A new strategic wind energy research and development network has recently been created with the financial support of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC).

With financing of CAN$ 5 million over 5 years, the Wind Energy Strategic Network" (WESNet) Research Fund brings together 16 Canadian universities, federal (including NRCan and EC) and provincial (including Hydro-Québec and Manitoba Hydro) agencies, institutional partners of the wind sector (including CanWEA and the CORUS Centre) as well as Helimax as representative of the private sector. In the context of its 5-year mandate, the strategic network will complete R&D activities falling under four themes: Wind resource assessment, harvesting of wind energy, wind energy in electrical power systems, techno-economic models and optimisation. The Network will help train 153 students and ensure the transfer of know-how and technological advances to the wind industry.