The Wind Power by Pembina program aims to move Canada towards a sustainable energy future by bolstering the market for low-impact renewable energy such as wind power, through the sale of wind power certificates.

Last fall Sarah Harmer toured from Newfoundland to San Francisco with her band, promoting her album, All of Our Names. The band played a total of 33 shows. Her wind power certificate purchase, costing less than $600, prevented 17.4 tonnes of C02 emissions from entering the atmosphere. This has the same positive environmental impact as planting 98.2 trees or not driving a car 85,434 km.

"Supporting the wind power program is a straightforward way to financially contribute to building the renewable energy/wind sector and help offset the amount of toxic pollutants that are created transporting me and my band from theatre, to hotel, and home again. There’s also a global benefit in terms of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. I hope other musicians, individuals and businesses will like the idea and do the same," she said.

The Pembina Institute partnered with Vision Quest, Canada’s largest wind power producer to kick off their wind power program in 2003. A portion of the proceeds from wind power certificate sales supports the Pembina Institute’s renewable energy programs and development of new farms such as Vision Quest’s Pine River wind farm, slotted for development in Southern Ontario this summer.

"Although the best way to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change is to make lifestyle changes that are less energy intensive, it’s not always practical or possible to do that" says Marlo Raynolds, Executive Director of the Pembina Institute. "Wind power certificates, allow Canadians to compensate for personal or business-related greenhouse gas emissions that they can’t reduce by direct action."

"You are basically buying the assurance that clean, renewable wind energy will be supplied into the power pool. Individuals or businesses decide how many certificates they want to purchase to offset emissions produced from up to 100% of their energy consumption. This purchase helps to displace emissions from coal and gas-fired generation, which contributes to climate change and general air quality by promoting the use of renewable energy", adds Raynolds.

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