Ottawa City Council today passed an amendment to the Official Plan, that will not allow for new renewable energy projects to get municipal approval until after the City has new zoning bylaws appropriate to that land use.

Municipal approval is now mandatory for successful proposals to the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO). The IESO is launching another Request for Proposals in a few months, and will begin another RFP in 2025, as Ontario plans to double its power supply with “clean” emissions–free sources of generation.

“This is a step forward,” says Ottawa Wind Concerns Chair Jane Wilson. “We were concerned that proposals might come forward in the 2023 RFPs and there would be no protection for rural residents from noise emissions and other impacts of wind and solar power projects, which are an industrial land use. The City of Ottawa has clearly shown that they are aware of the need to protect health and safety as they move forward with new zoning bylaws.”

Municipal approval is mandatory and with the repeal of the Green Energy Act in 2018, planning powers removed by the McGuinty government were returned to municipalities—that means they can determine setback distances, noise limits, and other regulations to control development. A key concern for Ottawa is the protection of valuable agricultural land.

As regards the risk of noise pollution and other impacts such as danger from fires, turbine collapse and ice throw, City staff have said they want to “do the right thing.”

Following approval of the proposed amendment at last week’s meeting of the Agricultural and Rural Affairs Committee, a spokesperson for a local group spoke out against it, saying there was no reason to slow down renewable energy proposals. Angela Keller-Herzog of Community Associations for Environmental Sustainability was quoted by the CBC as saying we need battery energy storage systems for example during power outages so “our kids” can do their homework.

According the hydro authorities, the major cause of power outages is damage to transmission lines, which prevents power from any source reaching homes.

“It is interesting when ‘environmental’ groups appear not to actually care about protecting the environment,” says Ottawa Wind Concerns’ Wilson, who is a Registered Nurse.

“Our concern is to ensure that health and safety are protected so that families can live in peace and safety in Ottawa’s rural communities.”

The amendment states in part:

This report is an interim step towards regulating renewable energy generation facilities in accordance with policies in the Official Plan which direct renewable energy generation facilities that require provincial approval to certain rural designations. Once the amendments proposed in this report come into effect, renewable energy generation facilities will not be permitted in any zone until such time as a subsequent report is approved with appropriate provisions to regulate such facilities.

Ottawa Wind Concerns’ input was noted in the report, with the statement that we will be kept informed of any developments.

Also on the Agenda at Ottawa City Council was the submission of the petitions sponsored by Ottawa Wind Concerns, asking for a minimum 2-km setback between any wind turbines proposed, and homes, as well as other land uses where people might be affected.

City staff noted that there are no proposals known for power development (but a battery storage project is in development  https://evolugen.com/facilities/rabbit-battery/   in Cumberland) but with a series of Requests for Proposal coming from the IESO, anything is possible.

Ontario’s Energy Minister Todd Smith recently made several announcements, namely new nuclear at Bruce and Darlington, and a new plan called Powering Ontario’s Growth. (Read the news release and see links here: https://news.ontario.ca/en/release/1003253/province-launches-plan-to-power-ontarios-growth)

ottawawindconcerns@gmail.com

Ottawa Wind Concerns is an incorporated, not-for-profit group, with a membership list of several hundred residents of rural Ottawa communities and other stakeholders. We are a community group member of the Wind Concerns Ontario coalition.Our goal: a safe environment…for everyone