CALGARY, ALBERTA and MONTREAL, QUEBEC--(Marketwire - June 15, 2012) - Enbridge Inc. (TSX:ENB) (NYSE:ENB) and Renewable Energy Systems Canada Inc. (RES Canada), an affiliate of RES Americas, celebrated the completion of Enbridge's 99-megawatt Greenwich Windfarm today, Global Wind Day 2012, in the community of Dorion, Ontario.
Located on the northern shore of Lake Superior, the 99 megawatt (MW) project will generate enough clean electricity to meet the needs of about 34,000 households, displacing about 107,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually. It is the first wind power facility to be wholly located on Crown land in Ontario.
"We are pleased to officially introduce the Greenwich Windfarm to the Dorion community," said Don Thompson, Vice President, Green Energy, Enbridge. "While we completed this project in late 2011, we are pleased to celebrate its official opening today with the citizens of Dorion and members of the local Aboriginal communities, as well as representatives from the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and the Canadian Wind Energy Association. We'd also like to thank RES Canada for developing and constructing this important energy infrastructure project."
"The grand opening of the Greenwich Wind Farm project is a milestone for Dorion and Northwestern Ontario. It will contribute significantly to the local economy, creating full time jobs both here in the northwest and across Ontario," said Michael Gravelle, Minister of Natural Resources. "By phasing in wind energy generation sites such as this project, we will remove more than 100,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions from our atmosphere annually, furthering Ontario's reputation as the greenest province in Canada and solidifying us among the greenest regions in the world."
"Renewable energy is the way of the future. This project demonstrates our commitment to building a clean, modern and reliable electricity system," said Chris Bentley, Minister of Energy. "By investing in our electricity infrastructure clean energy, and skilled jobs, we're helping transform the province's electricity system and laying the groundwork for a better tomorrow."
"RES Canada is proud to have developed and constructed the Greenwich Windfarm, and we look forward to operating the facility through January 2013 to ensure a seamless transition for Enbridge," said Peter Clibbon, Vice President of RES Canada. "The Greenwich Windfarm demonstrates RES Canada's robust construction capabilities, and puts a spotlight on the significant knowledge and expertise we offer to our clients. RES Canada looks forward to working with the MNR, the OPA, and all the local communities to bring more clean, renewable wind energy projects to Northwest Ontario."
To celebrate its membership in the community, Enbridge announced an annual donation to a Dorion Community Investment fund. "We look forward to being a vital member of this community for a long time to come," said Mr. Thompson.
The Greenwich Windfarm will deliver energy to the Ontario Power Authority under a Renewable Energy Supply III (RES III) 20-year power purchase agreement. Comprising 43 Siemens SWT-2.3 101 MW wind turbines, the project was constructed by RES Canada under a fixed price, turnkey, engineering, procurement and construction agreement.
The Greenwich Windfarm will help Enbridge meet its Neutral Footprint commitment to generate a kilowatt of renewable energy for every kilowatt of conventional electricity that the company's operations consume.
Since 2002 Enbridge has invested nearly $3 billion in its growing portfolio of renewable and alternative energy technologies which now includes eight wind farms, four solar projects, a geothermal installation, a hybrid fuel cell and four waste heat recovery facilities. Together these installations have the capacity to generate almost 1,000 megawatts of emissions-free energy, meeting the needs of over 270,000 homes.
| Greenwich Windfarm at a glance: |
| Peak capacity: about 99 MW |
| Turbines: 43 Siemens SWT-2.3 101 MW wind turbines |
| Annual yield: about 300,000 MWh (corresponding to the annual consumption of around 34,000 households) |
| CO2 saving: about 107,000 tonnes per year |
Downloadable photos and video of the facility can be found at www.enbridge.com/greenwichmedia.
About Enbridge:
Enbridge Inc. is a North American leader in delivering energy and one of the Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations. As a transporter of energy, Enbridge operates, in Canada and the U.S., the world's longest crude oil and liquids transportation system. The Company also has a significant and growing involvement in natural gas gathering, transmission and midstream businesses, and an increasing involvement in power transmission. As a distributor of energy, Enbridge owns and operates Canada's largest natural gas distribution company, and provides distribution services in Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and New York State. As a generator of energy, Enbridge has interests in almost 1,000 megawatts of renewable and alternative energy generating capacity and is expanding its interests in wind and solar energy, geothermal and hybrid fuel cells. Enbridge employs about 7,000 people, primarily in Canada and the U.S. and is ranked as one of Canada's Greenest Employers, and one of the Top 100 Companies to Work for in Canada. Enbridge's common shares trade on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges under the symbol ENB. For more information, visit www.enbridge.com.
About RES Canada and RES Americas:
Renewable Energy Systems Canada Inc. (RES Canada) was founded in 2003 and is based in Montreal, Québec. RES Canada is active with development and construction services across Canada. RES Canada also has an office in Oakville, ON, and recently completed SunE Rutley, the first large-scale FIT solar project, as well as two 99MW wind projects in Ontario: the Talbot Wind Project, near Chatham, Ontario, in December 2010 and the Greenwich Wind Project, near Thunder Bay, in December 2011. RES Canada is currently building the 149.4 MW Halkirk Wind Project, the largest project ever constructed in Alberta. RES Canada offers a full suite of development and construction services for wind, solar, and transmission projects. RES Canada is part of the RES Group, a leading international renewable energy developer, and is an affiliate of RES Americas.
Renewable Energy Systems Americas Inc. is a fully-integrated renewable energy company that develops, constructs, owns, and/or operates projects across North America. The company employs more than 300 full-time professionals working throughout North America, has constructed or has under construction more than 5,700 MW of renewable energy, and offers a full suite of development and construction services for wind, solar, and transmission projects. RES Americas' corporate office is located in Broomfield, CO with regional offices located in Austin, TX; Portland, OR; Minneapolis, MN. RES Americas is part of the RES Group, a leading international renewable energy developer.
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