Wind Power in Ontario

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.

The following wind projects are currently under development:

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.