International Power Canada Secures Power Purchase Agreements for Two Major Wind Farms in Ontario

TORONTO, Aug. 8, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- International Power Canada, Inc. announced it has secured 20-year Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) with the Ontario Power Authority for all of the output from its 99 MW Erieau and 99 MW East Lake St. Clair wind projects in southwestern Ontario. The PPAs will commence upon completion of construction and commissioning of both facilities, scheduled in early 2013.

The Ontario Power Authority, an agency of the Ontario Government, launched North America's first full-scale Feed-In Tariff (FIT) program for contracting renewable power in 2009. The FIT program provides long-term, fixed power prices for renewable sources of generation such as wind, solar and biomass in Canada's most populous province of 12 million people.

"The Erieau and East Lake St. Clair wind projects are strategic additions to our North American renewable footprint," explained Mike Crawley, president of International Power Canada. "Upon their completion, we will be one of the largest wind generators in Ontario with more than 350 MW of capacity. We are pleased to reinforce our commitment to environmentally sound power generation within a province that shares the same priority."

The Erieau and East Lake St. Clair projects, estimated to cost approximately CDN $300 million apiece and each consist of 55 Vestas V90 1.8 MW turbines, will create approximately 250 construction jobs during their peak construction periods and 12 permanent operating and maintenance positions to run the two facilities. During construction, the projects are expected to infuse approximately $50 million into the local economy.

"The skills at work in Chatham and Essex Counties where our wind facilities will reside help to demonstrate that the infrastructure, resources and support are available in the region and will keep the region competitive in Ontario's growing green energy economy," Crawley said.

Today within North America, International Power operates 25 renewable facilities powered by wind, biomass, and conventional hydro energy, totaling a capacity of 589 MW. Additionally, two pumped storage hydro plants add another 1,109 MW to the clean energy mix. In Canada specifically, the company currently operates five wind farms totaling 287 MW in the Canadian Maritimes and Ontario, and has another 600 MW of wind generation projects, including Erieau and East Lake St. Clair, under construction or development in Ontario and British Columbia.

About International Power in North America:

International Power manages a range of energy businesses in the U.S., Mexico, and Canada, including electricity generation and cogeneration, natural gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG) distribution and sales, asset-based trading and origination, and retail energy sales and related services to commercial and industrial customers.

The company owns and/or operates cogeneration, steam, and chilled water facilities, representing a capacity of more than 14,000 MW of electricity generation, 6.0 million pounds per hour of steam, and 42,000 tons per hour of chilled water. Renewable fuels—wind, hydro, and biomass—power 25 of the facilities in the portfolio, two of which are among the largest wind farms in eastern Canada. The company's natural gas assets include an LNG receiving terminal in Everett, Massachusetts, which currently meets approximately 20 percent of New England's annual gas demand; an offshore LNG import facility off the coast of Massachusetts; and natural gas distribution networks and pipelines in Mexico that serve nearly 400,000 customers.

International Power is listed on the London Stock Exchange with ticker symbol IPR. GDF SUEZ holds a 70% interest in International Power plc. For more information, please visit www.iprplc-gdfsuez.com   and www.gdfsuez.com.

SOURCE International Power Canada, Inc.