September 9, 2013
Ontario

Wind turbine projects alarm McNaughton

By David Gough, QMI Agency | Monday, September 9, 2013 | www.petroliatopic.com

There are more wind turbines coming to the Lambton-Kent-Middlesex riding, and that alarms Progressive Conservative MPP Monte McNaughton.

Already home to about 100 wind turbines, McNaughton said there are up to 1,000 wind turbines in the project stage and are scheduled to be constructed in the near future in the mostly-rural riding.

“We know that more contacts are being approved,” McNaughton said.

As the provincial legislature heads back to work this week, McNaughton said he is preparing to fight against the Green Energy Act.

He said he would like to see municipalities have more veto power about having wind turbines. A number of municipalities, including Dawn-Euphemia, have passed resolutions saying they are unwilling hosts of future wind turbines.

“I am going to hammer the government and encourage them to support that,” McNaughton said, noting that local decisions should be made by local governments.

With a big expansion of wind turbines expected locally, the MPP calls it “total nonsense.”

He said Ontario can’t afford more wind turbines. He said there is a large cost subsidizing the current solar and wind turbine contracts that are in place.

“It’s costing taxpayers between $4 and $5 billion a year. It’s just escalating the debt crisis.”

The wind turbines are also creating a divide between urban and rural residents, McNaughton said, noting the Toronto-centric policies of the Liberal government.

“We really need to heal that divide between urban and rural Ontario,” he said.

[rest of article available at source]

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2013/09/09/wind-turbine-projects-alarm-mcnaughton/