April 22, 2012
Nova Scotia

Colchester-Cumberland Windfield a step closer to third turbine

Truro Daily Newes, www.trurodaily.com 20 April 2012

THE FALLS – Colchester-Cumberland Windfield (CCWF) has had its third application approved for its Spiddle Hill site under Nova Scotia’s Community Feed-In Tariff program.

The company was one of 14 applicants approved this week in Guysborough.

CCWF constructed its first turbine on Spiddle Hill last summer. It went live in August and is now producing enough power to service about 300 homes.

Last December, the company received approval for its second application under the feed-in tariff program.

At that time, turbine development manager David Swan said construction of a second turbine was expected to get under way this summer.

The next steps for tariff applicants include securing financing, completing a grid-impact study and obtaining the required federal and provincial environmental assessments and approvals.

The Community Feed-in Tariff (COMFIT) allows eligible groups to receive an established price per kilowatt hour for projects producing electricity from certain renewable resources. Rates were established by the Utility and Review Board in September.

Projects can include wind, biomass, in-stream tidal and run-of-the-river hydroelectric developments. Eligible groups include municipalities, First Nations, co-operatives, universities and not-for-profit groups.

The COMFIT concept was introduced in the 2010 Renewable Electricity Plan to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, provide a secure supply of clean energy at stable prices and create jobs. The program began accepting applications in September 2011.

Almost 100 locally based proposals have been received from more than 20 community groups for this unique, made-in-Nova Scotia initiative to encourage community participation in renewable energy projects

The COMFIT program is designed to help the province reach its renewable energy targets of 25 per cent renewable electricity by 2015 and 40 per cent by 2020. The province expects 100 megawatts of electricity to be produced through the COMFIT program.

For more information on the program visit www.nsrenewables.ca.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2012/04/22/colchester-cumberland-windfield-a-step-closer-to-third-turbine/