Canada - Manitoba to host national wind engery conference

Manitoba will welcome more than 1,000 delegates to Winnipeg Oct. 22 - 25 for the national Canadian Wind Energy Association (CanWEA) conference, the largest conference in the organization's history, Energy, Science and Technology Minister Dave Chomiak announced today. "Manitoba is home to one of Canada's largest wind farms and our government is committed to developing 1,000 megawatts of wind power over the next decade," Chomiak said.

"Manitoba is positioning itself to be a Canadian leader in wind energy deployment," said CanWEA president Robert Hornung. "This year's conference and trade show is expected to be the largest in the history of the organization with more than 120 exhibitors and over 1,000 delegates." The 22nd annual CanWEA conference will unite policymakers, developers, turbine manufacturers and financers. The event will include workshops on community wind and small wind development. Delegates will be able to tour the St. Leon wind farm and learn about Manitoba's composite sector, expected to play a key role in the future of the wind industry. Algonquin Power recently commissioned the $210-million, 99-megawatt (MW) project at St. Leon, which will provide enough electricity for approximately 35,000 homes. Last February, the province and Manitoba Hydro jointly called for expressions of interest for a further 1,000 MW plan and received 43 responses from a wide range of stakeholders. A further allocation of wind power will be announced soon.

Manitoba's commitment to wind power forms an integral part of the province's Green and Growing strategy including low-impact hydro development, ethanol, biodiesel, hydrogen, heat pumps and energy efficiency. Manitoba has been honoured with three awards for its commitment to clean, renewable energy. The province was recently recognized by BusinessWeek magazine as the top jurisdiction in the world for combating climate change and was acknowledged by the David Suzuki Foundation for having the strongest climate change strategy in Canada. The Canadian Energy Efficiency Alliance commended the province for leading the country in energy efficiency.

More information about the conference is available at www.manitobaenergy.ca