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.
Decade-old fight over Canadian wind farm heard by arbitration tribunal
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (CN) – A week of hearings opened before an international arbitration tribunal on Monday, with a California energy company arguing the Canadian government owes it more than $90 million for violating the now-defunct North American Free Trade Agreement. According to Tennant Energy, the Canadian province of Ontario illegally blocked the company from participating in a government program offering above-market prices to encourage green energy development. It brought complaints before the Permanent Court of Arbitration, an intergovernmental organization based . . . Complete story »
TransAlta finds cracked foundations at N.B. wind farm where tower collapsed
TransAlta Renewables Inc. says it has found cracks in several foundations of the turbines at a wind farm in New Brunswick where a tower collapsed in September. The company says the discovery of the subsurface cracks means the foundations will likely need repairs, and if replacement is required, costs are estimated at $1.5 million to $2 million per foundation. TransAlta Renewables suspended operations and began an investigation after a tower collapsed earlier this month at its Kent Hill wind farm, . . . Complete story »
Proposed windfarm gets thumbs down from some Alberta landowners
A hearing is underway to determine whether the Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC) will approve a major wind farm in Vulcan County; however some residents are opposing the project. If approved, the Buffalo Plains Wind Farm would build 83 wind turbines on 17,500 acres of privately-owned farmland near Lomond, Alta., about 175 kilometres southeast of Calgary. It would be the third major green energy development in the area, and it’s hoped it will bring more tax revenue and jobs to area. . . . Complete story »
TransAlta wind farm in New Brunswick temporarily taken offline after tower collapse
TransAlta Renewables Inc. says it has temporarily taken a wind farm in New Brunswick offline after a tower collapse. The Calgary-based company says one of the towers at the 167 MW Kent Hills wind facility in Kent Hills, N.B. collapsed. The facility is majority owned by TransAlta’s indirect subsidiary Kent Hills Wind LP. The company says there were no injuries. No one was in the area when the incident occurred and there are no homes in the immediate vicinity. TransAlta says . . . Complete story »
Wind turbine collapse under investigation in southeast New Brunswick
A wind turbine at New Brunswick’s largest wind farm has collapsed. According to the TransAlta Corporation, the Alberta-based company that owns and operates the Kent Hills wind farm, no one was injured when the structure toppled onto an access road. “The cause of the incident is under investigation,” TransAlta spokesperson James Mottershead said in an email to CBC News. The area surrounding the wind facility has been closed while the investigation is underway. The wind farm is located about 55 . . . Complete story »
Proposed Sandy Point wind farm meeting up with questions and some opposition in southwest N.S.
SANDY POINT, NS – A number of citizens in the Municipality of Shelburne are raising concerns and questions about a proposed wind farm for Sandy Point. At the top of the list is why did Shelburne Municipal Council write a letter of support for the proposed project without consulting with area residents? “Community Wind Farms Inc. has proposed a large-scale wind farm for the land between Sandy Point, Jordan Bay, and Jordan Ferry. Although our local government claim that the . . . Complete story »
Wind turbine falls at Kent Hills facility
A wind turbine fell to the ground at the Kent Hills wind facility in Albert County this week. TransAlta says no one was hurt and the cause of the incident is under investigation. For recreational users, company spokesperson James Mottershead says the area surrounding the wind facility has been closed. TransAlta is asking the public to avoid the wind farm which includes all turbines, substations, collector lines and access roads. The company adds an update will be provided once the . . . Complete story »
Vulcan County’s planning commission approves development permits for Buffalo Hills wind farm project
Shane Cockwill, who chairs the MPC, said the planning commission members empathize with the local residents’ legitimate concerns about the project and did their best to address their concerns “to the degree we had an influence,” he said. But the MPC’s jurisdiction was limited in its jurisdiction, to matters such as roads and setbacks, said Cockwill. “We were bound legally to only decide a few things,” he said. Wind farm projects mostly come under the jurisdiction of the Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC), Cockwill pointed out. Cockwill said he hopes the AUC hears the concerns of residents and that those concerns carry weight when the decision on the project is made. Complete story »
Is there a link between turbines and gas emissions?
During the 1970s, a Dover Centre dairy farmer was having problems with his dairy herd with lack of quality and quantity of milk production. The cows were also unable to conceive. After exhaustive investigations and studies, it was found there were stray current and/or stray voltage in his dairy barn. Ontario Hydro and several electrical engineers insisted this was impossible. After a lawsuit, with expert witnesses, it was found that stray current and/or voltage did exist. A Hydro sub-station near . . . Complete story »
Nearby renewable energy projects get regulatory OK
A host of renewable power projects planned in the southeast have cleared regulatory hurdles as August comes to a close. The Hilda Wind Project and a separate expansion of the Brooks Solar facility both earned project approval from the Alberta Utilities Commission, while objections have been dropped against the Dunmore Solar field and Suncor Energy announced new solar facility near Bow Island. Nearest Medicine Hat, the AUC has cancelled a public hearing into a proposed plan to build a 216-megawatt . . . Complete story »
