Canada invested more than $1 billion in wind energy production in 2006, bringing the country's total capacity for the renewable power to 1,341 megawatts, enough to power 406,000 homes.

A record 657 megawatts of wind energy capacity has been installed in the past year, nearly triple the last high of 240 megawatts in 2005, according to the Canadian Wind Energy Association (CanWEA).

Wind energy capacity has nearly doubled since the beginning of the year, when there were 684 megawatts in place.