July 12, 2026

Wind power in the Ottawa area is outperforming IESO forecasts this hour (5 p.m. July 12).

Yes, it’s true.

The IESO forecast ONE MEGAWATT of power output from the 100-megawatt industrial wind power site at Crysler, but instead, the turbines are generating an impressive TWO megawatts.

Wind power has not had a great week in Ontario where warm summer weather has pushed up demand daily over 20,000 megawatts but Ontario’s wind turbines have struggled to produce more than a few hundred.

This is typical of wind power in our province: in periods of high demand—either hot of cold weather—wind takes off for the beach.

All this has been documented in the cost-benefit study done by economist Edgardo Sepulveda, Chasing The Wind. The analysis is available here: https://macdonaldlaurier.ca/chasing-the-wind-the-value-of-wind-generation-in-a-low-emission-nuclear-and-hydro-dominant-grid-the-case-of-ontario/

(Mr Sepulveda offered to address the City of Ottawa’s environment committee on this issue but as far as we know, his offer was never accepted…or even given a response.)

The influencers

Meanwhile, Ottawa’s $57-B Energy Evolution plan (sneaked by both citizens and Council during the early months of COVID) is still official city policy, and includes a plan for “investment” of $4B in unreliable, part-time, non-performing wind power. The chapter on energy was written for the City by activist Pollution Probe, and its prescription for massive amounts of wind power (3200 megawatts) goes against the City’s own preliminary research which said, There really isn’t a lot of wind here, guys, but if you want to have a showpiece demonstration turbine, go ahead. (CANMET on Timm road was suggested)

Wind power is pushed by local “environmental sustainability” group CAFES, which even told the Agricultural and Rural Affairs Committee that fewer regulations and approval requirements are needed—let’s get those multi-billion-dollar projects built, never mind the environment consequences. And Ottawa Climate Action Fund, which was launched several years ago with a $20-million grant from the federal government. Its debut was hosted by none other than Diana Fox Carney.

Clearly, the pro-wind lobby thinks Ottawa should have wind turbines. Despite the fact we have no wind.

Never mind that Ottawa’s rural residents (promised much more voice in the 2024 Rural Summit but whose voices were ignored in favour of Brookfield’s battery storage project on farmland in West Carleton) are not keen on seeing their quite farming and residential communities turned into industrial power sites. The approval of the battery storage and the amendments to zoning that allowed it to proceed is currently before the courts in legal action brought by residents.

Not great for Ontario, either

Ontario’s own energy minister Stephen Lecce has said wind power can’t do what Ontario needs: “You can’t run a full-time economy on part-time power,” he said on social media last fall.

Of 22 wind power proposals put forward in 2025, only one is proceeding to construction (one other by Enbridge got a contract but has since been withdrawn when the company and the First Nation involved could not agree to terms).

Many proposals were thwarted by refusal of local councils to grant formal approval. In Ontario, there are 159 municipalities that are formally Unwilling Hosts to new wind power, including multiple jurisdictions around this city such as Merrickville-Wolford and North Stormont (hope of the listless Crysler turbines today).

The myth of wind power needs to end, and the people of Ottawa should ensure that conversations about power generation are part of discussions with candidates in the coming municipal election.

ottawawindconcerns@gmail.com