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 are the products of the organizations or individuals noted and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of National Wind Watch.
Sask. appeal court upholds extradition of man charged in wind turbine sales fraud to U.S.
A Canadian man arrested in Saskatoon in 2016 after years on the lam lost his appeal of an extradition order to stand trial in the U.S on fraud charges related to a failed wind turbine business that once attracted celebrity attention. James Alan Rowan is now awaiting his extradition to the U.S. to stand trial on one count of wire fraud and one count of securities fraud. Rowan spent about four years at large after he was indicted by a . . . Complete story »
North Stormont loses appeal to squash wind turbine project
Residents south of Ottawa are disappointed and concerned about the approval of a windmill farm, after the Ontario Environmental Review Tribunal ruled that the Concerned Citizens of North Stormont failed to provide accurate evidence of harm. “[We need to] prove the project will cause [problems] – not may cause, not maybe involved with, not maybe implicated with,” says Margaret Benke, Spokesperson for Concerned Citizens of North Stormont. She tells 1310 NEWS they had originally thought if they had declared themselves an . . . Complete story »
Repairs set to begin on turbine at Eastern Kings Wind Farm
Repairs are about to get underway on a wind turbine at the Eastern Kings Wind Farm, as officials try to determine the exact cause of the damage that took place in the days following a strong windstorm in November. “We really don’t know what happened. It was a catastrophic failure,” said Heather MacLeod, manager of energy assets with the PEI Energy Corporation. “Two blades came down. One was cracked … we’ll have to wait for the experts to get here . . . Complete story »
Challenge to stop wind farm in North Stormont fails
FINCH – An attempt by a group of residents from North Stormont to try to quash a wind power project from being constructed in the area ended in failure on Friday, after the Ontario Environmental Review Tribunal ruled they had failed to prove windmills would harm human health, local animal and plant life, or the environment. The Concerned Citizens of North Stormont had appealed a renewable energy approval the Ministry of the Environment had granted to allow the project, Nation Rise . . . Complete story »
Company gives details on wind energy project in Cypress County
MEDICINE HAT, AB – The company behind the latest wind project announced for southeastern Alberta shared some additional details about the project. The Cypress Wind Project, which would be built by EDF Renewables, was announced as one of five successful projects in Alberta’s latest Renewable Electricity Program. “We’re very excited and very pleased to have been selected as part of the program,” said Cory Basil, vice president of development with EDF Renewables. “We’re looking forward to investing into the province, investing . . . Complete story »
Lack of responses sink study on wind turbine impacts
It wasn’t for lack of trying on the part of the Huron County Health Unit. But the health unit simply didn’t find enough people willing to participate in their study on the health impacts of wind turbines to conduct a valid study. Epidemiologist Erica Clark said they mailed out 5,000 letters to people within five kilometres of a turbine and her hope was to be able to look at environmental variables related to people who claimed to be bothered or . . . Complete story »
Green Energy Act axed
The Green Energy Act is no more, having received Royal Assent. That means local municipalities will have the power to block unwanted wind and solar farms, says a government news release. “The Liberal’s Green Energy Act took powers away from municipalities to stop expensive and unneeded energy projects and led to skyrocketing electricity rates for Ontario families,” said Nipissing MPP Vic Fedeli. “Under the previous government, energy rates tripled, driving manufacturing jobs out of Ontario and hurting hardworking families.” Fedeli . . . Complete story »
New leader for Water Wells First
The citizen group Water Wells First has a new leader and voice to carry forward their concerns about the impact a wind farm has had on private water wells in the area. Kevin Jakubec issued a media release Tuesday stating he is leaving the group to spend more time with his family and to announce Jessica Brooks will be the new leader. Brooks told The Chatham Daily News that Jakubec is “getting run down” from working on this issue and . . . Complete story »
Wind Concerns Ontario states North Stormont property value losses could be in the millions if wind farm is constructed
NORTH STORMONT – Homeowners in North Stormont stand to make a big sacrifice to “green” energy if the proposed “Nation Rise” wind power project is constructed, says Wind Concerns Ontario, a coalition of community groups and Ontario families. Using research completed recently by a land economist with the University of Guelph and published in Land Economics, Wind Concerns calculates that overall, the property loss for houses within 5 km of the 33 planned turbines could be $87.8 million. Using other research . . . Complete story »
‘This could have been avoided’: Wind farm work sparked blazes before Parry Sound 33 wildfire
The forest was tinder dry. With no rain in weeks, the parched grass in the undergrowth had turned to straw, prompting fire bans across northeastern Ontario. Yet heavy construction in the bush pressed on last summer at the site of the province’s largest wind energy development. CBC News has learned there were at least three construction-related fires at the Henvey Inlet Wind (HIW) project in the weeks leading up to Parry Sound 33, the massive wildfire that torched thousands of . . . Complete story »
