Wind energy industry congratulates Premier-designate Kathleen Wynne; looks forward to continued leadership on clean energy

OTTAWA, Jan. 27, 2013 /CNW/ - Canadian Wind Energy Association (CanWEA) extends its congratulations to Ontario Premier-designate Kathleen Wynne and stands ready to continue to make Ontario a North American leader in the generation of clean, affordable electricity, new jobs and rural economic investments.

"We look forward to engaging with Premier-designate Wynne and working collaboratively to ensure Ontario continues to attract new investments, create new manufacturing jobs, and provide Ontarians with the clean and flexible electricity system they want," said Robert Hornung , president of CanWEA. "As Canada's leader in the production of wind energy, Ontario now meets about 3 per cent of its electricity demand with wind. The growth of wind energy has injected hundreds of millions of dollars into communities across the province, allowed landowners and farmers to participate directly in a clean energy economy, helped once-ailing manufacturing facilities diversify, and provided good home-grown jobs for college graduates. With a stable policy environment, wind energy can deliver even more benefits to Ontario."

Ontario currently has over 2,000 MW of installed wind energy capacity - about enough to power 600,000 average homes with emissions-free power.

About CanWEA

CanWEA is the voice of Canada's wind energy industry, actively promoting the responsible and sustainable growth of wind energy on behalf of its almost 400 members. A national non-profit association, CanWEA serves as Canada's leading source of credible information about wind energy and its social, economic and environmental benefits. To join other global leaders in the wind energy industry, CanWEA believes Canada can and must reach its target of producing 20 per cent or more of the country's electricity from wind by 2025. The document Wind Vision 2025 - Powering Canada's Future is available at www.canwea.ca.

SOURCE CANADIAN WIND ENERGY ASSOCIATION