Canada’s New Government Invests In Largest Wind Energy Project in the Province of Quebec

QUÉBEC CITY - The Honourable Gary Lunn, Minister of Natural Resources, today announced that the Baie-des-Sables Wind Energy Project, completed by Cartier Wind Energy, will receive more than $31 million, over ten years, under the ecoENERGY for Renewable Power initiative. Minister Lunn made the announcement at the Canadian Wind Energy Association of Canada (CanWEA ) Conference in Québec City.

“Canada must find a balance between energy production and the protection of our health and the environment,” said Minister Lunn. “Funding for the Baie-des-Sables Wind Energy Project sends a clear signal that our government is committed to increase the supply of clean, renewable energy for Canadians while helping Canada’s wind power industry grow.”

The Baie-des-Sables Wind Energy Project has 73 General Electric 1.5-megawatt turbines, with a total capacity of 109.5 megawatts. This is the first of six projects planned by Cartier Wind Energy. When all the projects are operational, Cartier Wind Energy will be the largest producer of wind power in the province of Quebec, with a capacity of some 740 megawatts.

“Cartier Wind Energy is proud to contribute to the development of wind energy potential in Quebec. We are thankful for this support. As per our power purchase agreement, 75 percent of this funding will go directly to Hydro-Québec, lowering the already affordable cost of wind energy and benefiting Hydro-Québec’s customer base,” said Gilles Lefrançois, Chairman of the Board of Cartier Wind Energy.

The ecoENERGY for Renewable Power initiative is providing $1.48 billion to increase Canada’s supply of clean electricity from renewable sources such as wind, biomass, low-impact hydro, geothermal, solar photovoltaic and ocean energy.

ecoENERGY for Renewable Power will encourage the production of 14.3 terawatt hours of new electricity from renewable energy sources, enough electricity to power about one million homes. It will also result in reductions of greenhouse gas emissions that are equivalent to taking one million cars off the road.