe, by contrast, wind generates more than 9 per cent of the continent's power needs.

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