With the government incentives out there, now is the time to start thinking about making the switch, or at least about incorporating green energy into your rate plan, but what are the advantages and disadvantages of making that switch? Is wind energy the way to go, or should you be thinking of solar instead? Here are a few of the advantages and disadvantages of wind energy to help make the decision process a little easier, along with provincial stats and considerations all about wind energy within the province and how it’s been growing.
Renewable, green energy isn’t always as black/white for the environment as it can seem. Wind power, however, is one of the exceptions that truly is and can be a boon towards better carbon footprints, cleaner air, electricity, and energy – without causing an issue with water and other costs.
Pros, cons, and considerations of wind energy
Pros:
1) The environmental advantage
The biggest advantage of wind energy upfront compared to other renewable green energy is that it doesn’t create harmful emissions that contribute to climate change or otherwise pollute air and water sources. Wind energy is clean; wind turbines don’t produce atmospheric emissions, and wind energy actually has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 14 per cent (and that would save approximately $400 billion in avoided global damage by 2050). Wind energy also doesn’t utilize water, one of the planet’s finite resources that is already becoming scarce.
Wind power is minimally invasive to the surrounding environment, doesn’t take up other resources like other energy sources can and do, and while it of course costs an upfront amount for facilities and the wind turbines to be installed – the amount of power one turbine can produce is well worth the costs and the lack of damages.
2) The health advantage
Because wind turbines don’t produce atmospheric emissions, they also don’t contribute to health problems like asthma, nor do they contribute harmful toxic (and radioactive) emissions that can lead to various health issues and birth defects. There are no known reported health issues related to wind farms and turbines, and any reports that have been done have come up clean – stating that there are no known negative effects to health or wellbeing that they have noted, seen, or have been reported about.
The other advantage is that since they don’t cause any issues to the environment around them, wind turbines and cleaner electricity and energy can help with health overall, as cleaner air and resources to get our power can mean better overall health and well-being for everyone living in the province.
3) The economic advantage
The other advantage is that wind energy is a renewable and sustainable domestic resource, and that has a lot of advantages. Primarily, renewable resources are positive investments for the economy. Investing in a resource that can’t run out creates a much more stable economy around that resource. The anxiety that exists around fossil fuel depletion right now won’t be a problem for wind energy, and the fact that wind energy will always be equally available and accessible means the prices surrounding the harvesting of that resource will be a lot more stable, too. You won’t have to worry so much about price fluctuations that are influenced by the season as much as the market. In fact, instead of prices increasing as time goes on and resources get more depleted, with wind energy, you can expect prices to continue to drop as technological advancements continue to make the harnessing of wind energy more efficient.
Cons:
1) The location challenge
Location is both a pro and a con when it comes to harvesting wind energy. While wind turbines don’t take up much space and can help to provide multi-purpose spaces instead of merely repurposed spaces (wind turbines can easily be incorporated into farmland without interfering with the farming industry itself), most of the wind sites are located in rural areas, further from the city centres where electricity is needed. As a result, transmission lines are needed to effectively transfer energy between source locations and city centres.
There are also other factors that work into location difficulties, such as grassland areas that are not exactly protected, but they do have regulations and laws in place in the province to help minimize damages to the areas that need protecting most, such as around the southern grasslands – which is also where the most viable source of strong winds are. As such, it can be difficult to plan larger wind facilities where they aren’t interfering with the environment.
2) The aesthetic challenge
Power plants are, for the most part, out of sight. Wind turbines, on the other hand, often become part of the landscape and change the viewshed, and while some enjoy the appearance of wind turbines, others are concerned about the aesthetic, as well as the potential sound of the turbines. The good news is that most wind turbines are quieter than a regular conversation, only hitting around the 40 decibels mark, which is less than an average soundscape outside during the day with conversations and the hustle and bustle of daily city commuting.
3) The environmental impact
While wind turbines don’t create the harmful emissions that contaminate air and water sources, but they do pose a risk to birds, some of whom have been killed flying into the blades of the turbines.
4) The economic challenge
Wind turbines are practical and efficient in windy areas; however, in less windy regions, they may not be able to compete with the costs of other sources of energy generation. This can be mitigated by ensuring that they facilities and turbines are placed in areas that are worth the initial planning and costs.
History of wind energy in Alberta and developments
Southern Alberta is known for its strong winds and storms, and is even named one of Canada’s windiest regions – Calgary is the windiest large city in Canada, while Lethbridge is second only to St. John’s, Newfoundland in its number of windy days per year. Pincher Creek has seen winds up to 204km/hr. Why not utilize the winds for power and green, renewable energy?
The province has some policies to avoid and minimize disturbance to native grasslands and to wildlife as there is a fragmented and dwindling grasslands ecosystem that needs protecting as well. There is no current legislation requiring wind development to avoid the grasslands area, but most are aware and plot their wind farms accordingly, working with the AWA (Alberta Wilderness Association)
The first commercial wind farm established in Canada was Cowley Ridge, built near Pincher Creek in 1993. The initial project saw the installation of 52 wind turbines, each capable of generating 360KW of electricity, (the site would grow to include 57 turbines of that type) In 2000, the project was expanded with the opening of Cowley North was a new wind farm consisting of 15 turbines each capable of generating 1.3 MW of electricity, thanks to technology advancing, the 15 turbines were able to generate nearly as much power as the initial 57 turbines installed earlier. The Cowley Ridge wind facility spurred the development of wind power technology and the establishment of larger and more advanced wind facilities. Cowley facility was decommissioned in 2016.
As of 2013, the largest wind farm running in Alberta still is the massive Halkirk Wind Project in east-central Alberta, which began its operations in 2012. Located near Halkirk, this project consists of 83 turbines, each capable of generating 1.8MW of power. The project’s total installed capacity is close to 150MW, which by contrast, the largest wind farm in Alberta prior to this, called Withering Farms, had a maximum capacity of 88MW.
Alberta ranks third behind Quebec and Ontario with an installed wind power capacity of over 1100MW, more than the three other provinces combined. Alberta’s 30 existing wind farms are only scratching the surface of the potential that the province could harness and use for green, renewable wind energy. Currently, there are 40 wind farm projects under development that have the potential to nearly triple the province’s existing capacity, if the government encourages the growth and development of more wind farms and turbines in the province.
Wind energy stats within Alberta
Other countries also have their wind power stats, such as in the Netherlands where they have an abundance of space and wind-powered facilities. Alberta itself, not just Canada as a whole could lead in natural resources and energy used, especially with wind power, throughout 2025.
According to the REP (Renewable Energy Program), Alberta is in the perfect position to be Canada’s largest market for new wind energy investments and projects over the next 10 years, as Alberta aims to achieve its goal of 30% renewable energy by 2030. The stats for this have been up and down over the years as Alberta still has an on-and-off struggle between oil and natural gas resources/funding, and using renewable, green energy and programs. There is room for both and regardless, Alberta is abundant in natural resources, especially when it comes to wind power.
Currently in Alberta, wind power makes up a total capacity of approximately 4,491MW, which contributes significantly to the power grid. According to AESO in December 2023, Alberta was harnessing 20% of the province’s electricity at 5 pm. Given the wind resources of Alberta, especially in the southern portion of the province, this percentage is expected to continue rising significantly in the coming years as wind power keeps progressing.
For more information about the benefits or challenges of Alberta wind energy, contact energyrates.ca to learn more about how you can incorporate wind energy into your Alberta rate plan.
