July 13, 2011
Ontario

Arran Wind project slows, but is still on

By Mary Golem, The Sun Times, www.owensoundsuntimes.com

Work on the 115-megawatt Arran Wind Project “has slowed down, but the commitment is still there to continue,” a representative of Leader Resources Services Corp. said Monday.

Heather Boa, communications manager for Leader Resources, the wind energy developer of the Arran project, said the company was “shocked” to learn the Arran Wind Project was not among the list of approved renewable energy contracts announced by Ontario’s Energy Minister Brad Duguid and Huron-Bruce MPP Carol Mitchell last week.

Duguid announced that through Ontario’s clean energy Feed-in Tariff program, 25 new large scale renewable energy projects will be created, enough to provide electricity to power more than 280,000 homes. The Bruce to Milton Feed-in Tariff program will result in the development of 19 wind projects and six solar projects, all of which have met the criteria under Ontario’s Renewable Energy Approval process.

Had contract approval been received, the 115-megawatt Arran Wind Project would have resulted in the construction of 46 wind turbines, 40 of them in Arran-Elderslie and the rest in Saugeen Shores. There has been strong local opposition to the project, including opposition from two local municipal councils.

Rumours that the Arran Wind Project has been totally cancelled have been circulating among local residents for the past few days, but Boa, speaking on behalf of vacationing Leader president Charles (Chuck) Edey, said the company remains committed “to continuing the project,” saying they “expect to be successful” in a future round of contract approvals.

“We are optimistic we will be successful at some point,” Boa said, adding the company has competent employees and “receptive landowners waiting for the project to move forward.”

Boa added the company does not reapply, but rather their application remains on file, pending future approval.

Another announcement is expected in six months.


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2011/07/13/arran-wind-project-slows-but-is-still-on/