Wind Power in Ontario

The IESO constantly monitors wind generation on Ontario's transmission system. Instructions are available to embed the IESO Wind Tracker on your homepage or blog.

Ontario is at the forefront of wind in Canada with almost 1,100 MW of installed capacity on the transmission system. As system operator, the IESO plays a fundamental role in bringing many of these wind projects into service and ensuring that Ontario's power system can effectively support increased levels of wind generation.

The IESO is proactively engaged in addressing wind power related operational and planning matters through the Wind Power Standing Committee.

Currently there are seven large-scale wind farms in operation in Ontario. These facilities are dispersed across the province which helps to mitigate the impact of local weather conditions on wind energy. There is also another 68 MW of wind generation located within distribution service areas through Ontario Power Authority contracts.

Wind Farm	Capacity (MW)	Operational
Amaranth I, Township of Melancthon	67.5	Mar. 2006
Kingsbridge I, Huron County	39.6	Mar. 2006
Port Burwell (Erie Shores), Norfolk and Elgin Counties	99	May 2006
Prince I, Sault Ste. Marie District	99	Sep. 2006
Prince II, Sault Ste. Marie District	90	Nov. 2006
Ripley, Township of Huron-Kinloss	76	Dec. 2007
Port Alma (Kruger), Port Alma	101.2	Oct. 2008
Amaranth II, Township of Melancthon	132	Nov. 2008
Underwood (Enbridge), Bruce County	181.5	Feb. 2009
Wolfe Island, Township of Frontenac Islands	197.8	Jun. 2009

The following wind projects are currently under development:

Expected date of commercial operation
Byran Wind Project (64.5 MW)	2010
Gosfield Wind Project (50 MW)	2012
Greenwich Wind Farm (99 MW)	2011
Kruger Energy Chatham Wind Project (101.2 MW)	2011
Raleigh Wind Centre (78 MW)	2010
Talbot Wind Farm (99 MW)	2011

Ontario is well-positioned for considerable growth in wind generation with a good selection of sites across the province. The implementation of the Green Energy and Green Economy Act, 2009 is expected to accelerate the expansion of wind generation even further. The implementation of the Ontario Power Authority's Feed-In Tariff (FIT) program will allow the province's power system to integrate thousands of megawatts of additional renewable supply.

IESO centralized wind forecasting, due to begin in the summer of 2010, will help address the variable nature of wind energy, as it will allow the IESO to understand the periods of time in which greater levels of wind generation will be available. Equipped with this knowledge, the IESO will be better able to manage the province's electricity resources used to meet Ontario's needs.