Past President of Ontario Sustainable Energy Association and Author of Wind Power Books - Paul Gipe

“Wind energy offers a new cash crop for Ontario farmers, potentially pumping billions into the rural economy. Wind turbines require only a very small land area, in some cases allowing farmers to plow to the base of the towers. Farmers, by either leasing their land to wind developers or by installing the wind turbines themselves, can earn tens of thousands of dollars per year in revenue while continuing to produce their traditional crops.”
Wind Power Benefits

  1. It Provides Sustainable Income: Local Farmers receive substantial Royalty Income for hosting wind turbines on their property
  2. It Contributes to Local Taxes: Municipality receives both Municipal and School taxes from the Wind Project 
  3. It Creates Jobs: Permanent full-time jobs are created in the community from the wind project
  4. It Provides Opportunities: Jobs are created and money is spent locally to procure material and services during construction
  5. It Boosts Local Economy: Annual local expenditure is undertaken during operation and maintenance
  6. It Improves Infrastructure: Local Infrastructure like Roads, Power, Transportation etc. is upgraded and improved
  7.  It is Clean Power: Wind Power displaces the need to ramp up coal, oil and gas powered generation thus improving air quality and reducing green house gases
  8. It is Affordable: It saves money for ratepayers by offsetting oil, gas fired generation and expensive power imports.
  9. It Spurs Economic Growth: Created jobs regionally and nationaly in steel, composite, manufacturing, and power devices
  10. It Encourages Tourism: Encourages eco-tourism and promotes local hospitality enterprises like bed and breakfast, tours etc.
  11. It is Abundant & Reliable: Diversifies regional power sources, local economy, and enhances sustainability.
  12. It Contributes to Community Funding: It Contributes and Sponsors Local Community Initiatives
  13. It is Compatible with Agriculture: Wind Power has a smaller footprints, can be build in modular increments, can be easily decommissioned, and provides the best guarantee of preserving natural rural landscape
  14. It Works: Currently Denmark gets 21% of its power from wind, Ontario is planning to achieve a 10% target of its power from wind.
  15. It is Popular: Majority of surveys undertaken to date show almost 84% support for wind power. Wind is growing annually 30-35% around the World
  16. It Reduces Power Losses: Distributed generation like wind projects near point of consumption help reduce transmission losses. As found in a study done for Hydro One networks by Navigant Consulting in June 2005, and title "Avoided Cost Analysis for the Evaluation of CDM Measures"

Case Studies of Benefits in Canada

Economic Contribution of Wind Energy in Canada in 2006
Economic Impact Analysis of the Proposed Wind Development in Southeast Alberta
North Cape Wind Farm
Summerview Wind Farm
Pincher Creek
Parc Eolien Du Renard
Toronto
Impact of the Wind Industry in Quebec - French only
whywind.org, because we CAIRE

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