| Wind Watch is a registered educational charity, founded in 2005. |
Wind Power News: Canada
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.
Fate of Higgins Mountain rests with Supreme Court judge
A group that has taken the provincial Environment Department to court to oppose the May 4, 2023, approval of a 17-turbine wind farm in the Wentworth Valley awaits with fingers crossed a Nova Scotia Supreme Court judge’s decision. “Our group is supportive of renewable energy; we understand that the province needs to meet its goal with respect to energy and getting us off coal,” said Nancy Frame, who lives in nearby Folly Mountain and is a member of the Protect . . . Complete story »
Water well issue heads to ombudsman
A group of North Kent residents worried about the quality of their well water have taken their concerns to the Office of the Ontario Ombudsman. According to Christine Burke of Wallaceburg Area Wind Concerns, a complaint has been submitted to the ombudsman’s general investigations unit, asking why the province hasn’t taken any action on a request from Chatham-Kent to further probe the water well issue. The letter, signed by Burke and local geologist Keith Benn, asks the ombudsman’s office to . . . Complete story »
Most of Alberta’s wind fleet shut down by cold Thursday night
UPDATE: By 7:28 a.m., wind output fell to less than 1 per cent of capacity. One of the first lessons any new engineering student learns in their materials class is “cold brittle behaviour” of materials. When it gets really cold, like −30 C or colder, many materials lose much of their strength and are prone to shattering. This applies to wind turbines as much as it applies to car bumpers. And as a result, most wind turbines are shut down . . . Complete story »
‘I just refuse to move’: Codroy Valley outfitter says he’s not interested in buyout
Some say World Energy GH2’s proposed wind farm will be the greatest thing to ever happen in the Codroy Valley, but Art Ryan is not convinced of that. Ryan lives in Searston and is the owner of Mountain Top Outfitters. He’s been in the outfitting business pretty much all his life, but said that could end if the wind farm goes ahead. “It’s a terrible thing,” said Ryan. He has camps located in three big-game management areas, and the two . . . Complete story »
‘I feel like we’ve been dismissed’: Codroy Valley group formed over concerns about proposed wind farm in area
Claudelle Devoe hopes something good comes out of the efforts of Codroy Valley United to find and share information about World Energy GH2’s proposed wind energy project in the area. World Energy GH2 is proposing to build a 164-wind turbine wind farm on Crown land in the Anguille Mountains of the Codroy Valley as part of its Project Nujio’qonik. Devoe said there are many people in the valley who are concerned about the project and that’s why Codroy Valley United . . . Complete story »
P.E.I. wind turbines at ‘high risk of imminent failure,’ consultant warned province in 2022
A consultant hired in 2022 to assess production problems at a wind farm owned by the P.E.I. government found severe damage, with turbine units possibly constituting a safety hazard and turbine blades at “high risk of imminent failure.” Last month, high winds ripped two 56-metre blades off one of the turbines at the facility in Hermanville, near the northeastern tip of Prince Edward Island. For comparison, the province’s tallest building is only 39 metres tall; it’s the 10-storey Holman Grand . . . Complete story »
Quebec introducing new rule to reduce bat deaths linked to wind farms
Quebec’s Environment Department says it is introducing a new measure to mitigate the impact of wind farms on bats native to the province. The government will require all future wind farm projects to increase turbine cut-in speeds – when the blades start rotating and generating power – to 5.5 metres per second at night between June 1 and Oct. 15. Those months coincide with the period of the year when bats are most active in North America – and when they are most . . . Complete story »
Vicious winds tear 2 blades off wind turbine in Hermanville, P.E.I.
One of the wind turbines in Hermanville, P.E.I., had two of its blades completely torn off as powerful winds raged across the province this week. The tower of the turbine known as Tower 9 is also damaged, and staff with the Department of Environment, Energy and Climate Action are investigating. “Nordex has secured the area and there is no risk to the public,” a spokesperson told CBC News on Friday. “The full extent of the damages to the turbine aren’t . . . Complete story »
Colchester wind farm gets greenlight despite opposition
A controversial proposed wind farm in Colchester County has gotten the thumbs up from the provincial Department of Environment and Climate Change. On Thursday, Minister Timothy Halman approved the Kmtnuk Wind Power Project’s environmental assessment with conditions. Kmtnuk, jointly owned by Membertou First Nation and EverWind Fuels, plans to start construction this coming year on its 16-turbine wind farm on Nuttby Mountain between the communities of Earltown, McCallum Settlement and North River. The project will have a capacity of 98 . . . Complete story »
Wind farms harvest subsidies
Much has been made of the potential benefits of wind power and many people get visions of rainbows and unicorns dancing between the pristine white towers when they think of wind power. The truth about the costs and benefits of wind generated electricity is somewhat different than those idealistic thoughts. We have been subjected to a constant stream of propaganda regarding renewable energy for too long. I’m not a climate denialist – climate change is real but I’m personally tired . . . Complete story »
