In recent years, environmental concerns have motivated companies, cities and governments to make the move towards cleaner energy, with countries like the US, Canada, the UK and Australia leading the race for greener power generation. Given increasing global environmental problems, it comes as no surprise to find that countries around the world are developing renewable and alternative sources of energy such as solar and wind.
A powerful example of the international move to clean energy is the recent opening of the world’s largest solar farm in the southwest of Ontario, Canada. The newly opened 950-acre Sarnia Photovoltaic Power Plant, representing a government investment of $400 million, has 1.3 million solar panels. These panels will generate 80 megawatts of clean, renewable electricity, enough to power 12,000 homes. The solar plant will reduce Canada’s CO2 output by 1.5 million tons each year, making a substantial contribution to the country’s efforts to reduce its carbon footprint.
However, the Ontario plant may soon lose its position as the world’s largest solar facility to its southern neighbour, the US. If government and regional development planners there are to be believed, that country is due for a massive increase in the amount of energy produced from solar, wind and other alternative forms of clean power generation.
In reality, the effects of these initiatives by Canada, the US and other countries have yet to be seen. In a world increasingly effected by pollution and environmental damage, the precise impact of clean energy projects such as the Ontario plant won’t be clear for some time.