More info needed on proposed wind farm  

Credit:  By the Chronicle Herald | thechronicleherald.ca 16 August 2012 ~~

An expected glut of wind power and insufficient information has taken the wind out of the sails of the proposed Wedgeport Wind Farm.

In a letter to Membertou First Nation Chief Terry Paul, provincial Environment Minister Sterling Belliveau said the environmental assessment of the proposed 25-turbine, 50-megawatt project is lacking important information.

In order to move forward, the Cape Breton group must provide clarification on the planned placement of the turbines, the risks to migratory birds and waterfowl and an analysis of the overall viability of the project.

The information must be submitted within one year and is later subject to a second 30-day public comment period.

The $100- to $120-million proposed wind farm in Yarmouth County is a joint venture between Membertou and Grupo Guascor of Spain.

The other obstacle for the proposed project is that the provincial Energy Department announced in April that three wind farm projects recently approved collectively bring the province close to its 500-megawatt limit that can be integrated into the provincial electricity grid.

“Consequently, the province does not expect to issue more requests for proposals for large-scale wind projects in the near future,” Belliveau wrote.

A Membertou spokesperson could not be reached for comment.