July 30, 2008
Ontario

Wind power proponents will have to play waiting game; Regional policies should be in place by fall

Farmers hoping to build wind turbines in West Lincoln will have to wait until September to allow regional policies to be put in place.

A public meeting concerning wind energy policies and rules will be held at the September 8 planning committee meeting in West Lincoln.

Currently, there is a delay on the creation of any wind energy facilities within the region, so that policies can be put in place prior to the processing of any winder energy project applications.

But there has also been interest expressed by landowners within West Lincoln, regarding when the policies will be in place so they can build turbines.

Mayor Katie Trombetta, who represents the township at the regional level, said the creation of the policies has been delayed and should be ready to go by September.

“We’ve got to make sure everything is done properly,” she said.

“The whole thing, to me, is very strange,” said Alderman Mike Rehner. “We’re not asking the Region to create a new wheel. It’s already been created.”

He said that he would like to see the policy implementation completed as soon as possible.

“It’s a criminal waste of a natural resource,” he said. “I’d like to see this thing come to a close so we can be environmentally friendly in this province.”

The current provincial government has made a pledge to add 2,700 megawatts of new, renewable power to the system by 2010 as part of a larger pledge to double the amount of renewable energy sources by 2025.

The push for these types of energy sources has spawned the creation of local policies throughout the province, according to a report distributed at the township’s July planning meeting.

Planning director Brian Treble reminded aldermen that the implementation of policies is “by no means an exact science.”

“The Region is trying to apply what’s been learned in other regions,” he said.

By Marcel Vander Wier, the News
West Lincoln

Niagara This Week

30 July 2008


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/07/30/wind-power-proponents-will-have-to-play-waiting-game-regional-policies-should-be-in-place-by-fall/