Wind Power News: New Brunswick
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.
Wind farm project back on table
A wind energy company that has proposed a 43-turbine wind farm near Aulac is returning to the area this March to discuss the project with local residents and town officials. Bonnie Swift, Sackville’s director of economic development, said representatives from Acciona Wind Energy will be making a public presentation on March 14 during town council’s monthly meeting scheduled for that evening. She said the company has met all the environmental conditions for the project and is now ready to begin . . .
Industrial crane falls in Saint John
A 200-tonne industrial crane fell onto a street in Saint John on Friday, smashing through a fence and sending the crane operator to hospital. The accident happened at about 9 a.m. at a construction site near the waterfront. Diesel fuel and hydraulic fluid leaked out of the large yellow machine, which had its motor running for hours after the accident. The crane destroyed a fence surrounding a parking lot and scattered debris, damaging nearby cars. The crane was being used . . .
Municipalities warned of wind farm document
FREDERICTON — New Brunswick municipalities are being warned that a government document on community wind farms could mislead them into spending tens of millions of dollars on projects that could end up losing money. The Energy Department recently published a paper called New Brunswick Community Wind Projects — Getting to the Tipping Point. The paper includes a mock business plan based on NB Power paying 10 cents a kilowatt/hour plus an inflation factor for wind-generated electricity. The province wants to . . .
Government’s community wind power numbers questioned
A new government document on community wind farms could mislead municipalities such as Fredericton into spending tens of millions of dollars on a project that could end up losing money, says the Alliance for Community Energy. The Department of Energy recently published a paper called New Brunswick Community Wind Projects – Getting to the Tipping Point, which includes a mock business plan based on NB Power paying 10 cents a kilowatt/hour plus an inflation factor for wind-generated electricity. The province . . .
Province needs to pay more for wind power to make projects viable: group
Municipalities and First Nations groups will find it hard to raise enough cash to build community wind farms unless the government pays more for the power, an organization representing various interest groups said Tuesday. The Alliance for Community Energy has criticized the New Brunswick government’s financial projections for hypothetical power projects. Raphael Shay, the group’s spokesman, said a government document released last week gives the most optimistic outlook for the capacity at which wind farms would operate, as well as . . .
Shear Wind takes on ‘massive challenge’
HALIFAX – The CEO of Shear Wind Inc. says his company could be producing up to 500 megawatts of wind-generated electricity within five years, including 100 megawatts at a large wind farm in northern New Brunswick. Mike Magnus said his goal is to erect hundreds of wind turbines in the next half decade, enough to produce between 400-500 megawatts. “It may not sound like a lot, but it’s a massive, massive challenge,” said the company president and CEO in a . . .
Ice halts northern New Brunswick wind farm
Northern New Brunswick’s cold, icy weather is causing wind turbines to freeze and stop producing power at the Caribou Wind Park near Bathurst. The new wind farm’s 33 turbines have been generating power since November, but they have been forced to shut down for the past two days due to ice forming on some of the blades. The wind farm has been battling ice problems all winter. David Cousins, the Caribou Wind Park’s site manager, said when ice starts forming . . .
Wind farm fire source remains mystery
TransAlta Corp. is still investigating what caused a fire last month that destroyed one of its turbines at the Kent Hills Wind Farm, a company spokesman says. Although lightning has been ruled out as a factor in the Aug. 8 fire, Jason Edworthy, the director of community development for the Alberta-based company, said the investigation may take another couple of weeks. He said a replacement for the turbine, one of 32 at the southeastern New Brunswick wind farm, should arrive . . .
