EJQ1 - Summer 2024 - Journal - Page 19
THE FIRST GENERATION of Canadian wind farms are on the edge of
reaching their original serviceable life, leaving Independent Power Producers (IPPs) with an important decision to make on their next steps.
Built, in most cases, to meet the lifetime needs of speci昀椀c production
agreements, these wind turbines are producing valuable and more-required-than-ever energy resources for communities across the country.
It’s a decision that must be carefully considered and prepared in advance,
with economic, social, and environmental impacts at stake. Not to
mention consideration of the alternative, the energy resources supplying
the grid that would replace the power generation if the wind farm was to
shut down.
The current landscape
In the earliest days of wind farms, it was common that PPAs (Power
Purchase Agreements) were made for 20 years. It was, therefore, logical
to align the engineering design life to support
this timeline.
CUTLINE
The 昀椀rst Canadian wind farm was established
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