CanWEA Recognizes Wind Industry Leaders, Innovators and Supporters

April 6, 2017

The Canadian Wind Energy Association (CanWEA) recently announced the recipients of the 2017 CanWEA Awards at a gala dinner honouring industry leaders, innovators and supporters for their exceptional work on behalf of wind energy.

The awards were announced as part of CanWEA’s Spring Forum 2017, held in Gatineau, PQ. The forum provided dynamic access to information on provincial and federal energy initiatives related to the wind energy industry.

Panelists discussed what future generation scenarios may look like in Quebec and Ontario, Saskatchewan’s ambitious plans for wind energy procurement, and how the federal government’s pan-Canadian carbon price and plans to accelerate the reduction of polluting and greenhouse gas emitting energy production and use will impact wind energy development in Canada.

Here’s a list of CanWEA award winners.

• R.J. Templin Award — GE Energy Consulting, which led the team of companies that produced CanWEA’s groundbreaking Pan-Canadian Wind Integration Study (PCWIS). The demonstrates how Canada can reliably and cost-effectively get more than a third of its electricity from wind energy, and provides utilities, system operators, policymakers, and researchers with data they’ve never had access to before. During the three years required to complete the study, GE showed strong leadership and a commitment to finding innovative solutions to tackle the challenges presented by the sheer size and complexity of the analysis.

• Friend of Wind Award — Randy Hope, Mayor of the Municipality of Chatham-Kent in Ontario. Mayor Randy Hope’s commitment to sustainable economic development and job creation has made the municipality a wind energy leader. Chatham-Kent receives $2.3 million a year in local taxes generated from green energy projects, as well as millions more through landowner lease payments and contributions to community benefit agreements. The work Chatham-Kent has done to attract green businesses to the area has helped bring new jobs, investment, and economic diversification to the region.

• Matt Holder Community Connection Award — Adam Rosso, who has been directly involved in planning and executing nearly 1,500 MW of wind energy projects, and is guided by a belief that proactive and positive community engagement is the key to successful wind farm development. The First Nation groups and community organizations he has worked alongside recognize Adam as someone who goes above and beyond to understand their unique needs, and who is committed to fostering meaningful relationships built on shared goals and interests. Adam Rosso is the Director of Development at Boralex Inc.

• Individual Leadership Award — Jimmy Royer. The former Senior Technical Advisor, Natural Resources Canada, retired in July 2016 after 14 years of working with the federal government. During this time, he played a key role in developing policies and programs that have helped drive the rapid growth of wind energy in Canada, and laid a foundation for its continued expansion. His accomplishments include developing and managing the federal renewable energy incentive programs that helped kick start the industry in Canada, creating a database that will be used to develop sustainable energy solutions for remote communities, and supporting the Raglan Mine Wind Energy Project, a world-leading demonstration of wind and energy storage systems for off-grid mining operations.

• Group Leadership Award — Government of Alberta. The province’s plan to phase out coal-fired generation and add 5,000 MW of new renewable capacity to its grid by 2030 has made it the leading market for new wind energy investment in Canada. Its efforts are expected to attract significant interest from investors from around the world, bringing billions of dollars in new investment to the province and supplying Albertans with new cost-competitive, emissions-free electricity. The government has also taken the important step of putting a price on carbon, sending a clear market signal that will nudge the province’s economy towards greener, more diversified energy use.

• Wind Energy Project Award — Bull Creek Wind Facility, BluEarth Renewables Inc. BluEarth’s 29.2 MW Bull Creek Wind Facility came online in 2015, and was the only wind project built in Alberta that year. Located near the town of Provost, the project was able to move forward because of a unique power purchase contract with 25 rural school boards. The agreement was one of the first of its kind in Alberta, providing schools throughout the province with access to long-term, low-impact, and affordable renewable electricity. BluEarth is also working with the non-profit organization, Inside Education, to develop renewable energy educational resources for Alberta classrooms.

WiRE’s Wind Power Woman of Distinction Award, won by Julie Belley Perron of Kruger Energy, was also presented at the CanWEA Awards Dinner. Watch for more on this in a future issue.

Photo source: CanWEA.