By Naveco Power
Why wind energy will benefit New Brunswick. Let’s break this statement into two parts. First off, why wind energy in general? And secondly, what are the specific impacts it will have on our province. So, sit back, we’ll breeze right to the point. Sorry, we know…wind puns blow.
Let’s get into the reasons why wind energy has been successful in many countries for several decades. In Canada alone, wind energy grew more between 2008 and 2018 than any other form of electricity generation! The total installed capacity of wind generation in 2018 reached 12,816 MW, and for those of you who have no idea what that number means, let us break that down for you. 12,816 MW is equivalent to over 674 million cars driven for one year. That’s a lot of cars!
Question for you: when you walk into a store, whether it be clothing, groceries, etc., what do you look for the most? Products on sale! It just so happens that wind energy is one of the lowest-priced energy sources available today. Who doesn’t love a good deal? Not only is it cost-effective, wind is an inexhaustible source of renewable energy.
Wind is clean. It doesn’t add pollution into our air like burning coal. By reducing the use of fossil fuels, it will lower the amount of bad stuff in our atmosphere that causes health problems and economic damages (and no, President Trump, wind turbines don’t cause cancer.)
Now that we’ve heard why wind works let’s see why it works in New Brunswick! We’ve heard that a new 20 MW wind farm is being developed in the northern part of our province… I wonder by who 😉
If this is the case, let’s focus specifically why wind will help that area of New Brunswick thrive.
First of all, 20 MW is enough energy to power almost 9,000 homes. That’s equivalent to all the residential homes in Bathurst! The annual energy production of a 20 MW wind farm is equal to over 6 billion smartphones charged. The creation of the wind farm can create 100 jobs during just the construction phase alone. Along with that, ten direct and indirect jobs are created to maintain the turbines over the rest of their lifetime. These jobs provide employment for the local residents, which will overall increase the economic opportunities for the community.
There’s a significant community benefit as well. During the different phases of creating the wind farm, workers from outside the area will increase revenue for service businesses. This can include bed and breakfasts, restaurants, etc. Wind farms can also enhance tourism and strengthen the local tax base!
So, there’s the gist of it. Congrats, you actually read until the end! We’re curious, if you have given this a read between now and the end of 2019, let us know what our next wind or solar farm should be named and receive a free hat or toque (send us an email to iactuallyreadthis@naveco.ca…. And yes, we swear that’s a real email address!) Because let’s be honest, New Brunswick has lots of wind! So, the next time you’re walking the coastline near the boardwalk in Bertrand, don’t curse the wind for messing up your hair, embrace it!
