Parker Gallant: Ontario’s insane power exports

27 Wednesday Nov 2013

Posted by in Renewable energy, Wind power

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , ,

(reprinted from Wind Concerns Ontario)

Another weekend came and went and Ontario shipped 104,000 megawatt hours (MWh) to our neighbours in Michigan, New York and Quebec. Those exports were enough to provide electricity to almost 11,000 Ontario households for a full year but instead helped the buying jurisdictions hold down their electricity prices. Continuing at this pace of exporting 2,100 MWh each and every hour means Ontario will export the same amount of electricity used to power 1.8 million Ontario homes.

Those 104,000 MWh generated revenue of $2.4 million based on the average price received per kWh over the weekend (2.3 cents) but cost ratepayers in Ontario in excess of $11 million to produce. The difference of $8.6 million will find its way to the Global Adjustment (GA) pot, driving up electricity prices in Ontario. While last weekend (November 23rd and 24th) experience only amounts to about $2.00 each for the 4.5 million ratepayers, if we add that to the $8.00 for the prior two weekends, it becomes $10.00 for each ratepayer—collectively, that amounts to $50 million for power Ontario’s ratepayers never got to use but had to pay for over just six days.
Last weekend, wind turbines produced slightly over 60,000 MWh or 57% of Ontario’s exports; the costs for that production alone (minus the revenue earned) was $6.9 million. If one adds the cost of gas plant back-up of $900,000, payment for constrained wind ($150,000), and steamed off nuclear from Bruce Power ($800,000) it coincidentally comes to slightly more than the $8.6 million that went to the GA pot.
The hourly Ontario energy price (HOEP) held up (2.3 cents per kWh) better for the past weekend than the previous two, or the cost to ratepayers would have been even higher.
The Long Term Energy Plan or LTEP is due to be released Monday, December 2. If it does not attempt to turn down this insane wealth transfer from Ontario’s residential and commercial ratepayers to NY, Michigan and Quebec, then Ontarians should seriously look at exporting our Liberal politicians. I think many of us would even pay those jurisdictions to take them off our hands.
©Parker Gallant
November 27, 2013
The opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily represent Wind Concerns Ontario policy.

Prowind being sued by Woodstock area residents for $28 million

26 Tuesday Nov 2013

Posted by in Health, Ottawa, Renewable energy, Wind power

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , , , ,

Residents of Norwich Township near Woodstock Ontario have decided that legal action is the best way to protect their community from property value loss and potential health problems related to the environmental noise and vibration produced by large-scale wind turbines.

In a news release dated today, the community members say they are filing a “draft” of the intended legal action, demanding $28 million; the legal action is directed at Prowind Canada, Gunn’s Hill Wind Farm, and the property owners leasing land for the wind power project.

Prowind Canada developed a power project just south of Ottawa at Brinston, which it sold to EDP Renewables, and is the developer responsible for the Marlborough wind power project near North Gower and Richmond in the City of Ottawa.

Toronto-based environmental lawyer Eric Gillespie is acting for the Norwich area residents; he can be reached at 416-436-7473.

Gillespie is also the lawyer for Ottawa Wind Concerns, which objects to the Marlborough project, within 3 km of more than 1,000 area homes. The Marlborough project, if it proceeds, could reduce property values for nearby homes by $134 million.

ottawawindconcerns@gmail.com

Ottawa decision of interest to all Ontario

24 Sunday Nov 2013

Posted by in Ottawa, Renewable energy, Wind power

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , , , , , ,

Here from the Manotick Messenger, is an excerpt from Ward 21 Councillor Scott Moffatt‘s account of the North Gower-Richmond Not A Willing Host petition effort and inclusion in a City of Ottawa motion–which passed unanimously at council.

Other municipalities have been demanding a return of local land use planning powers–in fact, since before the Green Energy Act–but Ottawa, as the second largest city in the province, is the most populous municipality to do so.

The Not A Willing Host communities now number 75: to see the list and map, go to www.ontario-unwilling-hosts.org

2013 is turning out to be a year where issues under provincial jurisdiction are coming up time and time again.These issues give the City of Ottawa a minimal role in the final approval, whether it is the approval of a landfill expansion on Carp Road, or the proposal of expanding gaming within City limits. One of these issues, renewable energy projects, is not new to our area and stems from the…Green Energy Act, which gives municipalities no role in the approval of solar projects or wind power projects.

Nowhere in Ottawa is this issue more prevalent than in North Gower. In 2008, a wind developer came forward with an application for ten industrial wind turbines to be installed between North Gower and Richmond. It is important to note that this project has never been approved and there has not been an opportunity for them to apply since 2010*, but with a new application process being developed and the continuing interest of this wind developer, the potential does still remain.

[*Editor’s note: this is not quite accurate. At the time the province suspended applications for its Feed In Tariff subsidy program, Prowind’s North Gower project, Marlborough Wind Farm, was already on the list of applicants and was awaiting an economic connection test. Just two weeks ago, Prowind sent an email to Ottawa Wind Concerns to say it will be reviewing the requirements in the new application process, and would likely re-apply.]

The challenge for municipalities for these applications is that they do not have the ability to weigh in on the topic, conduct a meaningful consultation process or make any substantive recommendations on applications. This has led to over 70 municipalities across Ontario declaring them as Not A Willing Host to a wind power project. Residents of North Gower and the surrounding area recently came together and submitted a petition to the City of Ottawa that included 1,228 names declaring North Gower as Not A Willing Host.

… This led to the unanimous approval of a motion I put forward at Council last week that asks the Province of Ontario to make the necessary legislation and/or regulatory changes to provide municipalities with a substantive and meaningful role in siting wind power projects. City Council, in a 24-0 vote, sent a strong message to the Province that we should have a real voice in approving these projects.

This is a motion not just for North Gower or Ottawa, but for every municipality in Ontario.

Energy Minister Chiarelli, in testifying before the committee looking at the gas plant cancellations, said last week that it will be “virtually impossible” for a wind power proponent to receive approval without “significant” involvement or support from a municipality. Until we see the new process, we don’t know exactly what that means, but can it be the province really has been “listening” to the municipalities? MPP Lisa Thompson told the Minister in the same hearing session, “You better start listening to the 75 municipalities–you know what I mean.”

Email us at ottawawindconcerns@gmail.com

OPA regional plans

20 Wednesday Nov 2013

Posted by in Ottawa, Renewable energy, Wind power

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , , ,

Please see our new page/tab this morning on the regional power plans prepared by the Ontario Power Authority, specifically the plan for Greater Ottawa.

Already, the OPA is talking about a “sparse” power supply outside the Greenbelt, and the need for more power in Ottawa.

This bears watching.

An OPA staffer told someone in our community at one of their “conversation” events this past summer, when she expressed concern about an expensive wind power project that provide power out of phase with demand, “I understand your concerns, but WE have to think of the ‘big picture’.”

This is the OPA’s “big picture” for Ottawa.

Warning: your blood will boil on reading this (and your wallet will empty)

19 Tuesday Nov 2013

Posted by in Uncategorized

≈ 1 Comment

Ottawa Wind Concerns's avatarWIND CONCERNS ONTARIO: On WordPress

Another weekend of paradise for wind developers in Ontario?
The weekend of November 9th and 10th were great days for the wind power developers but horrible for ratepayers as I pointed out in a recent article (on Energy Probe)—in fact, it cost Ontario ratepayers upwards of $20 million.
This past weekend was even better for the wind power developers who supplied the grid with almost 60,000 megawatt hours (MWh) in 48 hours and who were obligated to constrain (and got paid for constraining) what looks to be another 3,500 MWh.
While the developers were being paid for that, Ontario was busy exporting 119,000 MWh at an average price of $7.06 per MWh (.07 cents per kWh) on the Saturday, and on Sunday we received
67 cents per MWh.  All of the exports generated around  $450,000 over the weekend to slightly offset the dollars that will be billed to…

View original post 269 more words

Green Energy Act violates human rights, say lawyers

18 Monday Nov 2013

Posted by in Health, Ottawa, Renewable energy, Wind power

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , , , , , ,

Garth Manning, QC, has written an article for the Sun media network, accusing Ontario and its poorly thought out Green Energy and Green Economy Act of violating the human rights of Ontario citizens. He quotes human rights lawyer Julian Falconer of Toronto, who refers to the growing body of research into the health effects from the noise and vibration produced by the wind power generation projects.

The Ontario government heard from plenty of experts who warned them against the downside of rushing into wind power, Manning says, but they didn’t want to hear it.

Today, citizens are left with the option of using their after-tax dollars to take legal action, which they are doing, both at appeals of wind power project approvals by the government, and in private legal actions. Municipalities remain without local land use planning control, which was removed the by the act.*

Read the entire article here.

Email us at ottawawindconcerns@gmail.com Donations for legal advice, and expenses welcome at PO Box 3 North Gower ON  K0A 2T0

*Last week, Ottawa City Council acknowledged a petition signed by North Gower area residents declaring themselves Not A Willing Host to a proposed wind power project, and passed a motion asking the province for a more substantive role in siting wind power plants.

Planner: citizens absolutely need a voice on wind power projects

16 Saturday Nov 2013

Posted by in Health, Ottawa, Renewable energy, Wind power

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , , , ,

In today’s Ottawa Citizen, subsequent to the motion by Ottawa City Council this week, to ask Ontario for  more substantive role in siting wind power generation plants, is this letter from a  professional planner.

Cities should have a say

The city’s motion regarding windmill projects is to the point: it is only logical that municipalities and residents should be involved in the decision-making process relating to the location of wind power projects.

Windmills are significant structures that have a major impact on surrounding land uses. From a planning perspective, municipalities should have the authority to include the development of windmill projects in their Official Plan and Zoning Bylaw in order to minimize negative impacts and optimize the livability and sustainability of communities within the municipality. If it were any other type of development of a similar magnitude, there would be no question of this need.

Municipal governments and citizens absolutely need a voice on this issue.

May Gabbour, Ottawa

Registered professional planner

Ontario Professional Planners Institute

City wants say on windmills:Ottawa Citizen

14 Thursday Nov 2013

Posted by in Ottawa, Renewable energy, Wind power

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , , , , , ,

From today’s Ottawa Citizen, an account of yesterday’s vote at Council on Councillor Scott Moffatt’s motion, acknowledging the 1200+ signatures on the petition from North Gower, and telling the province the City wants a stronger role indecisions about siting wind power generation projects.

“With more than 1,200 signatures, the petition is a strong message that politicians say is worth listening to,” says the Citizen.

Note also comments from former Green Party candidate now Ottawa Councillor David Chernushenko: “I’ve always felt people need to have a say…legislation that prevents them…is not healthy in any way.”

City wants a say in where windmills will be located

By Derek Spalding, OTTAWA CITIZEN November 13, 2013
City wants a say in where windmills will be located

Communities need to be consulted about windmill projects near them, city council says.

Photograph by: Tyler Brownbridge , Windsor Star

OTTAWA — City council is urging the Ontario government to give municipalities more say in choosing locations for proposed windmill projects in their communities.

Coun. Scott Moffat drafted the motion that council supported on Wednesday asking for legislative changes that would guarantee local residents have more influence about projects pegged for their neighbourhoods.

The province has already promised to add stringent public consultation requirements to its Feed-in Tariff program, which encourages the development of renewable energy with government funding. Anyone looking to build a project would have to have “significant municipal engagement,” when responding to request for proposals (RFPs), said provincial Energy Minster Bob Chiarelli, just a couple hours before the council meeting.

“The bottom line is it will be very difficult for an energy proponent to be successful in the type of RFP that’s being created without a significant municipal engagement,” he said.

His government has faced public opposition from around Ontario for such projects.

More than 70 communities have joined a coalition of “unwilling hosts” for wind projects, declaring they do not want such developments. The Ottawa motion does not put the city in this same group, but instead asks the government to ensure residents have a say in choosing the location for such projects.

Moffat introduced his motion at council a day after receiving a petition from residents of North Gower, a community in his Rideau-Goulbourn ward, who oppose the large-scale wind-power project.

With more than 1,200 signatures, the petition is a strong message that politicians say is worth listening to.

“What you need is the ability for communities to be engaged in the process, and right now that’s not really happening,” Moffat said. “Mr. Chiarelli seemed to indicate that there would be a process going forward that would allow for community engagement and put it upon the wind developer to have community buy-in.”

Chiarelli said the substance of Moffat’s resolution reflects what the province has been doing over the past few months. Earlier this year the Ontario government removed larger projects from the Feed-in Tariff program and added the RFP process, but details about exactly is required for public consultation have yet to be identified.

Coun. David Chernushenko, a strong wind-energy proponent, supported Moffat’s motion.

“This offers the opportunity now for people to make a real decision about what’s going to affect them,” he told his council colleagues. “As much as I am troubled by the anti-wind hyperbole, I’ve always felt that people need to have a say and legislation that prevents them from having that say is not healthy in any way.”

Chiarelli also confirmed communities will not be able to outright reject projects.

“There is no veto. We’ve said that very, very clearly,” he said. “There is no veto because there are circumstances in the energy planning of Ontario where a veto might be totally unadvisable, but the general thrust is that there must be an engagement with the local municipality.”

dspalding@ottawacitizen.com

Motion passes at Council; energy minister repeats: no veto

13 Wednesday Nov 2013

Posted by in Health, Ottawa, Renewable energy, Wind power

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , , ,

In a surprise move by Ottawa City Council today, Council voted to hear the actual Motion presented by Ward 21 Councillor Scott Moffatt in his required Notice of Motion … and passed it. The motion made note of the petition filed with the City on behalf of North Gower residents, declaring the community Not A Willing Host to a proposed 20-megawatt wind power project, and then asked the province for a substantive role in siting power projects.

Energy Minister (and former Ottawa Mayor) Bob Chiarelli, who was at Ottawa City Hall to talk pipeline, told The Ottawa Sun that Ottawa could not unilaterally veto a wind power project. Both Minister Chiarelli and Premier Wynne have been saying for weeks that the province will give municipalities more “say” in siting power projects.

One thousand, two hundred and twenty-eight area residents signed the petition in a two-week petition drive; over 800 Ottawa area residents also participated in an online poll with 94.56% saying “No” to the Ottawa area wind power project.