August 29, 2012 – The Ontario Waterpower Association (OWA) says it is “extremely pleased” with the findings of “Economic Impact of Waterpower Projects on Crown Lands in Ontario”—an analysis and report completed by AECOM Canada Ltd. for the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR). The report focuses on the socioeconomic impact of 41 waterpower projects located on provincial Crown land with Feed-in Tariff (FIT) contracts.

“Crown land is absolutely essential to environmentally sustainable waterpower development and it is very clear from this report that the entire province benefits from increased investment in our sector,” said Paul Norris, OWA president.

The report indicates that successfully commissioning these projects within the FIT contract timelines can be expected to result in an array of favourable outcomes, including:

• Project development investments amount to roughly $811 million.
• Operating and maintenance investments “to a horizon year of 2035” sum to $490 million.
• The provincial revenues associated with land and water leases to the horizon year of 2035 amount to roughly $45 million.
• Full-time equivalent job creation (person-years of employment) amounts to 9900, with an associated labour income of $677 million.
• GDP and gross output sum to $1.3 billion and $2.3 billion, respectively.

“The results of our analysis indicate that these 41 waterpower projects have the potential to drive many jobs in the local, regional and provincial economies,” said Andy Keir, senior environmental consultant with AECOM and primary author of the report. “In addition, 30% of these projects have Aboriginal community involvement and can provide a stepping stone to community improvement and a sustainable economic future.”