Wind Energy Doubles Contribution to Ontario Electricity Supply

Jan 10, 2014

The 2013 Ontario Electricity Data report released by the of Ontario’s Independent Electricity System Operators (IESO) confirms that wind energy production in Ontario has doubled over the past four years. According to the report, the annual Ontario production of wind energy has grown from 2.3 TWh in 2009 to 5.2 TWh in 2013. That translates into wind generating enough electricity to power 550,000 Ontario homes in 2013.

“We believe that future electricity supply in Ontario should be drawn from a balanced mix of new wind energy, in combination with natural gas and other renewable energy sources, to ensure that Ontario has a reliable, robust and cost-competitive electricity system,” says CanWEA President Robert Hornung.

“The 100 communities across Canada that host wind energy operations, developments and businesses, as well as Ontario’s Long Term Energy Plan (LTEP), recognize that wind energy is a proven, reliable and cost-competitive energy solution that drives economic diversification, environmental sustainability and rate-base value,” he says.

CanWEA predicts that wind energy will continue to increase significantly over the next few years as more energy projects get added into the power grid.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.