Developers lament loss of wind subsidies


Substation Relay Protection Training

Our customized live online or in‑person group training can be delivered to your staff at your location.

  • Live Online
  • 12 hours Instructor-led
  • Group Training Available
Regular Price:
$699
Coupon Price:
$599
Reserve Your Seat Today

Canada ecoENERGY wind program faces non-renewal, risking wind power growth as federal incentives lapse. Industry warns of lost investment, jobs, and competitiveness versus US policies amid clean energy transition and climate policy harmonization.

 

The Important Points

A 2007-2011 federal incentive that subsidized wind power output, spurring new projects, investment, and jobs in Canada.

  • Began in 2007; no support for projects built after March 2011
  • Provided production incentives to accelerate wind capacity additions
  • Aimed to attract investment and create clean energy jobs
  • Non-renewal risks capital flight to the United States

 

The Canadian Wind Energy Association is expressing disappointment with the federal government’s recent decision not to expand or extend the so-called ecoEnergy program — which delivered subsidies to renewable energy developers — in its new budget.

 

According to the association, the program has been a success, and without it, Canada’s ability to compete with American developers in the U.S. clean-energy market is jeopardized.

“The failure to extend and expand the ecoEnergy program will slow wind energy development and leave renewables blowing in the wind and reduce our ability to compete with the United States for investment and jobs at a critical time in our economic recovery,” the group’s president, Robert Hornung, said in a statement.

Mr. Hornung’s group suggests that the Canadian government is backpedaling on its robust clean-energy endeavors and risks losing out on green energy as it seeks to harmonize climate change and clean energy policies with those currently evolving in the United States.

“While we remain committed to working with the federal government to find ways to attract new investment in the world’s most rapidly growing source of electricity, we are shocked and disappointed that it has chosen not to extend a cost-effective program that facilitated record levels of investment and job creation in Canada’s wind energy sector in the midst of the recession of 2009,” Mr. Hornung said.

The decision not to maintain the program, which was started in 2007, means that there will be no support for new wind energy projects built after March 2011. Federal incentives for renewable energy projects are not up for renewal until after 2012, prompting analysts to push for Ontario wind tax breaks as a stopgap measure. The fear among Canadians in the industry is that this will lead investors to move their cash from Canada to the United States.

“While the federal government continues to identify clean energy and job creation as a priority, the actions taken in the 2010 federal budget make it clear that it has decided to download responsibility for attracting wind energy investment and jobs to provincial governments,” Mr. Hornung said.

 

Related News

Related News

Iran, Iraq Discuss Further Cooperation in Energy Sector

Iran-Iraq Electricity Cooperation advances with power grid synchronization, cross-border energy trade, 400-kV transmission lines, and…
View more

California Welcomes 70 Volvo VNR Electric Trucks

Switch-On Project Electric Trucks accelerate California freight decarbonization, deploying Volvo VNR Electric rigs with high-capacity…
View more

BC Hydro to begin reporting COVID-19 updates at Site C

BC Hydro COVID-19 Site C updates detail monitoring, self-isolation at the work camp, Northern Health…
View more

Restrict price charged for gas and electricity - British MPs

UK Energy Price Cap aims to protect consumers on gas and electricity bills, tackling Big…
View more

Two new BC generating stations officially commissioned

BC Hydro Site C and Clean Energy Policy shapes B.C.'s power mix, affecting run-of-river hydro,…
View more

Britain's National Grid Drops China-Based Supplier Over Cybersecurity Fears

National Grid Cybersecurity Component Removal signals NCSC and GCHQ oversight of critical infrastructure, replacing NR…
View more

Sign Up for Electricity Forum’s Newsletter

Stay informed with our FREE Newsletter — get the latest news, breakthrough technologies, and expert insights, delivered straight to your inbox.

Electricity Today T&D Magazine Subscribe for FREE

Stay informed with the latest T&D policies and technologies.
  • Timely insights from industry experts
  • Practical solutions T&D engineers
  • Free access to every issue

Live Online & In-person Group Training

Advantages To Instructor-Led Training – Instructor-Led Course, Customized Training, Multiple Locations, Economical, CEU Credits, Course Discounts.

Request For Quotation

Whether you would prefer Live Online or In-Person instruction, our electrical training courses can be tailored to meet your company's specific requirements and delivered to your employees in one location or at various locations.