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Partnering for Sustainability – Success Stories

Partnership between WindShare and Toronto Hydro Energy Services – as presented by David Robertson, President of the Board of Directors

In 1999 WindShare entered into a joint venture agreement with Toronto Hydro Energy Services Inc. to develop, own and manage the Waterfront Wind Project. Each partner owns 50% of the project. Windshare funds its share by being a capital co-op with 427 members that have invested into the wind turbine.

Together, WindShare and Toronto Hydro Energy Services manage the turbine. A Joint Venture Committee meets once a month and has the ultimate say in how the project moves forward.

Observations about the Windshare – Toronto Hydro Partnership

There are significant differences between the two organizations; this is often a source of strength for the partnership, but can also cause difficulty. The major areas of difference are the sizes of the organizations (Toronto Hydro is huge, Windshare is very small), the cultures of the organizations (Toronto Hydro is a for profit corporation while Windshare is not-for-profit), the financial resources of the organizations (Toronto Hydro employees are paid, while Windshare is largely run by volunteers).

The joint venture committee meets once a month. As a group of volunteers, Winshare has much less capacity and needs to be careful about what it takes on. Fortunately, Toronto Hydro is very sensitive to this and continues to respect Windshare as an equal partner.

David: “When you go into a partnership with a huge organization and you’re small, there has to be accommodation on all sides. It’s a daily challenge to communicate with one another and to keep each others’ needs and capacities in perspective.”

The relationship works because there is frequent contact between the two organizations, they have developed a culture of patience and understanding and acknowledge the challenges that their differences present, and they respect one another.

Partnership Tips – What makes the partnership work:

Learn more about WindShare or Toronto Hydro Energy Services

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