Wind Power News: Canada
These news and opinion items are gathered by National Wind Watch to help keep readers informed about developments related to industrial wind energy. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of National Wind Watch. They are the products of and owned by the organizations or individuals noted and are shared here according to “fair use” and “fair dealing” provisions of copyright law.
Lomond, Alta. residents blown away by scope of proposed wind farm
LOMOND, ALTA. – A proposed wind project near the village of Lomond, set to begin construction by the end of the year, is raising concerns with some residents. “Our quality of life is definitely affected,” said resident Larry Helland. The project headed by German Energy Company ABO Wind and will be built on 24,000 acres of privately-owned farmland in the area north of the community. The company maintains there are plenty of benefits, including $3 million in property tax revenues, and . . . Complete story »
Energy regulator looking at proposed wind farm near Jenner
The provincial utility regulatory body is now considering the application to build a wind farm near Jenner that won a provincial grid supply contract in late 2018. Buffalo Atlee wind farm would consist of three clusters of three or four turbines located about five kilometres southeast of the hamlet, near the northwest corner of CFB Suffield. The 11 total turbines would produce 48 megawatts of power in peak conditions and put the power onto the Alberta grid via the Fortis . . . Complete story »
Andrea Horwath’s NDP putting political opportunism ahead of environment with Nation Rise spin?
Here’s an open letter to Ontario NDP leader Andrea Horwath and her party’s energy critic, Ian Arthurs. Ian, Andrea, I have talked to NDP MPPs as well as sending multiple information updates to your party pointing out the gaps, omissions, negative implications of the Nation Rise Wind project, other Ontario IWT projects and worldwide IWT updates. Now, following the revoking of the Nation Rise Wind project license, Ian, you are quoted as stating that the decision is “not supported by . . . Complete story »
ABO Wind updates county council on proposed wind farm near Lomond
Representatives from ABO Wind updated Vulcan County council Dec. 18 about its proposed 400 megawatt (MW) wind farm near Lomond. Project managers Keaton Lever and Marika Gibson provided council with a project overview and status update of the Buffalo Plains Wind Farm, reads the minutes of the Dec. 18 County council meeting. An open house and stakeholder consultation have been completed, as well as an environmental assessment of the land, they told council. The company, which is based in Germany, . . . Complete story »
Sharp Hills wind farm near Oyen gets new approval
A planned wind farm near Oyen that faced staunch opposition by some nearby landowners has earned new approval to be built just as a contract to sell power to the Alberta grid begins. The Sharp Hills wind farm was one of three projects to win a provincial government green energy supply auction in 2017. That 20-year supply contract began on Jan. 1, but regulatory hurdles and opposition twice delayed construction from moving ahead. After new hearings this fall, the Alberta . . . Complete story »
Port Hawkesbury Paper working on possible wind farm to feed it with electricity
PORT HAWKESBURY, N.S. – POINT TUPPER – Port Hawkesbury Paper has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Canada Infrastructure Bank and IFE Project Management Canada to work on a potential wind farm development that would supply greener power to the mill. “CIB was approached by the mill’s development partners early in the year to assist with due diligence during the project planning phase,” Terence Foran, the bank’s director of corporate communications, wrote. “The wind farm is a great opportunity to collaborate . . . Complete story »
Ontario faces court challenge over wind-farm’s cancellation
Builders of a nearly completed wind farm southeast of Ottawa have asked a judge to reverse Ontario’s cancellation of its operating permit amid mounting uncertainty about the future of renewable energy projects in the province. After concluding its turbines would harm local bat populations, Environment Minister Jeff Yurek revoked the Nation Rise Wind Farm’s permit on Dec. 4. That was just three months before they were to begin generating electricity: 16 of the planned 29 turbines were fully or partially . . . Complete story »
Wind farm owner launches court challenge against Ontario government
Forty kilometres to the south of Ottawa, a once-bustling construction site of partially built wind turbines has ground to a halt. Nation Rise Wind Farm, nestled among dairy farms and fields of corn, was three months away from completion when Ontario Environment Minister Jeff Yurek cancelled it earlier this month, citing concerns over possible risks to local bat populations. The company behind the site, EDP Renewables, must lay off the 200 employees working on Nation Rise just before the holidays, . . . Complete story »
Ontario cancels nearly built $200M wind farm over threat to bat populations
Ontario’s Environment Minister has cancelled a $200-million wind farm south of Ottawa – one almost fully constructed – because the giant turbines pose a threat to nearby bat populations. In a Dec. 4 letter, Minister Jeff Yurek said he’s revoking the approval given to the Nation Rise Wind Farm, which has already erected a number of the 29 planned turbines in a rural area near the villages of Crysler and Finch in the Township of North Stormont. The surprising decision comes about . . . Complete story »
Bathurst withdraws from Anse-Bleue wind farm project
A planned wind farm in the Bathurst, N.B., area was struck a major blow on Monday. City council rejected a request for funding for the Chaleur Ventus Energy Project that is to be built in Anse-Bleue, about 56 kilometres northwest of Bathurst. At a special meeting of council the city said the project was no longer profitable and that there were issues around social licence. The city was the majority partner in a group aiming to build five windmills on . . . Complete story »
