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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.
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Oosterlee, wrote in a Feb. 23 letter that a scheduled appeal of the MPC’s approval of the development permits has been withdrawn.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 »
Wind power project generates landowner dissent
ST. PAUL – While the company behind a wind energy generating project being considered for an area east of St. Paul will say little about what stage the project is at, land agents working on behalf of Northland Power have quietly been continuing to negotiate agreements with property owners for the last several years and as recently as this winter. Almost six years ago, residents in the Shamrock Valley/Chicken Hill area in the eastern portion of the County of St. . . . Complete story »
Company behind Cypress Wind Farm seeks approval for a second play
The company building a major wind farm between Dunmore and the Cypress Hills has formally applied to build another nearby. EDF Renewables North America hopes to begin construction of the new Bull Trail wind farm south of Irvine late next year, right around the time commissioning of the EDF Cypress wind farm is completed on the other side of Highway 41. The Canadian subsidiary of the France-based global utility company applied to the Alberta Utilities Commission on Nov. 24 with . . . 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 »
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 »
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 »
