Wind Energy

GE to supply wind turbines to six Ontario wind farm plants

NextEra Energy Canada, a unit of NextEra Energy (NYSE: NEE), has selected GE’s (NYSE: GE) advanced wind power technology for six new wind farms in Ontario. Using GE’s new 1.6-100 wind turbines, the wind farms will produce more than 460 MW.

GE will supply 288 of its 1.6-100 wind turbines for the NextEra Energy Canada wind energy projects, marking one of the first installations of this wind power technology in Canada. GE has secured more than 1,200 MW of global commitments for this technology since it was launched in May.

Part of an investment of more than $1 billion by NextEra Energy Canada, the projects support Ontario’s Green Energy Act. Under the provisions of the Green Energy Act, 50 percent of all project goods and labor must come from Ontario at the time they reach commercial operation. Manufacturing facilities of GE and its suppliers in Port Colborne, Ottawa, Windsor and Stony Creek will all contribute to fulfilling the agreement with NextEra Energy Canada in meeting its domestic content commitments.

Subsidiaries of NextEra Energy Canada were awarded 20-year power purchase agreements by the Ontario Power Authority to develop the projects, which will be located at six sites across Ontario and are expected to enter commercial operation in 2013 and 2014. Together, these six projects are expected to create more than 4,000 direct and indirect jobs.

By José santamarta, www.ge.com