The investment by Canadian Hydro Developers Inc. of about $1 billion between Dufferin County and Wolfe Island, which pushed Ontario to a leadership in wind energy, has also earned Energy Minister George Smitherman the 2009 World Wind Energy Award.

The World Wind Energy Association presented its annual award to Mr. Smitherman for his "outstanding achievements in making Ontario the leading wind energy jurisdiction in North America."

The international association also recognized his role in championing Ontario's Green Energy and Green Economy Act, calling the recently adopted legislation a decisive step toward establishing a strong domestic wind industry in the province and making it a worldwide green leader.

The World Wind Energy Award has been handed out annually since 2002 to international leaders who have made extraordinary contributions in the development of wind energy worldwide.

Mr. Smitherman, who arguably continued and expanded on work begun by then-energy minister Donna Cansfield prior to construction of the first phase of the Melancthon EcoEnergy wind farm, is the first Canadian recipient of the award. He joins past recipients from Brazil, China, Denmark, Egypt, Germany and India.

The Melancthon farm is the largest in Canada with design capacity of almost 200 MW. Wolfe Island, commissioned in June 2009, would be the second largest.

In presenting the award, President Dr. Aril Kane of WWEA said, "Under your political responsibility and leadership in the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, the Green Energy and Green Economy Act was initiated and adopted as a decisive step in establishing a strong domestic wind industry in Ontario and making the province a green leader in North America and worldwide."

Premier Dalton McGuinty and Mr. Smitherman have been quoted as saying the Green Energy Act is expected to create more than 50,000 direct and indirect jobs by the end of 2012, and see the investment of at least $5 billion in infrastructure and expenditure on renewable generation and conservation.