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Kneehill: Activists encouraged by pause in major wind farm development process
Credit: October 8, 2024 · by David Nadeau · ecareview.com ~~
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Translate: FROM English | TO English
When Toronto-based mega-corporation Capstone Infrastructure puts a multi-million dollar Kneehill County wind farm development on hold, the temptation is to think of David and Goliath.
As a Goliath, Capstone’s website describes the company as a developer, owner, and operator of clean and renewable energy projects, with 885 MW capacity in 35 wind, solar, hydro, biomass, and natural gas power facilities across North America.
The most vocal opposition to the 350 MW Lone Pine Wind Farm wind project and transmission line near Torrington and Sunnyslope, west of Three Hills, is the small and passionate “David” activist group Wind Concerns Kneehill County (WCKC).
In a news release, WCKC stated, “Although the project has not been cancelled, we hope the possible changes coming to the Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC) regarding renewable projects will benefit our cause. We are still here. We’re not going anywhere.”
Capstone’s “pressing pause” letter to stakeholders pointed a finger at what could be persistent WCKC activity by saying, “Over the last six months, we have seen a broadened increase in public engagement in the Lone Pine project. We appreciate the interest in the project, and the willingness for stakeholders to reach out. The feedback received has been a mix of common questions and concerns for wind projects.”
A year ago, after Capstone got the Lone Pine wind project ball rolling with an open house, a small group of neighbors started a don’t-do-it petition, now populated with 850 names.
“Over the year,” said WCKC participant Kelly Tainsh, “we’ve had petition signings, regularly attended County council meetings, sent two delegations to County council, saw more than 200 participants at a town hall meeting in Three Hills (ECA Review, May 2, 2024), conducted letter writing campaigns to government officials, wrote to newspapers, and travelled to Edmonton for a one-on-one with Minister of Affordability and Utilities Nathan Neudorf.”
Tainsh said changes the province has been talking about are starting to filter out.
“We look forward to new regulations Minister Neudorf has talked about, such as increased setbacks of turbines to residences. If a three to five kilometre setback is brought in, that alone could end this project.”
In an interview, landowner Mary Clarkson personalized her opposition to the project by saying, “We are so passionate about this! We live here because we love the land and the views.”
While it may be too early for WCKC to form next-step plans, it will meet to “discuss what the two-year pause means and what some regulations being reviewed at AUC will mean to the project.”
For its part, Capstone said it will not conduct public meetings or make an application to the AUC this year. “We will restart the connection process and postpone AUC application by about two years.”
When asked for takeaways from their project opposition, Tainsh said WCKC is a like-minded group of citizens working together for a common cause.
“It is important that we did our homework. We asked questions, wrote letters to the company and politicians, and made sure our voice was heard in a respectful, informed manner.
This is a time of change in the renewable energy arena and must be done in a balanced way. We hope the Alberta government is doing just that.”
This article is the work of the source indicated. Any opinions expressed in it are not necessarily those of National Wind Watch.
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