Building on Ontario's original foundation.
Ontario was built on renewable energy. Until the 1950s, the Niagara region's vast hydro resources effectively powered what is today the industrial core of Canada's economy.
Clean, safe, powerful and inexhaustible renewable energy can once again form the foundation of Ontario's economy - this time around through the development of the immense offshore wind resources in The Great Lakes.
Tapping into the tremendous winds blowing over The Great Lakes, and developing them to their full potential, could generate enough power to meet The Great Lake region's commercial, industrial and residential electricity needs without producing any greenhouse gas emissions or other sources of pollution associated with coal-fired, natural gas and nuclear power. It will also preclude the need to draw hundreds of billion of litres of water from The Great Lakes each year to produce high-pressure steam to drive their generators. Ontario needs to move forward to develop a green economy based on clean, safe and reliable renewable energy.
Ontario's reserved offshore wind potential
At present, Ontario developers have applied to lease contiguous offshore areas on the Canadian side of The Great Lakes that would generate 20,790 MW, roughly 59% of the province's total installed generation capacity.
Developing this clean energy source will:- Stabilize our energy supply and energy costs in the future;
- Help create a powerful new "green economy” in Ontario and The Great Lakes region;
- Position Ontario and The Great Lakes region for a strong, safe and healthy future.
Report to the Ontario Power Authority
In April 2008, Canadian wind energy consultancy Helimax Energy Inc. released a report commissioned by the Ontario Power Authority identifying 64 feasible offshore wind sites on the Ontario side of The Great Lakes.
According to their estimates, these sites could generate at least 35,000 MW of electricity. Along with the development of renewable energy storage systems, this could be enough to help meet the commercial, industrial and residential electricity needs of the entire province of Ontario (Tyler Hamilton, Toronto Star, June 20,2008).
"If developed, this amount of power would be equivalent to 10 Niagara Falls. Trillium Power is on track to make offshore wind a reality for Ontario.”
- John Kourtoff, President, Trillium Power Wind Corporation
Analysis of Future Offshore Wind Farm Development in Ontario
The map above shows the 64 feasible offshore and near-shore sites identified in the Helimax Report on the Ontario side of The Great Lakes that could generate 35,000 MW using 5 MW turbines.
Excellent offshore wind resources also exist in selected US Great Lakes States such as New York, Michigan and Wisconsin.