Wind turbines pay more in Ontario than Quebec

The CBC French language radio service has found that farmers in Quebec who rent out their land for wind turbines are being paid considerably less than their Ontario counterparts.
According to a report filed on November 29, Quebec landowners are typically offered a royalty of about $3,000 for each turbine, while those in Ontario receive between $6,500 and $10,000. The royalty in Quebec is 1 per cent of a turbine’s earnings, compared to 1.75 to 3 per cent in Ontario.
A spokesperson from one of the wind power development company reportedly said the difference was due to higher land prices in Ontario, but others say that is irrelevant, since it is the wind that is the quality resource.
According to the Canadian Wind Energy Association, Canada’s total installed wind energy capacity sits at 1,341 MW at the end of 2006, a virtual doubling of the 684 MW in place at the start of the year, and enough capacity to meet the electricity needs of 406,000 Canadian homes. Ontario reportedly has 400 MW of wind power capacity and Quebec has 200 MW.