LOCATION/TYPE

NEWS HOME


[ exact phrase in "" • results by date ]

[ Google-powered • results by relevance ]

Archive
RSS

Add NWW headlines to your site (click here)

WHAT TO DO
when your community is targeted

Get weekly updates
RSS

RSS feeds and more

Keep Wind Watch online and independent!

Donate via Stripe

Donate via Paypal

Selected Documents

All Documents

Research Links

Alerts

Press Releases

FAQs

Campaign Material

Photos & Graphics

Videos

Allied Groups

News Watch Home

Texas wind-power group launches trade challenge to Ontario’s green energy laws 

Credit:  The Canadian Press, www.theglobeandmail.com 14 July 2011 ~~

Texas-based Mesa Power Group says it has filed a legal challenge to Ontario’s green energy regulations governing wind projects, claiming they violate Canada’s trade agreement with the United States and Mexico.

The company announced Thursday that it has initiated the first step in a claim for alleged violations of the North American Free Trade Agreement that have affected Mesa Power wind projects in western Ontario.

It said Canada failed to meet its international law obligations contained in NAFTA because of Ontario’s Green Energy Act and subsequent Feed-In Tariff Program.

Although the complaint centres on a provincial policy, Canada’s international trade negotiations fall under federal jurisdiction. The NAFTA pact allows for private companies to challenge governments before a dispute resolution panel.

Mesa executive Cole Robertson said the company was surprised by last-minute rule changes to the Ontario Power Authority process that allowed wind projects to move from one region to another and be connected by transmission lines.

“This clear favouritism disadvantaged Mesa, as well as other wind developers and clearly violates the spirit, goals and objectives of the North American Free Trade Agreement,” he stated in a news release.

In addition to a series of NAFTA violations, Mesa said Ontario’s “buy local” contract requirements gives preferential treatment to players such as Korean-based Samsung C&T.

Mesa said its wind projects are among the most advanced in Ontario, with two having completed environmental studies. It said they can be in operation by the end of 2012.

It also has a firm agreement to purchase wind turbines and has selected an engineering and construction firm that would have quickly created jobs in the province.

Mesa said other projects that received contracts under the disputed rules will take years to complete and have “unnecessarily long transmission lines.”

Mesa Power said it expects to file a formal NAFTA Notice of Arbitration after Oct. 3 to formally begin an international arbitration to review government actions.

Source:  The Canadian Press, www.theglobeandmail.com 14 July 2011

This article is the work of the source indicated. Any opinions expressed in it are not necessarily those of National Wind Watch.

The copyright of this article resides with the author or publisher indicated. As part of its noncommercial educational effort to present the environmental, social, scientific, and economic issues of large-scale wind power development to a global audience seeking such information, National Wind Watch endeavors to observe “fair use” as provided for in section 107 of U.S. Copyright Law and similar “fair dealing” provisions of the copyright laws of other nations. Send requests to excerpt, general inquiries, and comments via e-mail.

Wind Watch relies entirely
on User Contributions
   Donate via Stripe
(via Stripe)
Donate via Paypal
(via Paypal)

Share:

e-mail X FB LI M TG TS G Share


News Watch Home

Get the Facts
CONTACT DONATE PRIVACY ABOUT SEARCH
© National Wind Watch, Inc.
Use of copyrighted material adheres to Fair Use.
"Wind Watch" is a registered trademark.

 Follow:

Wind Watch on X Wind Watch on Facebook Wind Watch on Linked In

Wind Watch on Mastodon Wind Watch on Truth Social

Wind Watch on Gab Wind Watch on Bluesky