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Wind Power News: Quebec
These news and opinion items are gathered by National Wind Watch in its noncommercial educational mission 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. The original articles, links to which are provided, may have additional links and photos and other media that were not included here.
Troubles at factory making Vineyard Wind blades
At least 14 turbine blades built for the Vineyard Wind project have been shipped to France from New Bedford, apparently due to a manufacturing defect that has resulted in layoffs and suspensions at the blade manufacturing plant in Gaspé, Quebec. GE Vernova laid off nine managers and suspended 11 unionized floor workers at the LM Wind factory in Gaspé last month in response to the defective blade that broke on a turbine in July, the local union confirmed to The . . . Complete story »
Vineyard Wind’s blade manufacturer identifies Canada plant for “corrective actions”
Following the publication of a Canadian media report alleging a “data falsification scheme” at one of its wind turbine blade manufacturing plants, GE Vernova – the company supplying the wind turbines for Vineyard Wind – acknowledged that “corrective actions” had been taken at its LM Wind Power Plant in Gaspé, Canada, the source of the defective blade that failed on July 13th. “Following the July blade event at Vineyard Wind, we commenced an extensive internal review of our blade manufacturing . . . Complete story »
Falsification possible de données chez LM Wind Power [Evidence of data falsification at LM Wind Power]
[A scheme to falsify quality control data may have led to the wave of layoffs and suspensions currently underway at LM Wind Power, a manufacturer of wind turbine blades for offshore facilities, as revealed by an investigation by GE Vernova lawyers.] Un stratagème de falsification de données aurait mené à la vague de congédiements et de suspensions qui a cours présentement chez LM Wind Power. Hier, le vice-président aux opérations globales chez GE Vernova se serait adressé à l’ensemble des . . . Complete story »
En croisade contre le possible parc éolien — Crusade against planned windpower development
Depuis qu’elle a appris que la MRC de Coaticook songeait à l’implantation d’un parc d’éoliennes sur son territoire, Paulette Bondue Lizotte livre une croisade contre ce projet. Cette citoyenne de Saint-Herménégilde n’est pas seule dans ses démarches. Plus d’une centaine de personnes ont signé une lettre en opposition aux démarches de l’organisme, laquelle a été déposée lors de l’assemblée mensuelle des maires de la MRC en septembre dernier. « Tout m’irrite dans ce projet, confie la septuagénaire. Ça manque de transparence . . . Complete story »
Experts say Quebec wind turbine project threatens caribou habitat
The developers of a project to install wind turbines in a habitat that’s home to a vulnerable caribou herd in central Quebec say they intend to proceed, despite reservations from provincial and federal experts. Renewable energy company Boralex is partnering with Hydro-Québec and Energir on the project in the Charlevoix region, which would see the installation of 68 wind turbines. Seventeen of the turbines would be on land set aside by the province for a small and vulnerable herd of . . . 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 »
Un vent trop fort contre les citoyens [A wind too strong against the people]
[Their lawyer David Bourgoin pleaded the neighborhood disturbances between the 100-megawatt facility and an residential area located in a postcard environment: degradation of the landscape, disturbing noise and loss of home values. None of the citizens’ group’s arguments were accepted.] Alors que le Québec s’apprête à vivre un nouveau boom éolien, des citoyens qui se sont battus pendant 10 ans contre les nuisances des éoliennes dans leur coin de campagne au pied des Appalaches viennent de déposer les armes, écœurés . . . Complete story »
Nicolet: des vents contraires pour un projet d’éoliennes [Headwinds]
[The development of a wind farm in the Nicolet region is facing headwinds from a citizens’ opposition movement.] Le développement d’un parc éolien dans la région de Nicolet fait face à des vents contraires avec l’entrée en scène d’un mouvement d’opposition citoyenne. «Il y avait 200 personnes à Grand-Saint-Esprit l’autre soir. Certains étaient très en opposition, mais c’est quand même 200 personnes sur un total de 23 000 citoyens. Il y a une pétition de 700 noms qui a été déposée . . . Complete story »
NextEra is blocking a major new clean power transmission project
A major new transmission line intended to pipe carbon-free hydropower from Canada into the U.S. Northeast has met a powerful opponent: the world’s largest provider of renewable energy. The 145-mile (233-kilometer), nearly $1 billion transmission line, known as New England Clean Energy Connect, broke ground in February after nearly three years of review by regulators. If completed, it would be able to import 1.2 gigawatts of electricity from the Canadian utility Hydro-Quebec. That’s enough to reduce carbon emissions in the . . . Complete story »
Why cheap wind power is making Quebec’s big, old dams more valuable as a ‘battery,’ say experts
You might think that what with having Canada’s largest hydroelectric capacity, providing almost 100 per cent of the its electricity, including exports, a new $600-million wind power project is the last thing Quebec would need. That was exactly what experts were saying when Premier François Legault cancelled Apuiat, a private but government-supported wind project in Northern Quebec in 2018. But now as the province relaunches the project, power experts say an investment in wind will actually increase the value of . . . Complete story »
