The solar park will generate enough green renewable energy to displace 9,500 metric tonnes of carbon emissions annually that would have otherwise been produced by non-renewable power generation in Ontario. The solar power will be generated and used to meet the needs of the local region.

Mayor Lynn Peterson said the City of Thunder Bay and the Community Economic Development Commission are pleased to welcome this solar farm and new jobs to Thunder Bay. "We are thrilled to be part of this expansion of renewable energy in the north and make Thunder Bay home to one of the first solar farms in Canada."

Robert Mace, President and CEO of Thunder Bay Hydro, commented, "We look forward to working with SkyPower to integrate this important renewable generation project into Thunder Bay Hydro's distribution network. Having a large renewable generator connected to our system will have a positive impact on local reliability and we recognize that this project represents a significant contribution to meeting the future electricity needs of the Province."

A 20 year power purchase agreement (PPA) for the solar park was awarded to SkyPower Corp. and SunEdison Canada under the Ontario Power Authority's Standard Offer Program. Under the PPA, SkyPower and SunEdison Canada will own, build and maintain the solar park.

Approximately 50 local jobs will be created for construction of the plant and two full time long-term positions will be created for operations and maintenance of the solar park. The park is currently scheduled to be operational and delivering clean renewable power to the Ontario grid by end of 2008.

Kerry Adler, President and CEO of SkyPower Corp., commented, "We are very pleased to announce another milestone in our joint venture's development of renewable power capacity in Ontario. This project is a great example of the potential for solar power parks to be established in such forward thinking communities like Thunder Bay and others across the province, meeting a growing need for power while stimulating regional economic diversity and stabilizing the local power supply. The Honorable Minister Duncan's vision for a clean Ontario and the Ontario Power Authorities tireless efforts is a testament to what committed individuals can do to reduce and offset the harmful emissions in Canada as we all work in concert to make the air we share a lot cleaner for the generations to come."

Jigar Shah, CEO of SunEdison Canada, added, "SunEdison Canada is delighted to be working with our partner SkyPower, the government of Ontario, and Thunder Bay Power to deliver our second utility scale power plant for the delivery of clean, renewable energy to the citizens of Canada. We look forward to the ground breaking in 2008."

Michael J. Odrich, global head of Private Equity for Lehman Brothers, said, "We are pleased with SkyPower's joint venture with SunEdison and its success in Ontario. The Standard Offer Program in Ontario highlights the province's commitment to renewable energy and can serve as a model for other provinces. We look forward to partnering with the Ontario Power Authority, the Thunder Bay municipality as well as Thunder Bay Hydro in making this project a success."

Community
Email This Article
Comment On This Article

Related Links
SunEdison
All About Solar Energy at SolarDaily.com

Memory Foam Mattress Review

SPACE MEDIA NETWORK PROMOTIONS Solar Energy Solutions Tempur-Pedic Mattress Comparison ... Newsletters :: SpaceDaily :: SpaceWar :: TerraDaily :: Energy Daily XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News