November 26, 2010
Nova Scotia

Wind farm being sued over unpaid site work

By CHRIS LAMBIE, Business Editor, The Chronicle Herald, thechronicleherald.ca

A New Brunswick construction company is suing over $185,850 in unpaid work it did at the site of a future wind farm that straddles Antigonish and Pictou counties.

Greenfield Construction Ltd. of Miramichi launched the suit against Shear Wind Inc., Glen Dhu Wind Energy Inc. and Enercon Canada Inc. to recoup money it is owed for site preparation and form work it did at Baileys Brook that wrapped up in early September, said a statement of claim made public Thursday in Nova Scotia Supreme Court.

Greenfield has also registered a claim for a lien on the property.

“That’s something between our contractor (Enercon) and their subcontractor (Greenfield),” Bill Bartlett, Shear Wind’s chief financial officer, said in an interview Thursday.

“It’s nothing to do with us.”

At first, Bartlett said the claim had been resolved. Then he changed his tack.

“It’s going to be settled in the next day,” Bartlett said.

Greenfield’s lawyer, James MacNeil, confirmed Thursday that the companies are in discussion. “There are certainly talks going on,” MacNeil said.

Bartlett said there is no chance the legal dispute could set back the wind power project that has already experienced delays due to a shortage of turbines.

“None whatsoever,” Bartlett said. “It’s just a hiccup that happened and it’s being settled.”

Shear Wind is developing the $150-million Glen Dhu wind power project to produce 60 megawatts of power. It was scheduled to have 27 turbines up and running by the end of December.

But the Bedford renewable energy firm has said it will erect only 12 of 27 turbines by Dec. 31, and the remainder will be installed by March 31.

Shear Wind is contractually obligated to provide Nova Scotia Power with 20 megawatts of wind-generated electricity, enough for almost 6,000 homes, by the end of December under a contract signed in 2008.


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2010/11/26/wind-farm-being-sued-over-unpaid-site-work/