Wind Prospects begins ESR at Laurel
Even as the Ontario Municipal Board hearing into Amaranth’s portion of the Melancthon II wind-farm project appears to be winding down, other projects and concerns have emerged.
Halifax-based Wind Prospects is starting its Environmental Screening Process for its proposed 10- megawatt (MW) wind farm at Laurel.
This would be a project approved under the provincial Standard Offer Program, and would feed into the local grid.
The company last March reviewed its proposals for the Laurel project and a second one, also of 10 MW, for Bowling Green, at an open house in the Amaranth Township building.
It is not known if those projects would be referred to the OMB, but the outcome of the current hearing is not expected to have any effect on other projects — as the Melancthon II site proposals are entirely site-specific.
Meantime, Amaranth resident George Pullen has spoken to that township’s council about a proposed wind farm north of Grand Valley, in East Luther Grand Valley township.
The nature of Mr. Pullen’s enquiry was not determined, as Amaranth Councillor Bill Cowie said the discussion was simply that, “a discussion,” and neither ELGV council nor the principals of Ashton Ridge wind farm (Wind Rush) had been advised.
At ELGV, CAO Jane Wilson said any Municipal Board involvement would be premature, as the council has not made a decision on the site plan.
Mr. Pullen’s property is on the Amaranth/East Luther Town Line, approximately one concession removed from Ashton Ridge. However, the precise separation of turbines will not be known until ELGV approves the site plan.
Ashton Ridge would initially comprise six 1.5 MW turbines, possibly expanding to 12. They would be under the provincial Standard Offer Program for generation of no more than 10 MW, whether that be wind, water or solar.
By Wes Keller
Freelance Reporter
11 October 2007
Tags: Wind power, Wind energy
Some possibly related stories:
The copyright of this article is owned by the author or publisher indicated. Its availability here constitutes a "fair use" as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law as well as in similar "fair dealing" exceptions of the copyright laws of other nations, as part of National Wind Watch's effort to advance understanding of the environmental, social, scientific, and economic issues of large-scale wind power development. For more information, click here.
