Turbine blades at Johnstown, destined for Nation Rise power project: land use conflicts a concern (The little white thing in the left corner is a truck, for scale)
August 9, 2023
The Province of Alberta announced a moratorium on approvals for wind and solar power generation facilities recently, citing concerns about the environment and land use conflicts.
Almost immediately, the wind and solar lobbyist, the Canadian Renewable Energy Association, came out with a comment that the move was a “mistake.“
Of course it is… for the wind and solar developers. It is curious indeed that while the main marketing ploy for the purveyors of expensive, intermittent and unreliable power is to help tackle climate change and save the environment, when people say they have concerns about industrialization by wind power on the environment, the lobbyist denies concerns.
Well, OK, they didn’t exactly: what they said instead was, the moratorium would undermine “investor confidence.” In other words, the whole wind power gambit could be revealed for what it is: a money-making strategy that will have little or no effect on climate change or the environment.
And citizens in Alberta are not buying the hype.
In an article today in the Edmonton Journal, Alberta residents are describing the fast pace to wind power development as a “Gold Rush”, and they are concerned about the impact of industrial wind power projects on the environment, and electricity bills.
Unlike the wind power rush in Ontario in 2009, when nobody knew anything about the potential impact of sky-high noisy wind turbines, the people in Alberta know exactly what’s coming. “Rural residents have been down this polluted path before,” said one.
“It’s no surprise that country folks are buzzing just now with anxiety, anger and unanswered questions about the boom in solar and wind farms near their homes,” says the Edmonton Journal.
A particular concern for rural Albertans is, what happens when nobody has any use for the power generation structures? Who will take the things down and return the land to its former state?
That’s an issue that has yet to be resolved in Ontario, too.
So while the lobbyist and the developers and the faux environmentalist organizations cry about the fact a government is slowing things down, once again, it’s the people who know the truth: nobody wants to live near a wind turbine.
And they don’t want to pay through the nose for the intermittent power, either.
Ottawa’s rural residents should watch this closely, as we wait for the City to come up with new zoning bylaws for renewable power projects, which may be released in draft form this month or next. It’s important that governments acknowledge all the facts about wind power in particular, and do proper analysis of all the benefits and impacts.
Overhead view of 8-megawatt battery storage facility in Tehachapi, USA-Wikipedia image
March 1, 2023
Green energy’s newest fad is Battery Energy Storage Systems or BESS, which is being promoted as an add-on to existing renewable power generation facilities to counteract intermittency and unreliability.
Lobbyist the former Canadian Wind Energy Association, now the Canadian Renewable Energy Association or CanREA is actively pushing BESS, and has even gone so far as to add storage to its corporate banner as in, Wind- Solar- Storage.
CanREA is pushing for TEN TIMES the amount of wind and solar we already have in Canada (won’t that look pretty? And cost us all, too) which they say will work with storage.
However, even the influential lobbyist points to concerns. First, there is a need to develop technical requirements for connecting and operating battery storage facilities CanREA says in its document, Laying the Foundation:
“In many jurisdictions, the technical details may be included in the operating documents of the crownowned utility. However, there are other elements, such as the scope of safety and environmental reviews, that will need legislated descriptions or will need to be included in the regulatory documents of the relevant ministry or government department.” (Page 10)
And, CanREA says, regulating authorities may need to get ready for BESS and develop new competencies:
“In most jurisdictions, the mandate and/or rules of the regulating authority (for example the Alberta Utilities Commission) may need to be enhanced. Regulatory authorities will need sufficient expertise to fairly evaluate proposed energy-storage installations.”
Most people don’t know what they are
In response to inquiries from members and the public, and because BESS is being proposed as an add-on to existing wind power installations, Wind Concerns Ontario undertook a review of experiences with BESS around the world, and reports of citizen concerns, as well as the current regulatory environment.
As one Ontario mayor said, most people don’t even know what they are.
Wind Concerns Ontario prepared a report, with the following conclusions:
Standards needed for emergencies – As BESS technology is relatively new, standards are rapidly changing in response to emergency situations encountered. Even projects developed by companies with extensive battery experience have experienced serious emergency situations.
Not enough information – The requirements for submissions to the IESO and to municipalities when requesting support for the project include few, if any, details on the actual project. The process appears to assume that once a company is awarded an IESO contract based largely on price, it will then proceed to develop the real proposal which will be submitted into an undefined permitting process or processes. Based on information submitted, it is not clear how the IESO will be able to distinguish between proposals with higher prices because they meet high standards for development and those with lower prices because the proposal includes the minimal safety standards.
Renewable energy or not? – BESS systems are neither defined as a Renewable Energy project by Regulation 359/09, nor are they included in the list of excluded projects. The intention may be to omit further provincial review of these projects and to proceed directly to the municipal permitting process but this would be a recipe for substantial delay as the building officials in each host municipality (many of which are small rural municipalities) individually develop the expertise needed to assess and approve these projects.
Safety regulations? – While Ontario Hydro has defined setbacks from BESS installations to protect their infrastructure, there are no setbacks for BESS installations established in Regulation 359/09 to protect other buildings and activities. Similarly, there are no noise standards for these systems which could create a new enforcement challenge for Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks field staff.
Potential for support to be withdrawn – As the submissions to municipalities have included minimal information, there is potential for municipalities to rescind their support resolution once they learn the risks associated with these projects and the municipal resources that will be potentially required to deal with emergency situations.
Clearly, there are significant issues to be addressed.
Ottawa area BESS
Here in Ottawa, a BESS facility was proposed for the recent Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) Request for Proposals for new power generation. Located on Upper Dwyer Hill Road in the West Carleton-March ward of the city, the project is unheard of for most people. The company proposing the project held a public meeting in December but no one showed up. The IESO allows proponents to simply post a notice on their project website. If you don’t even know about the project, how do you know to check for announcements?
Here are the minutes for the “public” meeting:
MINUTES OF PUBLIC COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT City of Ottawa Public Meeting Location: Alexander Community Centre, 960 Silver St, Ottawa, ON K1Z 6H5 Time: 6-7 pm, January 12th, 2023
Long-Term Reliability Project Name: 548
Site Address: 650 Upper Dwyer Hill Road, Ottawa, ON K0A 1A0
Facility: Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS)
Size: 4.99-megawatt/19.96-megawatt hour
Proponents Name: 1000234763 Ontario Inc.
Attendance: • 0 community members •
Proponent – 1000234763 Ontario Inc., representative: o John Kozak, COO • Proponent’s Contractor, SolarBank Corporation (previously, Abundant Solar Energy Inc.) o Tracy Zheng, CAO o Mila Simon, Project Coordinator 6ii
6:00 PM: meeting called to order. Proponent and SolarBank waited for 45 minutes for attendees. No community members showed.
6:45 PM: Meeting adjourned.
Another BESS proposal is in development in Cumberland, that would be ten times the capacity of the Upper Dwyer Hill Rd facility. In response an email inquiry, developer Evolugen (a division of huge power developer Brookfield) replied:
We are still in the process of assessing potential sites for a battery storage energy system in the Cumberland area to respond to two announced procurements (expedited and long-term RFP).The two public meetings were held to gauge at a high level the type of reaction that this type of project would receive in this area. We don’t record public meetings because they are drop-in format rather than a presentation with a Q and A. But we are always available for one-on-one meetings.The IESO released the final RFP document in early December, but had released a series of documents (including a draft RFP) in preceding months to provide project proponents with a general idea of what public outreach requirements were required.
Another inquiry, this time to the Cumberland Community Association, revealed the association knew nothing about the proposal. Or the public meetings that were held.
Time to ask questions
Doubtless, still more BESS proposals are coming with the IESO set to open up yet another RFP later this year, this time for almost twice as much new power generation.
We need to learn more to be able to ask questions about the impact of these installations on our communities, the environment, and our economy.
New zoning bylaws to be fast-tracked for 2023 in light of Ontario government’s current new power procurement plan
See the presentation of the power generation bylaw motion by Councillor David Brown beginning at minute 53
February 23, 2023
OTTAWA
Ottawa City Council voted unanimously yesterday to approve a motion put forward by Ward 21 Rideau-Jock councillor David Brown, and seconded by West Carleton-March councillor Clarke Kelly, to hold off granting municipal approval for any new power project proposals that may come forward as a result of provincial government procurement plans. The motion directs staff to tell proponents that municipal support will not be granted until review by a Standing Committee; the Motion further stipulates that developing zoning bylaws for new power generation installation should be done in the Planning department’s 2023 “Workbook” ahead of 2024-2025 for the new suite of bylaws as a whole.
The deadline for the Independent Electricity System Operator’s first phase of new procurement, for 1,500 megawatts of power, was last Thursday, February 16. The IESO plans another RFP to be launched this spring or summer, for an additional 2,500 megawatts of new power.
The motion passed yesterday stipulates that staff be directed to inform proponents of any new power generation projects: “staff will not bring such requests to Council unless such requests are considered through the relevant Standing Committee, it being understood that the Standing Committee will act in accordance with the timelines provided in the LT1 RFP, furthermore, that Hydro Ottawa and its affiliates, shall be entitled to obtain any Municipal Support Resolution required per the LT1 RFP (or other similar processes), via bilateral discussions with its sole shareholder, the City of Ottawa,”
and
“staff will bring forward an amendment to the City of Ottawa’s Zoning By-law that implements the intent of the policies in the Official Plan with respect to renewable energy generation facilities and storage by Q4 2023 that is in advance of the municipal Comprehensive Zoning By-law update“.
Ottawa saw only one submission in response to the most recent IESO Request for Proposals, a small Battery Energy Storage System proposed for Upper Dwyer Hill Road. Another, larger battery project is in development for the Cumberland area; the proponent is Brookfield’s Evolugen division. Both projects are supposed to have had public meetings to present project details; the Upper Dwyer Hill Road project meeting notice was only on the company’s website, and no members of the public attended the January 12th meeting.
Ottawa Wind Concerns made several presentations to city committees including the Agricultural and Rural Affairs Committee to warn that the IESO RFP was on the way, and that Ottawa needed to be ready with protective bylaws for large power generation projects such as wind turbines. Ontario’s regulations for noise levels and setbacks for noise and safety have not been changed since 2009, and are generally viewed as inadequate today.
The community group’s advice was rebuffed, however, with one rural councillor claiming in September that no such procurement was on the way. At that time, the IESO RFP process was in the final stages of “engagement.” The first RFP launched December 7, 2022.
Do wind turbines make noise? YES
Rural Ottawa has already experienced a proposal for a large wind power project when a proposal came forward under the Ontario government’s Feed-In Tariff program in 2009. It was for as many as eight 600-foot industrial wind turbines to be located in the North Gower area, to be built by Pro-Wind, a small company based in Germany. Residents rejected the proposal at the time, saying the power generating machines would be too close to homes and the village school. Residents signed a petition and presented it to City Hall; almost every property-owning resident of the North Gower area signed the document.
Interestingly, one of the proponent’s staff was interviewed by then radio host and journalist Mark Sutcliffe who asked, Do the wind turbines make noise?
“Of course they do,” said the project salesperson. “They’re power generators.”
Citizens of rural Ottawa are concerned that new power projects, no matter what the technology, will be located in rural areas. Noise pollution, vibration, loss of valuable farmland, risk to aquifers, and danger to wildlife are all important concerns.
We are trying to respond to community concerns, said Councillor David Brown, “That is really what this is all about.”
Ottawawindconcerns@gmail.com
The motion, revised prior to Council, is here:
Re / Objet : Clarifying the process of approving new energy projects and infrastructure under the Requests for Proposals from Independent Electricity System Operator
Moved by / Motion de: Councillor D. Brown
Seconded by / Appuyée par: Councillor C. Kelly
WHEREAS the Independent Electricity System Operator has released an Expedited Procurement Process to procure 1.5 gigawatts of electrical capacity by mid-decade and has been engaging with municipalities with respect to Requests for Proposals for a significant number of new projects for energy generation, storage, and infrastructure; and
WHEREAS the Expedited Procurement Process (the E-LT1 RFP) closing February 16, 2023 includes three (3) of thirteen (13) Rated Criteria Points for municipal council support resolutions; and
WHEREAS after February 16, 2023 the Independent Electricity System Operator is planning two more procurement phases totalling 2.8 gigawatts of capacity to be available mid decade; and
WHEREAS the Independent Electricity System Operator requires a Municipal Support Resolution from the municipal council no later than sixty (60) days after the eighteen (18) month anniversary of the Contract Date; and
WHEREAS some Independent Electricity System Operator resources participate in the Ontario electricity market without contracts; and
WHEREAS it is not clear that the inability for a project to receive a “Municipal Support Resolution” will necessarily lead to the revocation of a proponent’s contract; and
WHEREAS Ottawa must decrease its reliance on greenhouse gas-emitting sources of energy, including by increasing local renewable energy generation and battery storage, to achieve its greenhouse gas emission reduction targets; and
WHEREAS the City has received a request for a Municipal Support Resolution for a 5-megawatt/20-megawatt hour battery energy storage system using lithium-ion battery technology at 650 Upper Dwyer Hill Road, Ottawa that is expected to occupy approximately 0.3 acres (0.12 ha) of land, including all required setbacks and spacing; and
WHEREAS municipalities, namely through land use policies in the Official Plan and provisions in the Zoning By-law, set their own priorities with respect to where energy generation, storage, and infrastructure may be permitted; and
WHEREAS increased energy generation, storage, and infrastructure can have significant impacts on local residents that are worth due consideration by Council under a framework in the Zoning By-law that reflects the City’s Official Plan; and
WHEREAS staff will bring forward an amendment to the City of Ottawa’s Zoning By-law that implements the intent of the policies in the Official Plan with respect to renewable energy generation facilities and storage by Q4 2023 that is in advance of the municipal Comprehensive Zoning By-law update;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Mayor, on behalf of Council, write a letter to the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Independent Electricity System Operator to formally request confirmation that projects approved through the LT1 RFP and future procurements shall not proceed without a Municipal Support Resolution from municipal council in the form of an approved motion; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that staff be directed, in consultation with Hydro Ottawa, to come forward with recommendations in advance of the new Zoning By-law to help inform City Council plans for energy generation, storage and infrastructure as a deliverable project in the 2023 Planning, Real Estate and Economic Development Department Workplan; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the appropriate Standing Committees evaluate current and future requests for Municipal Support Resolutions, informed by the recommendations referenced above until amendments have been made to Zoning By-law 2008-250 in Q4 2023; provided, however, that projects proposed by Hydro Ottawa and its affiliates shall be entitled to obtain such Municipal Support Resolution through bilateral discussions with its sole shareholder, the City of Ottawa; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that until such time as amendments have been made to Zoning By-law 2008-250 in Q4 2023, staff be directed to advise any proponents seeking a Municipal Support Resolution through the LT1 RFP that staff will not bring such requests to Council unless such requests are considered through the relevant Standing Committee, it being understood that the Standing Committee will act in accordance with the timelines provided in the LT1 RFP, furthermore, that Hydro Ottawa and its affiliates, shall be entitled to obtain any Municipal Support Resolution required per the LT1 RFP (or other similar processes), via bilateral discussions with its sole shareholder, the City of Ottawa.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this motion be sent to the Premier of Ontario, the Ontario Minister of Energy, and the Association of Municipalities of Ontario.
Not “forward-thinking”: Ottawa is not acting on its opportunity to protect rural citizens against wind turbine noise and vibration. [Photo: D. Larsen for Wind Concerns Ontario]
Planning committee co-chair responds with condescending, hostile messages; continues to deny Ottawa plans for wind turbines
October 11, 2022
While Ontario’s Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) prepares to launch new procurement initiatives for power generation, and wind power developers line up to apply for contracts, at least one councillor with the City of Ottawa denies the need for the city to issue protective bylaws for noise and setbacks for health and safety now.
Ottawa Wind Concerns has been updating the Agricultural and Rural Affairs Committee (ARAC) as well as city staff charged with developing new zoning bylaws on both the need for protective regulation and the fact that other municipalities have already taken these steps. We made a presentation to ARAC in April, detailing the need for protective regulations, emphasizing that current provincial rules are inadequate.
Recently, we submitted letters to both the Planning Committee and ARAC warning that if the IESO opens the door to new wind power proposals, it will be too late to create bylaws for noise and setbacks. Ottawa needs to take action now, before proposals are made.
Here’s what we told ARAC:
SUBMISSION TO CITY OF OTTAWA AGRICULTURAL AND RURAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE Urgent need for protective zoning bylaws for wind power projects/wind turbines September 28, 2022 This is a follow-up to our submission and presentation on April 7th by Ottawa Wind Concerns board member Michael Baggott, requesting protective zoning bylaws and a setback distance of at least 2 km for industrial-scale or grid-scale wind turbines. We have discussed this presentation with the Carleton Landowners and have their support in making this submission. What is new: The Independent Electricity System Operator or IESO is launching several Requests for Proposal, to acquire 3,500 megawatts of new power generation. (Reference: https://www.ieso.ca/en/Sector-Participants/Resource-Acquisition-and-Contracts/Long-TermRFP-and-Expedited-Process ) The IESO has released a list of Qualified Applicants, of which more than a dozen are wind power developers. One new contract has already been awarded (an extension to Melancthon I) and wind power developers have already announced their intention to propose new projects. (Capital Power, September 22, Windsor, Ontario)
The City of Ottawa confirms that it wants “predominately wind and solar” power to achieve climate action goals (reference: climate manager Mike Fletcher), repeated by climate manager Andrea Flowers to the environmental protection committee May 17th: “We have explicitly said [our plans] would include wind and solar.” The IESO has released a set of draft documents related to municipal approval and community engagement. Deadline for stakeholder comment is September 30. Problems: As documented previously, Ontario current setback for noise of 550m is inadequate and not aligned with regulation in other jurisdictions today. Setback from roadways, public pathways etc. not adequate for protection Once proposals are made, and officially submitted, a zoning bylaw cannot apply to those proposals. (Future ones, yes)
Ottawa citizens, particularly those in rural areas who would be forced to have these power generation projects, are very concerned about noise pollution, impacts on property value, effects on the aquifer and private water wells, as well as the risk to wildlife including endangered species. This was acknowledged by Ottawa staff Andrea Flowers on May 17 when she said the City would respond to concerns with appropriate zoning. This cannot wait. Protective zoning bylaws for grid-scale wind turbines are needed urgently, before any proposals for new wind power development come forward. We understand that the City is engaged in developing new bylaws connected to the new Official Plan, but this bylaw or set of bylaws cannot wait until second quarter of next year when the new draft bylaws could be presented. An option would be for a resolution to the effect that the CIty of Ottawa will not review or approve any proposals for new power generation until after the new bylaws come into effect. In a meeting we had with Councillor Eli El-Chantiry and ARAC chair on this subject in 2019, we were told that municipalities can act quite quickly if they have to. The time to “act quickly” is now.
…
Two days before the ARAC meeting, Ward 21 Councillor Scott Moffatt ( a member of ARAC and also Planning co-chair) sent this message.
I’ll try to be direct so that your Twitter account doesn’t spin my words.
As it stands today, the City does not have an explicit zone that permits wind turbines. All we have is the pending Official Plan which seeks to prohibit their installation in the Agricultural Resource Area. You and I both know that the Province is not required to adhere to municipal policies and by-laws. Nevertheless, the City has committed to reviewing this matter as part of its upcoming Zoning By-Law process.
What you are seeking is a more immediate zoning setback. What you are not considering is that to apply a zoning setback, you need an explicitly permissive zone. I don’t believe the residents of Ottawa would appreciate a quick greenlighting of wind turbines on their properties just so that we can implement a setback that may or may not be respected by the Province.
My position on this has always been that we cannot bury our heads and assume that wind will never come. I’ve also said that there was no current application process for wind, which your Twitter account spun and mocked. Regardless of the recent IESO announcement, I still don’t foresee this current Provincial Government approving wind but they won’t always be in power. While the City will not be an applicant for wind power, we should ensure we prepare for what could come. That led to the OP inclusion and the future zoning discussion. For the sake of the communities you want to represent, I would not recommend rushing that process.
The message was copied to every member of both committees. Not one of them countered the inaccuracies in the message.
The City doesn’t need an “explicit zone” that permits turbines. True, the Official Plan says where they may NOT go, but it is absurd to say that a turbine zone must be described in order for there to be setback or noise regulations, or even a general policy statement. The City already has bylaws about where development may or may not be located, and bylaws governing noise in communities etc. The City has the option to create a resolution, as we suggested, to note its policy intentions, which would help protect in case any proposals come forward now.
“The Province is not required to adhere to municipal policies”—municipalities are free to create their own bylaws, which several have already done with regard to wind turbine noise limits, setback distances, and height restrictions. Yes, the province could enact something like the Green Energy Act which blatantly removed municipal powers, but the current government restored them in 2019. Not going backwards.
Protective bylaws constitute “greenlighting” of wind power projects???
“No current application process for wind”: that was exactly our point. One is coming. And it’s coming fast. We simply asked the City to take steps to protect the residents of rural communities BEFORE it becomes impossible to do so.
The City won’t be an “applicant” for wind power. Maybe not but the $57B Energy Evolution plan and statements by staff make it clear the city’s climate action plan is to increase electricity available which they intend to do by “predominately wind and solar” (City staff quote). So Ottawa may not be an “applicant” but it certainly intends at the moment to encourage wind power development. One of the “catalyst projects” is to have 20 megawatts of wind turbines by 2025. (We learned via documents obtained under Freedom of Information request that the project is “on hold” while the Province reviews requirements for net metering.)
Our Twitter account does not engage in “spin” or “mockery.” Our goal is to inform. The fact is, the City of Ottawa has been woefully unaware of, or wilfully ignoring, Ontario’s disastrous history with expensive, unreliable and ineffective wind power. Why? What’s the agenda?
We showed this response to colleagues who are or who have in the past been municipal councillors and their reaction was that this response was puzzling at a minimum, and disrespectful of community concerns. One commented that the purpose of the response could be taken to be an attempt to “throw you off the scent.”
We also consulted an urban planner who remarked that Mr. Moffatt’s response was “garbled and condescending.” The planner was surprised at the lack of understanding from a co-chair of the city’s planning committee, and additionally that Ottawa is not further ahead on this matter, as are other jurisdictions. “Not forward-thinking” was the planner’s comment.
Again, not one member of the Planning Committee countered the inaccuracies.
We can only hope now that the next Council is committed to a review of the problematic Energy Evolution plan, at least as far as the electricity generation proposals (written for the city by an activist group) are concerned, and that the next Planning Committee is more interested in awareness of current events and potential impacts on rural communities.
Election Day is October 24; next Advance Poll is October 14. Ask questions of candidates NOW and choose wisely.
ottawawindconcerns@gmail.com
List of IESO Qualified Applicants for new power contracts. Check the companies that are wind power developers. Conclusion: wind is coming.
Mayoral candidates pronounce the current climate action plan “unviable” and “wishful thinking” while proposing new ones
September 30, 2022
Ottawa’s municipal election campaign is shining much needed light on the city’s $57B climate action plan, named “Energy Evolution.”
It might even be dead.
We certainly hope so.
Work on the plan was started in the middle of the last decade including a series of “Pathway” studies released in 2017, and culminating in the Energy Evolution document passed by the city’s environmental protection committee and then Council in October of 2020. One Pathway study focused on wind power and acknowledged that Ottawa was a “low” wind resource area (translation: not enough wind to run turbines), the problem could be solved by offering developers more money to come here anyway. The result would be higher electricity bills, but not more reliable power.
While the city claims it conducted public engagement for the plan, it appears that a select group of “stakeholders” was contacted for their applause, and the plan was presented to Council within six months of official declaration of the COVID-19 pandemic.
A casual inquiry of Ottawa citizens will reveal that few people know about the plan and its very hefty price tag, which relies heavily on support from all three levels of government. (To compare, Toronto has a climate plan, too. TransformTO has a budget of $6 million a year.)
A report in today’s Ottawa Citizen says a mayoral debate focused on the environment held September 29th saw candidates presenting their own plans for climate action. Former mayor and now candidate for a repeat gig Bob Chiarelli said the current plan, (i.e., Energy Evolution) is “unviable” and based on “wishful thinking.”
He doesn’t say it is out and out crazy but he could have. The electricity portion of the document was written for the city by activist group Pollution Probe, and recommends that Ottawa turn up its nose at the provincial power grid, and create its own power supply. How? By using wind and solar power.
That is not only nuts it’s impossible. Both are unreliable, weather-dependent sources of power that even with the notion of battery storage, cannot possibly power a city of 1.1 million people.
The plan features a raft of other completely unworkable ideas. A half a million heat pumps is prescribed: interesting, but also impossible across the board. The units are large and do create noise; water source heat pumps need a lot of property to install the equipment.
On propane? No problem: switch to a wood pellet heating system. Because burning wood is better than burning propane, right?
There’s more, but we refer you to our earlier post on how the Energy Evolution plan will hit you, hard.
Candidate and former broadcaster Mark Sutcliffe had a few comments about a climate plan. He said he wouldn’t spend $250 million on bike lanes, which was a jab at fellow candidate Catherine McKenney. Sutcliffe talks about planting trees and other measures, but doesn’t say anything about power.
Catherine McKenney never mentions Energy Evolution but they (McKenney prefers the pronouns ‘they’ and ‘them’) were a councillor when Ottawa City Council passed the climate action plan, and is a member of the environmental protection committee to boot, which not only passed the plan before sending on to Council but was presumably the standing committee that had some oversight on the project. McKenney has made statements about renewable energy, but has also said they want to turn the Greenbelt into an urban national park.
That conflicts with Ottawa’s Official Plan which in Section 4.11 states that renewable energy facilities may be located in the Greenbelt as a principal use. The councillor may be thinking that means a few solar panels to power signs or lights, not 600-foot grid-scale wind turbines which would be an industrial use of the land.
Lots of views to choose from but it appears Energy Evolution might get a review under a new Mayor and Council, if not shelved altogether.
We’re betting few candidates are aware that Energy Evolution was used as “evidence” when the City opposed a customer pipeline replacement by Enbridge along St Laurent Blvd to serve Ottawa natural gas customers.
At an all-candidates meeting in North Gower, for Ward 21, all three of the candidates appearing that evening pledged to demand a review of Energy Evolution.
Roads, wind turbines, and City Hall arrogance: themes at North Gower all-candidates’ meeting
September 21, 2022
Planning staff and others at the City of Ottawa may have sensed their ears burning Monday evening.
That’s because participants at an all-candidates meeting in North Gower held September 19 complained bitterly about the lack of real “engagement” or “consultation” from staff regarding major initiatives, whether it the new Official Plan, individual zoning amendment cases, or huge expensive initiatives like the $57B Energy Evolution plan.
The meeting, sponsored by the North Gower Community Association, was attended by candidates David Brown, Leigh-Andrea Brunet and Kevin Setia. Candidate Patty Searl was ill and unable to attend, and Michael Nowack was working, he told the organizers.
Comments were made about how hard it was to get information about city projects and plans, and to feel like comments were being taken seriously, residents said.
Staff put out their reports with their decisions on what actions will be taken, said one North Gower resident. By the time the process gets to “engagement,” it feels like the decisions have already been made, she said.
Mentioned was the city’s “engagement” on garbage collection, the Official Plan, and other policies in development.
City doesn’t “get” rural issues
Citizens spoke about some of the issues being reported in media about what’s important in the 2022 municipal election campaign, and said that the urban-rural divide was clear. The city quite simply doesn’t “get” rural issues.
Transit is a key topic now, as the city is pushing for better use of the multi-billion-dollar transit system and LRT. But Ottawa’s transit system is out of reach for rural residents, some said.
“I’d love to take transit,” said one resident. “But where do I get it? Where do I drive to from North Gower to get a bus or the LRT or whatever? And, I live on a farm and drive a truck—will there be a parking space I can fit into when I get there?”
Leigh-Andrea Brunet said that the mega-warehouse site, which was the subject of a citizen appeal, would have been a good place for a park and ride, where buses could pick up residents needing to go into the city. David Brown commented that work would have to be done on assessing the cost of rural bus routes but that the City-owned client services centre would be a good location for passenger pickup in North Gower.
Comments were made about one mayoral candidate’s proposal to spend $250 million on bike lanes while in rural areas, roads are literally falling apart.
Concern was expressed by several residents over the tone of the current Council, and how there seemed to be “gangs” of councillors as one person put it.
Kevin Setia said his goal would be to work collaboratively with all other councillors.
NO to expensive, unreliable wind turbines
As the questions asked covered various City initiatives and programs promoted by the current Council, the Energy Evolution plan came up repeatedly, particularly the part that calls for powering the city with wind and solar and would require more than 700 industrial-scale wind turbines, to be installed in Ottawa’s rural areas.
Residents recalled the Green Energy Act era in Ontario, which resulted in a loss of more than $30 billion to ratepayers and taxpayers because of expensive, above-market contracts, and asked why Ottawa hasn’t learned from that.
Every candidate agreed that wind power was expensive and unreliable and not appropriate for Ottawa.
In conclusion, all three said they pledged to demand a review of the Energy Evolution plan if elected.
Further all-candidates meetings include Richmond, October 5; ManotickVillage Community Association September 28th7 PM at the Community Centre/arena; West Carleton-March the OFAwill host a meeting Oct. 5 at the Kinburn Community Centre 7 PM; and the Huntley Community Association (HCA) will host an all-candidates debate for Ward 5 council candidates on Wednesday, Oct. 12, 7 PM at the Carp Agricultural Hall.
Are Ottawa’s rural residents just collateral damage for City Hall’s $57B climate action plan?
Children living next to huge noisy wind turbines in Ontario: where is “equality” with city residents?
September 14, 2022
With the municipal election campaign now in gear, candidates for council and the mayor’s chair are talking about ideas and platforms.
From the mayoral candidates in particular, we hear talk about “affordability” and “equality” and “accessibility.”
(How can we have “affordable housing” when Ottawa’s $57B Energy Evolution plan proposes actions, like installing 700 wind turbines, that will raise electricity bills significantly?)
The notion of “equality” is intriguing because in the rural areas, the sentiment is that rural voices don’t get heard much at City Hall. That was cited as an issue in the Rogers TV candidate debate held for Ward 21 Rideau-Jock.
So, when it comes to the city’s $57B Energy Evolution climate action plan, is there “equality” for rural residents?
No.
When city staff revealed the plans for wind turbines (they didn’t say how many then, but we know now they think around 710 will be needed) in June 2021 during a discussion for rural residents about the new Official Plan, there was immediate pushback from those participating in the sparsely attended, poorly publicized online event.
When residents objected to having industrial-scale wind turbines, then Manager of Planning Policy Alain MIguelez said, in effect, the city wants renewables to provide power and “That power has to come from somewhere.”
Meaning you, you rural folk.
More recently, in a meeting of the Environmental Protection Committee, councillor (and chair) Scott Moffatt said he heard a lot of negative reaction to the prospect of wind turbines.
In response, city climate manager Andrea Flowers confirmed that the city “explicitly” said it wants wind and solar and that resident concerns would be met by zoning bylaws and “technology.”
The reality is that rural residents are already being regarded as collateral damage in the city’s plan to run a metropolis of more than 1.1 million people on “predominately” wind and solar power.
City climate manager Mike Fletcher spoke of Ottawa’s rural communities as “vast areas” for wind power development in a letter to the Ontario Energy Board … as if no one lives there.
Both forms of power generation are extremely land-intensive, gobbling up acres of valuable land for wind turbines, their access roads and associated infrastructure such as transformer substations, power cabling and more.
Wind turbines in particular add noise pollution to the environment, are a risk to wildlife especially
bats which are crucial to the ecosystem and agriculture, and, in areas of vulnerable aquifers wind turbines with their monstrous foundations also pose a risk to the water supply.
But to the Non Government Organizations (NGOs) advising the City of Ottawa (Pollution Probe actually wrote the electricity section of Energy Evolution), rural residents are simply inhabitants of a giant resource plantation.
Equality? For rural residents? Not in Ottawa.
A question for municipal election candidates during this campaign: what about “equality” for rural citizens? Where do you stand on protecting the environment and quality of life in Ottawa’s rural communities?
A previous wind power project was presented as a ‘done deal.’ That’s not happening again, says Ottawa community group.
City documents show that wind and solar power projects and battery storage are due for completion by 2025. Where are they? Rural residents want to know.
August 1, 2022
Community group Ottawa Wind Concerns has asked its followers to contact the City of Ottawa to request transparency on several renewable energy projects.
In an email today, the group asked citizens to demand transparency from the city, with the following request:
“On page 45 of the Energy Evolution action plan is the statement that a project is to be undertaken in the electricity sector between 2020 and 2025, which requires specifically the installation of:
150 megawatts of solar power generation
20 megawatts of wind
20 megawatts of hydro and
20 megawatts of electricity storage.
Given that these are substantial projects for the City and will require procurement of land as well as environmental studies in order to obtain approvals, we are asking the City of Ottawa to release information NOW on where these projects will be located, who will be the operators of the facilities, what contract terms are for setbacks from homes, noise limits, decommissioning, and fire and aviation safety requirements as well as what cost-benefit analysis is being done to confirm the climate change benefits of these projects.
In short, we are asking for opportunities for full public engagement with regard to these power generation projects.
As the deliverable date for these projects is less than three years away, we ask that public disclosure and engagement begin as soon as possible.”
The power projects are significant, says Ottawa Wind Concerns Chair Jane Wilson: “For wind power, the 20 megawatt requirement could mean seven or more industrial-scale wind turbines,” she says. “That will be a significant impact on a community and on the people who will be forced to live nearby. The power generators do create noise pollution and have other potential impacts on the environment such as the risk to wildlife, and the loss of important woodlands and other features.”
Wilson says there is no news on the 2025 power projects, but residents want to know they will be notified and included.
“The last time this happened,” says Wilson, “the project was presented as a ‘done deal’. That cannot happen again.”
A 20-megawatt wind power project was proposed for North Gower in 2008 but ended when the proponent, a small firm out of Germany, failed to meet requirements of Ontario’s Large Renewable Power procurement effort in 2014. The turbines were to be 600 feet tall and would have been near hundreds of homes and the village school. Almost every citizen in the area signed and petition which was presented at City Hall.
The local chapter of Ontario Landowners has also asked members to contact the City of Ottawa to demand transparency.
ottawawindconcerns@ottawawindconcerns
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
Another reason why Ottawa’s Energy Evolution and the plan for 3,200 megawatts of wind to power Ottawa (intermittently) isn’t a good idea. Opinion by Ottawa energy economist Robert Lyman
Putting 700 wind turbines throughout Ottawa’s rural communities will foster energy security, according to Ottawa’s climate change action plan. How is that possible when all the raw materials come from somewhere else? [Photo: D. Larsen for Wind Concerns Ontario]
ENERGY SECURITY – THE UNIQUE PROBLEMS OF WIND AND SOLAR ENERGY
August 1, 2022
The crisis in global energy markets following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has seized public attention in western countries largely because of its indirect effect on the prices of oil and natural gas, two energy sources of central importance to the world’s economy. In a somewhat perverse way, the crisis may also serve as a valuable reminder of the importance of energy security, a consideration that many governments, in their pursuit of “climate” objectives, have demoted to the second or third rank.
There is another dimension of energy security that does not relate to the threat of oil and gas shortages and price increases but instead to the insecure sources of the materials needed to produce wind, solar and battery equipment. All of these require large imports of critical components or inputs from China.
How big is this problem?
In 2019, China accounted for 68% of global polysilicon production, 96% of global photovoltaic (PV) wafers production, 76% of PV cell production and 71% of PV module production.
The Global Wind Blade Supply Chain Update for 2020 ranks China as the largest producing country for wind turbines. Chinese firms are responsible for more than 50% of global wind blade production capacity. According to the U.S. International Trade Commission, China is now the leading exporter of wind-powered generating nets, accounting for about 10% of the market outside of China.
China is also among the leading suppliers of many minerals critical to the manufacture of wind turbines and solar PV. Table 1 indicates China’s share of global supply of critical mineral inputs.
Table 1
MineralChina Share of Global Supply
Aluminum 56%
Cadmium 33%
Copper8%
Gallium 97%
Indium 39%
Molybdenum 45%
Rare Earths 63%
Selenium 33%
Silicon 64%
Tellurium 62%
Tin 27%
Titanium 28%
Tungsten 82%
Vanadium 55%
Zinc 33%
Source: World Bank
Dependence on China for the materials needed for wind, solar and batteries is not the only energy security consideration that should be raised with respect to renewable energy. A far more significant risk concerns the inability of intermittent electricity supply sources to meet electricity demand at all times and in all seasons, especially if left dependent on costly and unproven bulk electricity storage systems.
There is an important geopolitical dimension. China and the West are now locked into an important competition to determine which countries, and which economic systems, will lead the world over the next century. China has shown itself willing to use every policy tool, including widespread industrial espionage and funding of groups that create disharmony and division in western societies, to advance its agenda.
In these circumstances, relying on energy sources dependent on Chinese supplies seems like a very high-risk approach.
The city’s climate change action plan has no cost-benefit analysis, but plenty of costs (and prohibitions) for citizens
If Ottawa goes for variable renewable energy such as wind turbines, electricity bills may double [Shutterstock photo]
July 26, 2022
You can be forgiven if you never heard of Ottawa’s Energy Evolution climate change action plan. It got passed by the city’s environmental protection committee after a few presentations to select groups* and a couple of questions on “Engage Ottawa”.
That happened in August 2020 and approval by council in October.
You probably had other things on your mind.
Like the pandemic. And whether kids were going back to school, or you were going back to work. Whether there would be a Thanksgiving, or Christmas.
That’s when Ottawa City staff decided to put this in motion, a $57-billion plan to make a “better future” for the City, after declaring a climate emergency.
The goals are to achieve a 100-percent reduction in emissions by 2050, and 43 percent by 2025. Here’s how:
All fossil fuels have to be phased out
Heating and transportation systems have to be fully electrified
Waste heat utilization and renewable natural gas
Sufficient renewable electricity (mostly wind** and solar) to meet demand and offset emissions on the provincial grid***
Price tag? Billions. Who pays? YOU
At the time this was presented to council, two Councillors had comments. Carol Anne Meehan said the $57B budget was equal to the budget for 14 cities. “How are we going to pay for this?” she asked.
Councillor Allan Hubley said, “We’re spending $57 billion? This is news.”
“This is NEWS”????
With all the “engagement” staff is supposed to have done, some councillors were not fully aware of the price tag.
People are also unaware of the prescriptions in Energy Evolution, some of which are pretty drastic.
Bye-bye gas stove. And fireplace. Hello higher bills
Ottawa energy economist Robert Lyman has put together a list of some of the actions that lie ahead in the name of climate change.
Did you know that Ottawa plans to spend $57 billion by 2050, or $57,000 per person now residing in the city, on its climate plan?
Electricity
Did you know that Ottawa wants to install 36 square kilometres of photovoltaic panels on roofs?
Did you know that Ottawa plans to spend $4 billion on industrial-scale wind turbines within the city limits by 2050? And that they hope to “profit” by $4B (not Ontario’s experience, and probably via your electricity bill)?
Did you know that Ottawa plans to eliminate the secure backup electricity generating plants that now use natural gas and replace them with untested storage systems that could cost $383 million?
Did you know that Ottawa plans to ban sales of natural gas furnaces, fireplaces and appliances (even stoves that restaurants use)?
Did you know that Ottawa’s plans will double or triple the cost of electricity over the few years?
Transportation
Did you know that Ottawa plans to eliminate parking in the downtown core and in the Byward Market within eight years?
Did you know Ottawa wants to charge you $20 just to drive downtown? For a doctor’s appointment or to dine out?
Did you know that Ottawa plans to restrict new car purchases so that 90% are electric vehicles by 2030, regardless of cost?
Did you know that Ottawa plans to regulate all commercial vehicles (heavy trucks, delivery vans, taxis, car and truck rental, etc.) so that at least 40% of them are all-electric within eight years?
Did you know that Ottawa will spend almost $1 billion on all-electric buses over the next five years, even though no studies have been done of how well they operate in winter conditions?
Did you know that Ottawa expects the percentage of residents here commuting by walking or cycling in 2030 to be higher than in Victoria, British Columbia, even in winter?
Housing/building
Did you know that Ottawa intends to reduce requirements of residential developers to provide parking spaces for the houses and apartments they build?
Did you know that Ottawa is considering introducing an Ottawa vehicle registration fee of $118 per vehicle per year, on top of what the province charges?
Did you know that Ottawa is considering increasing the tax on all private parking lots by 24%?
Did you know that Ottawa plans to require most houses to be retrofitted, even though the cost could be $150,000 per unit?
Did you know that Ottawa is considering increasing development charges by $234 million per year to pay for its climate measures?
Did you know that Ottawa is considering introducing a new Land Transfer Tax raising $130 million per year to pay for its climate measures?
After all this is done, Mr Lyman says, actions by the City of Ottawa would only reduce annual global emissions by 0.014%, an amount too small to be measured, and have zero impact on global temperatures or weather patterns.
Former head of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business Catherine Swift recently described Energy Evolution as a “fantasy strategy.” That may be but the fact is work is being done on it NOW, and money—your money—is being spent.
The municipal election is coming. Ask candidates now if they know about Energy Evolution and whether they support it. As a tax-paying citizen, you deserve an answer.
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
NOTES
*Check the list of “partners” on pages ix-x. Many are organizations that stand to profit from Energy Evolution demands. The list includes the Canadian Renewable Energy Association or CanREA, formerly the Canadian Wind Energy Association or CanWEA—their goal is to advance the interests of wind and solar power developers, not fix the environment.
**Several councillors denied this, despite staff being very clear.
***This is a peevish political statement as well as being inaccurate. Ontario’s power grid is more than 90-percent emissions-free. Also, more intermittent wind power means MORE natural gas as backup. If you actually want electricity, that is.
