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Wind Power News: Manitoba
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.
State OKs agreement between Minnesota Power, Manitoba Hydro
State regulators will allow Minnesota Power to buy carbon-free hydroelectricity for 15 years from Manitoba Hydro. The contract will begin in 2020. The 250 megawatt power purchase will support Minnesota Power resource planning goals of more efficiency, flexibility and diversity while lessening its dependence on coal and lowering emissions from its generation fleet, the division of ALLETE Inc. said in a news release. The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission’s endorsement “demonstrates that cooperation in energy supply and transmission planning can cross . . . Complete story »
Wisconsin's wind
A few days ago Manitoba Hydro’s Bob Brennan told me one of the hurdles the Crown corporation faces in selling more power to the United States is competition from American wind farms. Brennan said as American states buy more power from Manitoba, critics in the U.S. say it will result in a loss of jobs and investment for new wind farms and other projects. Specifically, they’re opposed to a new Wisconsin bill to allow hydroelectric power from Manitoba to qualify . . . Complete story »
Snowmobiler killed at wind-farm site
A 47-year-old RM of Montcalm man died when the snowmobile he was driving struck a fence around the construction site for a wind turbine on Wednesday. Gerard Fillion was pronounced dead after Emerson RCMP and local emergency personnel rushed to the scene. Marcel Bissonnette, Letellier’s fire chief and one of the emergency responders called to the scene, said on Thursday the site was in a field and not on a marked snowmobile trail. “Snowmobilers should know the conditions they are . . . Complete story »
RM to look into turbine noise issue
Property devaluation, a lack of democratic process, and insufficient guarantees for sound monitoring had a group of 15 RM of Rhineland residents asking council to consider several requests last week. The group presented a five page document outlining their concerns about the proposed BowArk 120 wind turbine project to council, and highlighted several of them. Joe Braun questioned the lack of public consultation on the project, pointing out that many who are now opposed didn’t have that knowledge initially. “How… . . . Complete story »
Wind out of sails for Central Plains
News of a proposed wind farm project for St. Joseph, in the Winnipeg area, being selected for development, has taken some of the wind out of the sails of developers hoping to get the go-ahead for projects in the St. Ambroise and Macdonald areas in the Rural Municipality of Portage la Prairie. However, Reeve Toby Trimble said he is not disappointed the St. Joseph project was selected instead of the local proposals. He said, in the meantime, the RM will . . . Complete story »
BowArk shows their wind farm plans
Love them or hate them, people in the St. Joseph area were very eager to see exactly where the new wind turbines will be placed in the recently approved St. Joseph Wind Farm Project put forward by BowArk. More than 100 people were in the door shortly after the open house began, April 8, looking at maps to see where the turbines would go. Simulated before and after pictures covered the displays and the project also showed off three distinct . . . Complete story »
Landowners could get big windfalls from wind turbines in Manitoba
A new wind farm project awaiting final approval in Manitoba would be among the richest in Canada, with landowners paid $10,500 per year for every turbine on their land. Manitoba Hydro announced this week it had chosen BowArk’s proposal for turbines in St. Joseph from more than 80 wind-farm proposals in Manitoba. The two sides will now sit down for final negotiations. The Crown-owned utility must choose between a 100-megawatt project, a 200-megawatt project or a 300-megawatt project for the . . . Complete story »
New wind farm eyed for Manitoba
Manitoba Hydro, a provincial government-owned utility, said Monday it will negotiate with a subsidiary of Australian investment bank Babcock & Brown Ltd. to build a new wind farm in the province. The company proposed several options to Manitoba Hydro to produce up to 300 megawatts of wind power, said Adam Macdonald, head of Babcock & Brown’s energy development in Canada. The project could involve capital costs of more than $600 million, Manitoba Hydro said, and could generate enough power for . . . Complete story »
Plan ahead to avoid dangers of going green, groups urge
Going green shouldn’t mean getting killed. That’s the message two groups are promoting as the province pushes ahead with wind power and the possibility of allowing more fuel-efficient vehicles on the road. Crop dusters say the spread of gigantic wind turbines creates a hazard for pilots, while members of the blind community say hybrid and electric cars make no noise, posing a potentially deadly hazard for blind pedestrians. Groups representing the blind and aerial sprayers have written to the Doer . . . Complete story »
Montcalm sticks to their guns on setbacks after hearing
The RM of Montcalm has moved ahead with their plan to change the minimum setback for wind turbines from 300 metres from a residence to 500 metres, despite opposition at a public hearing earlier this month. CAO Mitch Duval said the hearing attracted 18 people, of which only three spoke up on the planned changes. Asking for more All three also wanted increased setbacks, but asked for more than council was prepared to give. Frank Paetkau, a landowner two miles . . . Complete story »
