Wind energy is providing social and economic benefits and diversifying communities across Canada

Host communities are realizing significant economic and social benefits through new municipal tax revenues, plus stable income for farmers and landowners from land lease agreements.
Wind energy is creating new high-value jobs, providing employment opportunities for local trades-people and contractors as well as full-time permanent jobs once the wind farm is operational.
Wind energy projects bring direct investment in the form of contracts for materials and services and infusion of dollars to local businesses.
Developers are establishing innovative ways to provide additional social and economic benefits and support community partnerships (e.g. voluntary Community Benefits Program / Community Vibrancy Funds).
Community Liaison Committees are being established in developer communities to create a foundation for meaningful dialogue, while supporting an atmosphere of public trust and confidence between the wind energy developer and community.
The Canadian wind industry produced the Best Practices for Indigenous and Public Engagement guide to improve and strengthen industry practices as wind energy grows across Canada.

Did you know?

According to the Alberta Supply Chain Study, the Alberta government’s Renewable Electricity Program will drive $8.3 billion of investment in new wind energy projects in the province. These projects are expected to result in $3.6 billion in local spending and 28,000 job years of employment by 2030.

The wind industry in Quebec employs 5,000 full-time workers, whose average annual salary is 30 per cent higher than the Quebec average.

According to Secor-KPMG, in ten years, the development of the wind industry in Quebec has led to $10 billion in investments, an annual wealth generation of $473 million and annual tax revenues of $75 million to the Quebec government. Thanks to the wind industry, Quebec municipalities can count on $25 million in annual revenue in addition to the return on investment for municipalities that financially participate in projects.

$25 million was invested into the community of Wolfe Island in Ontario during construction, and royalties to landowners, tax payments, operation and maintenance expenses and ongoing local economic benefits add up to an another $3 million a year.

Creating jobs in a homegrown industry

Wind energy is providing high quality jobs for graduates of Fanshawe College, St. Lawrence College and St. Clair College in Ontario, Lethbridge College in Alberta, Groupe Collegia in Quebec and Northern Lights College in BC, to name a few.
For every direct job created in the wind energy industry, there are spin-off jobs created in the value chain in areas like construction, transportation, provision of aggregate, etc. Much of the raw materials used in construction of wind farms is sourced locally, so the benefits are experienced at a regional level.
According to the 2015 Compass Renewable Energy Consulting study – Wind Dividends: An Analysis of the Economic Impacts from Ontario’s Wind Procurements (updated in 2018) – found that in the 25 years from 2006-2030, Ontario’s wind energy industry will generate 64,500 person-years of employment, $4.6 billion in personal earnings, and add $6.2 billion to provincial GDP.
A report by Blue Green Canada More Bang For Our Buck examined the $1.3 billion in taxpayer subsidies the federal government provides to the oil industry and found that if those dollars were invested in renewable energy or energy efficiency it could create between 18,000-20,000 jobs. In comparison, that same amount of money invested in oil and gas would yield less than 3,000 jobs.

Resources

A 2015 Quebec study, “Estimate of the number of wind industry jobs in the Montreal area”, found that Montreal has become a major North American hub for the wind energy industry. The sector employs nearly 1,000 people in highly skilled jobs, with an average salary that compares favourably with other major industries in the city.
An investigation by Aviseo Consulting confirmed that of the 5,000 jobs in the wind industry in Quebec, nearly 1,000 are in the Montréal region. These jobs have an average annual salary of $72,500, which is 42 per cent higher than the average in Montréal.
This study by Dr. Jean-Claude Thibodeau assessed the economic benefits of the wind energy industry in Quebec and Gaspésie from 2005 to 2025.
These figures were updated by Secor-KPMG in winter 2013.
Take a look at Wind. For My Community for examples of significant economic benefits of real wind projects in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia.
Projects where developers have set up a Community Liaison Committee include Summerhaven, Port Dover, Grand Renewable Energy Park, and South Kent Wind Farm. For other examples you can Google: wind energy + community liaison committee.