Wind Power News: British Columbia
These news and opinion items are gathered by National Wind Watch to help keep readers informed about developments related to industrial wind energy. They are the products of the organizations or individuals noted and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of National Wind Watch.
TimberWest looks to build wind towers to explore Island’s power potential
TimberWest is looking to see which way the wind is blowing on southwest Vancouver Island. The forestry company has applied to the Capital Regional District for a temporary-use permit to build three 80-metre towers in the Juan de Fuca Electoral Area to “explore the potential for power generation with wind energy.” The data collected will be used to build a business case for developing a wind farm, if wind speeds meet threshold requirements, a CRD report says. “I think it’s . . .
Contractors face challenges at Cape Scott wind farm
A small army of cranes is at Vancouver Island’s Cape Scott to install massive turbines for a wind farm. The 55 Vesta V100 1.8 MW turbines, produced by the world’s largest turbine manufacturer based in Denmark, are being erected for International Power’s Cape Scott Wind Farm. “The best description that I have heard is that North Island is the best place to have a wind farm, but it is the worst place to build a wind farm,” said Steve Tidder, . . .
A new pattern emerges for Tumbler Ridge Wind Project
Finavera is dumping its BC Wind projects portfolio, including the Tumbler Ridge Wind Project Portfolio. The company has had a rough go of it over the last few years, and has been actively pursuing all options, from simple financing to selling off the whole company. A few months ago, the company announced it was selling off one of its BC projects, but a few months later, that sale was cancelled and the entire company was put on the auction block. . . .
Harvesting the power of wind
A Port Coquitlam numbered company is looking at harvesting wind energy for profit. A numbered company has applied for an investigative use permit to test the wind speed and frequency on Mount Atkinson about nine kilometres east of Naramata in the Okanagan. B.C.’s corporate registry lists Jinwei Li as the sole director of the numbered company, which was incorporated in May 2012 and is headquartered at a residential address in Port Coquitlam. Li could not be reached for comment. According . . .
BC company looking into possible wind energy in Prince Rupert
Following in the footsteps of the Mount McDonald and Mount Hays wind farm proposals, Sea Breeze Power Corp of Vancouver is pursuing a possible development in the Prince Rupert area. The company is planning to install a total of five meteorological towers, three across the harbour and two in the area across from Seal Cove near Shawatlan Lake, to gather information over the next year about the wind resource available for a potential Tuck Inlet Wind Farm project . The . . .
Wind turbines causing depression, study suggests
Some people living near wind farms in northeastern B.C. say their health has been negatively impacted by the turbines and a new scientific study might support those claims. Gary Levesque, who lives near the Bear Mountain Windpark just outside of Dawson Creek, says his health has been negatively impacted by wind turbines near his home. “As soon as they went up and got running, my blood pressure went up. My wife has migraine headaches and suffers from depression. My daughter . . .
City eyes wind farms
Wind farms could become the newest use for agricultural land in the city of Kamloops. City council will hold a public hearing to revise its official community plan to allow wind turbines to be built in Kamloops. It’s hoped wind farms could help the city start generating more of its own power — to meet targets in the Sustainable Kamloops Plan, it needs to produce 10 per cent by 2020. According to a staff report, the turbines would only be . . .
Bear Mountain wind turbine blades getting replaced
Just three years after they were installed, the wind turbines at Bear Mountain are getting an upgrade. Starting this summer, AltaGas will be replacing the blades on the 34 wind turbines at the Bear Mountain Wind Park. AltaGas Manager of Communications Neil Mackie says that as wind energy is such a new industry, the technology is constantly changing. “With a new industry like wind farms, like with TVs and video games, the technology keeps changing so quickly these days, and . . .
Backyard turbine approval faces long and windy road
The controversy over what would have been Vancouver’s first backyard wind turbine has cooled, after the application was withdrawn in late June. Bruce Arnold had vowed to fight plans to erect a 10-metre turbine behind a home being built two doors down from his on West 22nd Avenue. He just learned, however, the application from Odenza Homes was cancelled. “Evidently the house got the sold and the person who bought it was not interested. So, they decided to withdraw the . . .
Home wind turbine has Vancouver neighbourhood upset
A plan to build a small private wind turbine behind a home in an upscale Vancouver residential area is being touted as a green innovation, but the idea just blows as far as some neighbours are concerned. The home, currently under construction in the 3400-block of West 22nd Avenue, will have rooftop solar panels, while a ten-metre wind turbine is to be built beside the garage at the back of the property. But neighbours Bruce and Gale Arnold and others . . .
