Attention News Editors:

Ontario Leads Canada In Windpower Generation

    Ontario Vaults From Worst To First In Windpower In Canada Over Three
    Years

    SAULT ST. MARIE, ON, Nov. 22 /CNW/ - Ontario is now Canada's leading wind
power generator thanks in part to the opening today of the Prince wind farm on
the shores of Lake Superior, northwest of Sault Ste. Marie, Energy Minister
Dwight Duncan announced.
    "Over the past three years, our government has worked to make Ontario the
leading producer of renewable windpower in Canada," Duncan said. "By 2008 we
will have increased the amount of wind energy in the province up to 1300
megawatts. This is an 85-fold increase since 2003 and it has brought an
estimated $2.5 billion in new investment to Ontario."
    The 189-megawatt two-phase $400 million Prince wind farm project is the
fourth new wind farm to open in Ontario in the last nine months. The project's
126 turbines will generate enough electricity to power over 40,000 homes.
Ontario now has 413 megawatts of wind power generation, compared with 384
megawatts in Alberta.
    "Today's opening of the nearly $400 million Prince Wind Farm, through our
renewable energy strategy, demonstrates the co-operation our government
achieved with Brookfield Power to increase Ontario's energy supply," said
David Orazietti, Sault Ste. Marie, MPP. "Energy projects such as this and the
recently announced co-generation facility at Algoma Steel not only allow
companies to benefit from their investments, but have very positive
environmental impacts through a reduction of greenhouse gases."
    "The completion of the Prince wind farm represents a major achievement
for Brookfield Power," said Harry Goldgut, Chairman and Chief Executive
Officer, Brookfield Power. "In a little over a year we have constructed
Canada's largest wind farm. It's a tribute to the members of the local
community, our employees and construction partners and everyone else who
supported this development, in particular the Ontario Government."
    "We congratulate the Ontario Government for the actions it has taken to
facilitate the installation of almost 400 MW of wind energy this year - all of
Canada installed only 240 MW of wind energy in 2005," said Robert Hornung,
President of the Canadian Wind Energy Association. "Ontario now has more
installed wind energy capacity than any other province in Canada."
    Brookfield Powers' Prince wind farm is the fourth new wind project to
open in Ontario. In April the 99-megawatt Erie Shores wind project near Port
Burwell and the 40-megawatt Kingsbridge I wind project near Goderich began
commercial operations. The 67-megawatt Melancthon wind project near Shelburne
began operating in March.
    To date the province has supported 18 new, renewable energy contracts.
Combined, these projects will help Ontario reach its goal of generating five
per cent of its electricity capacity through renewable generation by 2007, and
ten per cent by 2010.

    Disponible en français.

    <<
                             www.energy.gov.on.ca


    Backgrounder
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                           Prince Wind Farm Opening
                           ------------------------
    >>

    The 189-megawatt Prince Wind Farm - the largest wind installation in
Canada - is now generating electricity to Ontario's grid. The 126 turbine,
$400 million project will generate enough electricity for up to 40,000 homes.
    Located in the Townships of Prince, Dennis and Pennefather, northwest of
Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Prince was the result of 2 winning proposals in the
government's renewable energy Request for Proposals (RFP) in 2004 and 2005.
The first proposal was for the 99 mega-watt Prince I and the second proposal
was the 90 mega-watt Prince II.
    The developer of the project is Brookfield Power, which has developed and
operated power-generating facilities for almost 100 years.

    <<
          Government of Ontario's Progress on Renewable Wind Energy
          ---------------------------------------------------------
    >>

    The Prince wind farm is Ontario's fourth new wind farm to open in the
last nine months. Erie Shores Wind Farm (99 megawatts) opened on April 13,
2006, Kingsbridge I Wind Project (40 megawatts) opened on April 6, 2006 and
Melancthon Grey Wind Project (67.5 megawatts) became commercially operational
on March 4, 2006.
    By the end of 2008, Ontario will generate up to 1,300 megawatts of wind
power, an 80-fold increase over 2003. This will make Ontario Canada's leader
in wind generation.
    The McGuinty government has set a target of generating five per cent of
Ontario's total installed energy capacity from new renewable sources by 2007,
and 10 per cent by 2010.
    Through its renewable RFP process the government has supported 18
contracts for a total of over 1,300 megawatts of clean renewable energy from
wind, water, landfill gas and biogas projects.

For further information: Steve Erwin, Minister's Office, (416) 327-3546;
Sylvia Kovesfalvi, Communications Branch, (416) 327-4334