Windstream Wolfe Island Shoals Inc., a subsidiary of Windstream Energy LLC has been awarded a contract by the Ontario Power Authority to develop Canada’s first offshore wind site.
The award is part of the latest round of contracts offered under the province's feed-in tariff program.
The 300-megawatts (MW) site is located west of Wolfe Island Ontario on approximately 48,000 acres of shallow
water shoals in Lake Ontario.
Windstream Energy was also advised that its ten on-shore projects, totalling 745
MW, have been placed in the Economic Connection Test queue for future review. The first such
test is scheduled for the August/September time frame.
Wolfe Island is one of the windiest areas of the province and has proven
local support for wind development, according to Ian Baines, President of Windstream Energy commented.
Baines has ties to the area as a graduate of Queen’s University and as the founder of
Canadian Renewable Energy Corporation, the original developer of the 200-MW Wolfe Island
EcoPower® Centre, which is adjacent and down-wind from the Windstream site.
Mark Bell, EVP of Windstream added “Off-shore wind power has been growing at a tremendous
rate in Europe because of the steady, reliable winds that occur off-shore. These advantages are
now being recognized in North America and we are proud that Wolfe Island Shoals has been
selected as the first offshore wind project in Canada.”
