National Wind Watch: Wind Energy News » Walking against the lines

PLYMPTON-WYOMING – In a flood of people concerned about the effects of wind turbines, Paul Marsh stands out. And it isn’t just because he’s holding a picket sign.

Marsh lives in Sylvan – a community south east of Thedford just over the Middlesex County line. He, too, says he will be affected by the 62 turbine Cedar Point Wind Power project in Plympton-Wyoming.

Marsh won’t be too close to the turbines and it’s unlikely he’ll be able to see them since his 30 acre property is filled with trees.

What he will notice is a power transmission line which will run the length of his corner lot property.

“The transmission lines which are going to take the power from here will go right by my house,” said Marsh as he stood in front of the doors of the Camlachie Community Centre where Suncor was holding an open house recently. “The power generated here will go by my house. Everybody thinks about the turbines themselves but not how they move the power.”

The Cedar Point project isn’t the only industrial wind farm which will benefit from the new power lines. NextEra Energy also expects to hook into the line leading to feeder lines near the Bruce Power plant for its Jericho project in Lambton Shores.

“Right now, the small projects can feed into the grid, but they won’t be able to once there are 100s of them.”

And it is obvious Marsh is not happy about it. Suncor wants an easement – legal permission – to erect the power lines on between 60 and 80 feet at the edge of his property.

He had a “90 second conversation” about the idea with officials and now says the company will have find another way.

“They want an easement, but I won’t give it to them. They will have to expropriate it.”