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Prince Wind Farm Opening

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22 November, 2006

Ontario Leads Canada in Windpower Generation

Ontario Vaults From Worst To First In Windpower In Canada Over Three Years

SAULT ST. MARIE – Ontario is now Canada’s leading wind power generator thanks in part to the opening today of the Prince wind farm on the shores of Lake Superior, northwest of Sault Ste. Marie , Energy Minister Dwight Duncan announced.

“Over the past three years, our government has worked to make Ontario the leading producer of renewable windpower in Canada,” Duncan said. “By 2008 we will have increased the amount of wind energy in the province up to 1300 megawatts. This is an 80-fold increase since 2003 and it has brought an estimated $2.5 billion in new investment to Ontario.”

The 189-megawatt two-phase $400 million Prince wind farm project is the fourth new wind farm to open in Ontario in the last nine months. The project’s 126 turbines will generate enough electricity to power over 40,000 homes.Ontario now has 413 megawatts of wind power generation, compared with 384 megawatts in Alberta.

“Today’s opening of the nearly $400 million Prince Wind Farm, through our renewable energy strategy, demonstrates the co-operation our government achieved with Brookfield Power to increase Ontario’s energy supply,” said David Orazietti Sault Ste. Marie, MPP. “Energy projects such as this and the recently announced co-generation facility at Algoma Steel not only allow companies to benefit from their investments, but have very positive environmental impacts through a reduction of greenhouse gases.”

"The completion of the Prince wind farm represents a major achievement for Brookfield Power,” said Harry Goldgut, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brookfield Power. "In a little over a year we have constructed Canada’s largest wind farm. It's a tribute to the members of the local community, our employees and construction partners and everyone else who supported this development, in particular the Ontario Government."

"We congratulate the Ontario Government for the actions it has taken to facilitate the installation of almost 400 MW of wind energy this year - all of Canada installed only 240 MW of wind energy in 2005," said Robert Hornung, President of the Canadian Wind Energy Association. "Ontario now has more installed wind energy capacity than any other province in Canada."

Brookfield Powers’ Prince wind farm is the fourth new wind project to open in Ontario. In April the 99- megawatt Erie Shores wind project near Port Burwell and the 40-megawatt Kingsbridge I wind project near Goderich began commercial operations. The 67-megawatt Melancthon wind project near Shelburne began operating in March.

To date the province has supported 18 new, renewable energy contracts. Combined, these projects will help Ontario reach its goal of generating five per cent of its electricity capacity through renewable generation by 2007, and ten per cent by 2010.

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Media Contacts:

Steve Erwin
Minister's Office
(416) 327-3546

Sylvia Kovesfalvi
Communications Branch
416-327-4334