Wind Power News: Ontario
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 »
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 »
Wind turbine topples at Bow Lake
BluEarth Renewables has taken all of its wind turbines offline at the Bow Lake Wind Facility north of Sault Ste. Marie after one of the turbines on site was severely damaged last week. A spokesperson for BluEarth informed SooToday that it responded to an incident resulting in structural damage to a wind turbine at the Bow Lake Wind Facility at approximately 12 a.m. Aug. 28. Reader submitted photos show the turbine resting in pieces on the ground. The company says . . . Complete story »
Investigate wind turbine health complaints
As Canadians and residents of Ontario we are fortunate that all levels of government are required to protect the health of the people: the question is how the laws are applied to industrial scale wind turbines. As a country, Canada recognizes the World Health Organization’s definition of health which is “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”. Since before the implementation of the Green Energy Act of 2009, noise . . . Complete story »
Wind turbines: manmade wonder or blight?
Despite its high-tech wizardry, turbine design has two major drawbacks. First, they are ugly — at least when compared to a pristine rural landscape. A spinning turbine is an affront to the esthetic sensibilities of anyone who looks at one with other than an engineer’s eye. Worse, from an environmental standpoint, these things are killers. While there is little chance of danger to people, flying creatures have plenty to fear. Bats and birds are killed by the thousands across the world by wind turbines. Our efforts to make them silent make turbines efficient killers. Complete story »
Talks required for La Nation to prohibit wind turbines, and zoning change in works for sports complex site
Plans in La Nation to prohibit commercial wind turbine developments in the municipality are not going to be a breeze to implement. At the July 26 council meeting, Planner Guylain Laflèche explained documents received from WSP, the firm retained by the municipality for planning services, regarding a series of amendments being proposed for the municipal zoning by-law. The amendments include prohibiting windfarms and allowing secondary dwellings and coach houses on residential properties. The WSP document stated windfarms are considered renewable . . . Complete story »
More details on Skyway 8 wind turbine that suffered severe damage
More details are available on when the test device was installed on the Skyway 8 turbine which suffered severe damage recently. A media contact for Capstone said that the device was installed the week of Mar. 15, when cranes were onsite at County Rd. 8 southwest of Dundalk. The company had received an extension on the Ontario EA approval for testing the Powercone device, Megan Hunter said in an email. The EA when first granted originally was to start earlier . . . Complete story »
North Stormont resident fed up with wind-turbine side effects
“When they are running, you’d think I’m living between the 401 and the Queensway,” he said. “It sounds like a jet that’s about to take off but never does.” A video recorded by Lamb seemed to confirm his claims — the three blades swirling in the wind give off a continuous highway-like sound. “You think you’d get used to it, but you don’t.” Complete story »
Wind turbine with test device loses part of a blade
Part of a blade on a wind turbine just off Grey County Road 8 southwest of Dundalk broke and fell to the earth last Wednesday morning. Although the company is still investigating the cause, Megan Hunter of Capstone Infrastructure told the Dundalk Herald that there was a special circumstance. “We can confirm that we were testing an aerodynamic improvement device on the turbine in question,” she said in an email reply. The test device had been placed only on the . . . Complete story »
Nation Rise Wind Farm opponents say IESO has broken Ontario law
FINCH – The spokesperson of a group that’s a fierce opponent of the Nation Rise Wind Farm has sent an email to officials with the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) saying it has broken Ontario law. Ruby Mekker, in a letter on Monday to officials including Terry Young, interim president and CEO of the IESO, said the approval of the commercial operation date for the Nation Rise project “is illegal,” that the IESO has been provided with proof of adverse health . . . Complete story »
