Canadian wind group urges government to reinstate tax credits

Canadian wind group urges government to reinstate tax credits

Seattle (Platts)--23Oct2006

The Canadian Wind Energy Association Monday urged the federal government
to reinstate wind power tax credits that expired in April, saying uncertainty
over future federal support threatens wind development in Canada.

"CanWEA believes that the federal government's emerging environmental
agenda should both end the current policy uncertainty and provide support to
Canada's rapidly developing wind energy industry," said Robert Hornung,
CanWEA's president.

Some 534 MW of wind power went online to date this year, representing C$1
billion ($900 million) of investment. This is expected to reach 700 MW by the
end of the year. The new development more than doubles the 240 MW that went
into operation in 2005. Canada now has 1,218 MW of wind energy installed.

"Federal support has stimulated provincial governments to pursue wind
energy development and they are now targeting a combined minimum of 10,000 MW
of installed wind energy capacity by 2015 and looking to the federal
government to continue its role as a supporting partner," Hornung said.

"The current policy uncertainty sends a negative signal to recent and
potential investors in wind energy projects and manufacturing facilities and
represents a threat to future investment in wind energy in Canada," he said.

CanWEA represents more than 250 companies involved in Canada's wind
energy industry, including wind turbine and component manufacturers, wind
energy project developers, electric utilities and service providers.

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