Lameque wind farm up and running

Lameque Wind Farm, a 45 MW renewable energy project by Acciona, uses 30 wind turbines and a 25-year PPA with NB Power to deliver clean, stable electricity and grid reliability for New Brunswick communities.

The Lameque Wind Power Project in northeastern New Brunswick is now generating power, NB Power announced.

Acciona Wind Energy began construction last summer on the $115 million, 45-megawatt wind farm.

The project was initiated by La Cooperative d'Energie Renouvelable de Lameque and has a 25-year power purchase agreement with NB Power.

The federal government will invest about Ottawa invests $13.8 million into the project over 10 years.

The wind energy project was delayed in 2009 because of the uncertainty over wind farms in a slowing economy.

The 30, 1.5-megawatt wind power wind turbines are spread over about 1,255 hectares. Since wind isn't a constant resource, having multiple wind farms in one market, including Nova Scotia projects that received green lights, allows for stable power supply overall.

The project signed lease agreements with 68 landowners in the northeastern community.

The power generated will supply enough energy for about 8,000 homes per year, according to a news release.

"We are very proud of this project and are pleased to see it successfully generating energy for the Maritimes region and beyond," said Dan Foley, the CEO of Acciona Energy North America.

"[It's] proof that with the right partners and hard work, we can create clean energy that benefits the community via job creation and economic growth."

Gaetan Thomas, the president of NB Power, said the project was a step towards the company's vision of sustainable electricity.

The province's goal, as renewable winds in New Brunswick expand, is to have 10 per cent of power sales from renewable sources by 2016.

"To ensure that we have sustainable electricity, we need to meet the needs of today while ensuring the future," Thomas said.

The news release also said that the project brought hundreds of jobs to the area.

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