In an anticipated move, the government in the Canadian province of Ontario suspended current off-shore wind applications under its FIT program to buy power generated by renewable sources.
The Ontario FIT offers North America's most comprehensive and lucrative rates for electricity generated from solar/PV, wind, water and biomass,
Only one off-shore wind project by developer Windstream Energy Inc. has been approved since the Ontario FIT came into effect in 2009. The FIT will accept no new applications for off-shore projects.
However, the moratorium will have no effect on applications for on-shore wind power projects.
Given the huge potential for utility-scale on-shore wind energy in provinces like Saskatchewan with a far superior wind regime to Ontario and much lower population densities, off-shore wind projects in the Great Lakes in Ontario made little financial sense. The Ontario provincial government has now recognized this and revised their FIT accordingly.
For off-shore wind developers, there are excellent opportunities for development in the Western Canadian province of British Columbia in the Pacific ocean and in the Eastern provinces of Newfoundland & Labrador, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island in the Atlantic ocean.
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