Wind farm going up off Wolfe Island

48,000 ACRES IN WATER: Canadian company subsidiary is awarded contract by Ontario Power Authority

CAPE VINCENT — More turbines are coming.

Windstream Wolfe Island Shoals Inc. was awarded a contract with the Ontario Power Authority to buy power from a 300-megawatt wind project in the waters west of Wolfe Island.

The company is a subsidiary of Windstream Energy Inc., Burlington, Ontario.

Windstream President Ian Baines founded Canadian Renewable Energy Corp., the original developer of the 86-turbine, 197.8-megawatt Wolfe Island Wind Project, across the St. Lawrence River from here.

"Wolfe Island is one of the windiest areas of the province and has proven local support for wind development," Mr. Baines said in a press release.

The project will cover about 48,000 acres in water 10 to 20 feet deep.

"We're looking at a range of sizes and manufacturers now," said Nancy E. Baines, wife of Ian and director of finance and administration for Windstream.

The two graduated from Queen's University. After starting work on the original Wolfe Island project, Mr. Baines sold the project to Canadian Hydro Developers Inc. The wind project is now owned and operated by TransAlta Energy Corp.

The project must be built within the next four years under the contract. Engineers must complete a wind study, environmental assessment and engineering designs. They also need to acquire the rights to use the land from the Ministry of Natural Resources.

"We're mobilizing the forces," she said.

The contract with the Ontario Power Authority gives renewable energy projects guaranteed prices for electricity for 20 years. The feed-in tariff program will lead to 18.5 cents per kilowatt hour from the offshore project, Mrs. Baines said.

The market price for electricity in Ontario is currently 3.44 cents per kilowatt hour, reported The Globe and Mail, Toronto, on Thursday.

The Ontario government awarded contracts just over $8 billion for solar and wind projects.

"We're absolutely thrilled to receive the contract," Mrs. Baines said. "It was the largest award and the only offshore wind project included."

Windstream is developing other projects in Ontario, British Columbia and Wyoming.