GreenerPolitics

by Jan Triska, Greenerpolitics correspondent 

I remember the pioneering days of the mid 1990s when the wind turbines at Pincher Creek were no more than a dozen or so, all arranged in a row on the spine of a long ridge…a great photo-op and a glimpse into a futuristic landscape where, one day, electricity would be made from wind. But there were only a few and it seemed an experimental exercise.

Fast forward a dozen years and Alberta is now home to the second (or third, depending on the sources) largest supplier of wind-generated power to the grid in this country. Only Ontario has currently more installed generating capacity. One could even say that Alberta has lead the way; it certainly is known to have significant wind power construction expertise, wind mapping expertise and notable entrepreneurs in the field like Jason Edworthy of VisionQuest.

The latest chapter in wind power development comes from Enmax. Their newest - and to-date largest wind farm has been unveiled near the town of Taber. Utilizing the latest German-made technology, the Enercon turbines in this farm are pretty much the state-of the art models. With only 37 wind turbines, the project has a maximum generating capacity of 80 MW - the highest capacity among the Alberta-based wind farms. It is enough to apparently power a town of 32,000 inhabitants. It is also a testimony to how quickly the efficiency and the relative output of wind turbines have grown. I personally recall an interview with Robert Hornung, the Canwea president, a few years ago when he’d said ” the wind power industry worldwide is developing along a technological curve that’s comparable to what happened in the computer industry in the 80s“. In other words, a qualitative and quantitative revolution, with a new leap occurring every three or four years. Promising news indeed to those who want cleaner electricity sources. The only thing I have to add, as a writer in the public domain, is ” imagine the money we would make if there was a home-grown industry of manufacturing wind turbines, in Canada…no more having to import expensive parts from Germany or Denmark”.

When I saw the ENMAX press release and the technical background, what struck home was how the public rarely sees the amount of planning, preparation and construction that goes into the new generation of these industrial size wind farms. It is a lot of work.

For the details, please read at :

http://www.enmax.com/Corporation/Media+Room/Q+and+A+-+Taber+Wind+Power+Project.htm