Winds of change

The prospects for wind energy development in the Pincher Creek area of Alberta were discussed. Canada's largest commercial wind generation facility, located at Cowley Ridge near Pincher Creek, has a 1.5 megawatt capacity, enough to generate electricity for about 8,000 homes. Wind energy, along with other renewable energy sources such as geothermal, solar, biomass, bio-gas and small in-stream hydro projects, are important sources of locally available, environmentally friendly energy. (In Alberta, approximately 95 per cent of electricity is generated from burning coal). Public concern over greenhouse gas emissions has led policy makers to consider alternative sources of electricity generation. Among other alternatives, wind energy could bring both environmental enhancement and substantial economic development. While the cost of generating wind energy is high, it was suggested that if all the hidden costs of burning fossil fuels for electricity generation, including the cost of health care, environmental degradation and social costs, were shown on the consumer's bill, wind energy would be a far more economically attractive source of energy