| Wind Watch is a registered educational charity, founded in 2005. |
Wind Power News: Alberta
These news and opinion items are gathered by National Wind Watch in its noncommercial educational effort 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.
Under protest, County council approves rezoning bylaws for two Buffalo Plains wind farm turbine locations
Under protest, Vulcan County council approved rezoning land near two wind turbine sites for ABO Wind’s Buffalo Plains 500-megawatt wind farm near Lomond. Reeve Jason Schneider and Couns. Laurie Lyckman, Shane Cockwill and Kelly Nelson each voted in favour, under protest, on the second and third readings of two bylaws, which each rezoned land to rural general from urban fringe. Coun. Christopher Northcott voted against both readings of the two bylaws. Both turbine locations are in Vulcan County’s urban fringe . . . Complete story »
Castor town council reads update on “controversial” wind power project
Castor town council read a report on the Paintearth Wind Project, noting as they did that some in the surrounding community are still concerned about the project. The document was read at the May 9 regular meeting of council. Town Chief Administrative officer (CAO) Christopher Robblee presented councillors with the April Paintearth Wind Project update submitted by Paintearth Wind Project LP which described the type of wind turbines which may be included in the project and the fact that there . . . Complete story »
County of St. Paul moves to amend land use plan for alternative energy development
ST. PAUL – County of St. Paul County Council has moved forward with the first reading of two pieces of documentation in hopes of being ahead of the game should an alternative energy system company officially come knocking on the municipality’s door. Amendments to the County’s Land Use Bylaw and Municipal Development Plan are now in play with advertising of the proposed amendments followed by public hearings being the next steps. The move to beef up the County’s land use . . . Complete story »
Long planned wind farm will finally go ahead in Cypress County
A 15-year-old plan to build a major wind farm in Cypress County will move forward after the new owner announced Monday a contract to sell most of the power produced at the site near Seven Persons. The Wildrose Wind farm was first approved in 2007 – so long ago the applicant was required to apply a half dozen times to amend the in-service date for the turbine array located 30 kilometres southwest of Medicine Hat. After the most recent renewal, . . . Complete story »
A third major wind project proposed for Cypress County
Another major wind farm proposal would see turbines erected from the edge of Dunmore to the sites of two more going up between the Cypress County hamlet and the Cypress Hills. The Buffalo Trail wind farm proposal would see at total of 65 turbine towers erected in two phases, each capable of producing about 200 megawatts of power in peak conditions. The “S” configuration would see it laid out between two other similarly sized proposals between the Trans-Canada Highway and . . . Complete story »
Suncor fulfilling regional plans as it divests from wind, solar
A major wind farm under construction near Bow Island, and a related plan for a huge solar array on site, is up for sale as energy giant Suncor plans to exit the wind and solar utility sectors. Suncor confirmed to the News on Tuesday that construction on the Forty Mile Wind field will continue toward a commissioning date late this year while a buyer is sought. That comes the day after the company announced it would focus its carbon reduction . . . Complete story »
County of St. Paul moves forward with land use amendments
ST. PAUL – The County of St. Paul is moving forward with amending its Municipal Development Plan (MDP) and Land Use Bylaw (LUB) to address alternate energy production projects including solar and wind energy in the municipality. In doing so, council members agreed it needs to be clearly stated in the revised plan that jurisdiction over large scale commercial energy projects is in the hands of the Province, not local municipalities. Concern by a landowner regarding a proposed commercial wind . . . Complete story »
County of St. Paul looks to get up to speed on wind farm development
ST. PAUL – A proposed commercial wind turbine project in the County of St. Paul continues to generate discussion as landowners in the area weigh the pros and cons of such a development. The debate has now made its way to the County council table with councillors tasking administration with determining exactly what controls if any the municipality has over the scope of the project and mitigating potential impacts to county infrastructure and adjacent landowners. News of the commercial wind . . . Complete story »
Alberta Utilities Commission approves Buffalo Plains Wind Farm project
Professional planner Albert Flootman, representing Lomond Opposing Wind Projects and Todd and Michelle Oosterlee, wrote in a Feb. 23 letter that a scheduled appeal of the MPC’s approval of the development permits has been withdrawn. The hearing was scheduled to take place before the Land and Property Rights Tribunal. “Clearly, my clients have lost,” wrote Flootman. “While the people of Vulcan County will benefit from projected property tax revenues, and the people of Alberta will benefit, however abstractly, from the greater availability of wind energy, the people of Lomond and area will bear all of the costs without any substantive efforts having been made, apart from my work, to review the entire development from a land use planning perspective.” Complete story »
Landowners lose battle over southern Alberta wind farm but still consider it a win
The Alberta Utilities Commission has approved a major wind farm in Vulcan County, with a list of conditions, saying “the negative impacts of the project can be mitigated to an acceptable degree and are outweighed by the benefits of the project.” The project by a subsidiary of ABO Wind includes 83 wind turbines on 7,080 hectares of privately owned farmland near Lomond, Alta., about 175 kilometres southeast of Calgary. Many landowners in the area joined together to fight the application, . . . Complete story »
