In Ontario, with energy becoming a central issue for the October 2011 election, the wind power industry has been in the news frequently. The issue has exploded on a number of fronts, ranging from the increasing cost of energy to the alleged detrimental effects of wind energy on the environment and health. Pro- and anti-wind lobbyists have been actively promoting their perspectives in the media.

Ontario’s wind power industry has certainly had its fair share of problems and has made what might be called errors in judgement. Do these missteps indicate the end to support for wind power in Ontario? Is this technology causing harm to the public and the environment? This report examines these questions, the evidence being submitted by both pro- and anti- wind agendas, and weigh the validity of the arguments presented from both sides.

A major voice on the anti-wind side is Wind Concerns Ontario (WCO). On the pro-wind power side, there’s the industry-led Canadian Wind Energy Association (CanWEA). We have examined each organization’s perspective, looking at several common arguments on both sides. This includes a brief background on WCO and CanWEA, their respective perspectives on what the energy mix of Ontario should be, the impact of wind power on public health, environmental impacts of wind farms, background on the legal and regulatory issues surrounding wind development, and the financial impacts of wind energy on the economy.

Information for this report was gathered from a large variety of sources and often uses multiple references to ensure information is appropriately corroborated. This includes information published by CanWEA, the Pembina Institute, Ontario Power Generation, Ontario Power Authority, consultant reports from the WCO website, Sierra Club of Canada, Independent Electricity Systems Operator, the Government of Ontario, interviews, academics and other media sources. Through a review of this data our report provides a unique perspective on the social, legal, economic, environmental and political issues surrounding wind energy in the province of Ontario.

This report was not commissioned by any company, organization, or other form of client. It represents independent research conducted by the staff at Actual Media Inc. for use and distribution at the company’s discretion.

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