| Canada is known for having wide open spaces, which | | | | These wind farms currently produce 1,049 MW of |
| means plenty of wind. Here is a guide to wind energy | | | | electricity, which is about .1% of the country's needed |
| in Canada. | | | | electricity supply (Canada estimates their needed |
| Many countries in the world have started to tap in to | | | | amount of energy to be about 1,000,000 MW). Canada |
| the rich energy resource known as wind energy. While | | | | has some of the best potential for wind energy of any |
| some of these places are just starting up their wind | | | | country in the world, due to the many miles of coastline |
| farms and wind energy harnessing technology, other | | | | and the largest prairies of any country. |
| countries have a fully formed plan to use this | | | | The Canadian Wind Energy Association estimates that |
| renewable resource to energy their homes and cities. | | | | the northern part of the province of Quebec, for |
| When it comes to wind energy, Canada has one of | | | | example, has the potential to produce 40% of |
| the world's biggest and most well formed plans to use | | | | Canada's energy needs. The association also |
| this energy. | | | | estimates that the cost of producing electricity from |
| The first use of wind energy Canada can trace back | | | | wind energy is about six to twelve cents per KW h, |
| to is in the 1800's, when windmills were placed in | | | | which is more expensive than some other current |
| various parts of North America in order to harness the | | | | methods of producing electricity, but that the cost of |
| energy created by wind. Up until the 1930's, many rural | | | | using wind energy electricity will decrease by three to |
| areas still used windmills to produce their electricity, but | | | | five percent every year. |
| the extension of national energy grids in the US and | | | | As energy sources in the country go, wind energy in |
| Canada made the use of windmills in this capacity | | | | Canada produces is far less than any other. |
| obsolete. It wasn't until the later part of the 20th | | | | Additionally, while the potential is great for Canada to |
| century that the potential of wind energy was again | | | | use wind energy, the federal incentives to businesses, |
| discovered. | | | | cities and homes to use wind for their energy is not |
| There are wind turbines and wind farms installed in | | | | great. Once the government gets fully on board with |
| most provinces of Canada at this time, with the | | | | wind energy, it can definitely be a great source of |
| province of British Columbia being the exception. | | | | electricity for the entire country. |