November 23, 2013
Nova Scotia

Board turfs wind farm appeal

JOANN ALBERSTAT | The Chronicle Herald | November 22, 2013 | thechronicleherald.ca

A Terence Bay group has lost its bid to get the provincial regulator to halt a small-scale wind project in the area.

The provincial Utility and Review Board dismissed an appeal Friday by the Friends of River Road, saying the group took too long to launch its bid to stop the project.

“The board concludes that the notice of appeal was filed well after the 60-day appeal period expired,” board vice-chairman Roland Deveau said in the decision.

“Specifically, it was filed more than one year after the appeal period had elapsed.”

The six-megawatt project is being developed by Chebucto Terence Bay Wind Field Ltd., in partnership with Renewable Energy Services Ltd.

The group launched an appeal of the three-turbine project in July, saying the venture didn’t have community support as required by provincial regulation.

The Energy Department and the developer said the appeal should be dismissed because it was filed after the 60-day appeal period set out in provincial regulations.

The board ruled the 60-day period began on April 16, 2012, when a public announcement was made by then-energy minister Charlie Parker.

Friends of River Road had argued the appeal should be allowed because department officials didn’t advise them until June 5 of this year of their right to appeal the minister’s decision. The group also argued the appeal period had not yet begun because Parker hadn’t provided reasons for his decision to approve the project.

Attempts to reach a Friends of River Road spokesperson for comment were unsuccessful.

Because the appeal wasn’t filed on time, Deveau didn’t rule on the issue of whether the minister must justify a project’s approval.

The province and Chebucto had argued the project did have community support and the group’s definition of what is required was too narrow.

The wind farm is being developed as part of the province’s community-feed-in tariff program, which encourages local ownership of renewable energy projects by setting a fixed, long-term price for the electricity that’s sold under contract to Nova Scotia Power.


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2013/11/23/board-turfs-wind-farm-appeal/