Canadacould get up to 35% of its energy from wind power while maintaining gridreliability, according to a new study from the Canadian Wind Energy Association.
Thestudy does not say that 35% is the technical limit and in fact implies thatCanada could go even further with wind.
Thestudy, "Pan-Canadian Wind Integration Study," was prepared byGeneral Electric Co.
Anoverall theme of the study is that greater amounts of wind can be integratedinto the Canadian grid "cost-effectively," the association said in aJuly 6 statement.
Theestimated wind energy has a value of C$40.50 per MWh in the 35% scenario andC$43.40 per MWh in the 20% scenario, a range that is in line with the levelizedcost of electricity at wind projects recently developed in North America. Thatindicates that the wind energy "is very likely to be economicallyfeasible," the study said.
Joining the U.S. and Mexico, Canada's government recentlycommitted to helpingboost clean electricity generation in North America to 50% by 2025. Accordingto Canadian Minister of Natural Resources Jim Carr, the wind study helps reveala way to cut emissions. "Understanding the implications of integrating agreater amount of wind energy into Canada's electrical system contributes toour goal of developing clean energy resources and moving our country towards alow-carbon economy," Carr said in a statement.
One aspect of Canada's energy system that may makeintegrating wind easier is its high amount of hydroelectric resources.
Another advantage for Canada isthat, for the most part, the country has "high quality" windresources in all of its provinces. While some regions of Canada are better forwind than others — wind farms were found to operate at 34% of their fullcapacity in British Columbia, while Nova Scotia wind farms operated at 40%, forexample —
As of the end of 2015, wind power supplied about 5% ofCanada's electricity demand,according to a reportreleased in April by the Global Wind Energy Council.