British Columbians Supportive of Wind Energy as Industry Aims for 2025 Goals

Sign up for daily news updates from CleanTechnica on email. Or follow us on Google News!

wind turbine in british columbia

British Columbians want more wind energy, a recent survey finds, while the industry is aiming by 2025 to increase wind power capability in the province dramatically.

A recent survey by Oracle Research and the Canadian Wind Energy Association (CanWEA) said 76% of British Columbians support expanding wind energy as a source of clean electricity within the Canadian province. The poll, done September 26-27, mentioned 84% of respondents want enough energy created within the province to meet demand while not having to import from other sources. Research also found 55% in the poll want new energy sources with minimal environmental impact.

Robert Hornung, President of CanWEA, said that meeting ever-increasing energy demand, addressing lowering greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), and supplying low-cost energy is something residents in the province support.

Just as residents are in overwhelming support on wind energy, CanWEA also came out with a report or plan entitled WindVision 2025. The plan is to increase wind energy capacity from 250 megawatts (MW), which is 1 % of BC’s electricty’s demand now, to 5,250 MW or 17% of the province’s demand by 2025.

Currently, sixth overall in installed wind energy capacity in Canada, the report argues that despite BC’s well-known hydro electricity supply, various factors support much more use of wind energy, including: increasing costs with hydro building dams and higher demand by customers.

The report said wind energy as a source of electricity in the province provides positives, thanks to wind power’s dramatically lower cost, lower environmental impact compared to other sources, and local community benefits.

BC has many advantages when it comes to wind energy, including its high potential for offshore wind capacity. Keep your eye on this region.

Image Credit: AttributionNoncommercialShare Alike Some Rights Reserved By James Wheeler
 


Have a tip for CleanTechnica? Want to advertise? Want to suggest a guest for our CleanTech Talk podcast? Contact us here.

Latest CleanTechnica TV Video


Advertisement
 
CleanTechnica uses affiliate links. See our policy here.

Adam Johnston

is expected to complete the Professional Development Certificate in Renewable Energy from the University of Toronto by December 2017. Adam recently completed his Social Media Certificate from Algonquin College Continuing & Online Learning. Adam also graduated from the University of Winnipeg with a three-year B.A. combined major in Economics and Rhetoric, Writing & Communications in 2011. Adam owns a part-time tax preparation business. He also recently started up Salay Consulting and Social Media services, a part-time business which provides cleantech writing, analysis, and social media services. His eventual goal is to be a cleantech policy analyst. You can follow him on Twitter @adamjohnstonwpg or check out his business www.salayconsultiing.com.

Adam Johnston has 305 posts and counting. See all posts by Adam Johnston