Tag Archives: Green Energy Act

Ontario needs real change, not blame: WCO

03 Tuesday Dec 2013

Posted by in Ottawa, Renewable energy, Wind power

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , , , ,

 

Wynne continues wind folly with Long Term Energy Plan

Province needs change not blame, says advocacy group

December 2, 2013, For Immediate Release

 

Toronto—Ontario’s new Long Term Energy Plan released by Energy Minister Bob Chiarelli today has no real change, and maintains the same targets for wind power development, just a longer time frame. That’s bad news for ratepayers and taxpayers affected by higher electricity rates as a result of the province’s push for “green” power.

“Ontario never did a cost-benefit analysis for wind power, but now we know what the costs are,” said Wind Concerns Ontario president Jane Wilson. “Very little power produced, power produced out of phase with demand, and few of the thousands of jobs promised. At the same time, the costs are skyrocketing electricity rates, plummeting property values, and absolute tyranny through industrialization of Ontario’s rural communities with huge wind power plants.”

Wilson noted that the Energy Minister’s response to criticism about electricity rates is to produce a new website that featured a tutorial on how consumers can better use electricity.

“That was pure insult,” she said, “especially to rural residents forced to pay horrendous delivery charges for power, and who are already doing all they can to conserve while the government continues with policies that drive up costs.

“We need change, not blame.”

Wind Concerns Ontario also notes that though municipalities and citizens throughout the province demanded a stronger role in siting wind power generation projects, the government hasn’t budged.

Wind Concerns Ontario policy calls for no new Feed In Tariff or subsidy contracts for wind, cancellation of the contracts where construction has not yet begun, and compensation for people who have lost value in their properties neighbouring wind power projects, or whose health has been affected.

www.Windconcernsontario.ca

FACTS about wind power in Ontario

  • Currently 3,700 Megawatts of wind power under contract but not yet connected to the grid: could mean another $1 billion per year to Ontario costs or $250 to average ratepayer’s bill annually
  • Over 6,700 huge industrial wind turbines are already built or are proposed for Ontario
  • 76 Ontario communities have declared themselves “Not A Willing Host” to wind power projects

Wind Concerns Ontario is a coalition of individuals and community groups concerned about the negative impacts on health, environment and the economy from industrial-scale wind power generation projects.

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.

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

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

Delivered!!!

12 Tuesday Nov 2013

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

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , ,

Our petition to the City of Ottawa, asking that North Gower be declared Not A Willing Host to a proposed wind power generation project, was delivered to the Clerk’s Office at the City of Ottawa at precisely 11 .am. today. The petition carried 1,228 signatures, which represents a clear majority of the voting population of the North Gower area.

We also carried out an online poll open to all residents of Ottawa; the results were that of 866 people responding, 94.56% said they do NOT support the wind power project.

Why are we doing this? Because the application process for large-scale power projects will be announced soon, and we expect that community support will be a key requirement for proponents of power projects. By expressing our deep concerns about the impact of this power project on our community with this petition, the City of Ottawa gets the message as to the level of support (none!) in the community that would actually have to live with it.

What’s next? Councillor Scott Moffatt intends to put forward a Notice of Motion at tomorrow’s Council meeting, for a motion to be heard November 27th, asking the province to give municipalities a greater/substantive role in determining the location for such power plants; the North Gower Not A Willing Host clause is included in the preamble to the motion. (The motion is not, however, a Not A Willing Host motion for the City of Ottawa.)

What you can do now: talk about this with your friends, family and co-workers. Ask them to vote FOR the motion that asks for a return of local land use planning powers, that were removed by the Green Energy Act. If people don’t know who their councillor is, send them to ottawa.ca for the list.

Email us at ottawawindconcerns@gmail.com

Donations needed to help with this fight: PO Box 3, North Gower ON  K0A 2T0

Ottawa concerned about closeness of proposed wind project in North Gower

30 Wednesday Oct 2013

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

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , ,

Here from the Ottawa Sun, a story by Susan Sherring, on the opposition to the proposed North Gower-Richmond wind power generation project.

No to wind turbines in North Gower

2

Susan Sherring

By ,Ottawa Sun

First posted: Wednesday, October 30, 2013 06:03 PM EDT | Updated: Wednesday, October 30, 2013 06:19 PM EDT

Wind turbines
Wind turbines at the Erie Shores Wind Farm near Port Burwell generate power. Similar turbines may be popping up near Ottawa. (CRAIG GLOVER/QMI AGENCY)

For years, Gary Thomas has run a successful 50-acre Christmas tree farm in North Gower.

And he does it right, a family event with horse-drawn sleighs, tractor-drawn wagons and a warm fire with hot chocolate and cookies waiting for you upon your return from the bush.

Don’t forget the sweet smells of fresh Scotch Pine and Balsam fir.

Idyllic? Absolutely.

Now picture the same Norman Rockwell scene with a 600-foot high wind turbine less than 1 km away.

Sort of jars the senses, doesn’t it?

And then picture the massive turbine casting a shadow over the scene every few seconds.

Thomas says he can barely believe the possibility.

But indeed, there continues to be a looming threat of a wind turbine project as his next-door-neighbour.

A company called Prowind has applied more than once to the province for permission to build the wind turbine project in North Gower.

And when the province opens up for bids again, there’s every expectation Prowind will submit a proposal again.

“We’re not very pleased with it for a number of reasons. Health, there’s the psychological aspect, and the flicker effect, with every few second have a shadow come in front of our house, this is crazy,

“I’m not sure customers having the old fashioned experience will like the shadow,” he said.

Agreed.

Thomas doesn’t just worry about the immediate effects of the turbines, but he and his wife have counted on the farm for their retirement — and if the giant wind turbines are erected, doesn’t know how that will effect the resale value of their home.

“We’re hopeful Watson and council won’t put them in the municipality,” he says, in an interview with the Sun on Wednesday.

The threat of a giant wind turbine farm in their community has galvanized residents of North Gower in opposition of the project.

“We really don’t need these wind power projects,” said Jane Wilson, the chair of Ottawa Wind Concerns.

The group is circulating a petition — which now has about 400 names on it — advising the province North Gower doesn’t want to be home to a wind turbine project.

“It’s a pretty big power plant, I’m not sure people understand that. It’s huge, these are really large machines, they make noise and the vibrations can be upsetting,” she said.

The group has the support of their ward councillor Scott Moffatt, who’s working with them and city staff to craft a motion asking the province to give municipalities a say in where the wind power projects can and can’t be located.

“The majority are against it,” he added.

……………..

Read more at the Ottawa Sun website and take the poll!

South Branch wind project footprint visible

16 Wednesday Oct 2013

Posted by in Renewable energy, Wind power

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , ,

From the October edition of The AgriNews, an update on the South branch wind power project. You recall that Prowind, the same developer as for the Marlborough project in North Gower, began this project by leasing land from local farm owners, and then sold it to Portuguese energy giant EDP. Construction is ongoing now.

Here is an excerpt of the story by Lois Ann Baker.

BRINSTON–Now that the wet weather is out of the way, construction on the South Branch Wind Farm* is well underway. The sites of the 10 turbines that will be scattered throughout the Brinston area have been excavated and access roads have been created to allow the many trucks and equipment to access the sites.

Within the next week or two the foundations for the turbines will be poured, paving the way for installation of the turbines.

The main site located on Brinston Road just south of the hamlet, will also be home to the substation that will be used to maintain the turbines. A building consisting of meeting rooms and storage space will also be located on that site.

Project manager Ken Little said … the turbines [will] be installed in November and they should be producing power for Hydro One by the new year.

The controversial wind farm has sparked interest among the locals, said Little and EDP Renewables has tried to keep up “fairly regular communication” with both supporters of the project and those that oppose the turbines.

Ralph Butler of Williamsburg expressed his concerns over the wind farm by saying that the area of farm land being wasted is unbelievable.

BrinstonAerialSB“I think it’s the biggest waste of money since the gas plant,” said Butler. “I’ve been complaining about this ever since it started.”

Butler added that with new regulations brought in by the Ontario government stopping the turbines from producing power when there is an abundance of power on the grid, it’s possible these turbines will never turn a blade to produce power. He also added that the municipal government should have done something to stop the project.

[EDP’s] Little didn’t seem overly concerned with the regulations saying that…they will be compensated. “If we are asked to shut them down, after a certain amount of time we will be paid,” said Little.

In light of these new regulations, South Dundas council passed a resolution at the first regular council meeting held after the groundbreaking of the turbine sites to not support any future proposals until the supply and demand for electricity demonstrates a need. Council had previously turned down a resolution by Councillor Evonne Delagarde requesting that the municipality become known as “Not a Willing Host” to industrial wind turbines.

At the same council meeting, council felt the need to defend themselves when long-time Brinston resident Robbie Giles gave a presentation on how he felt council had no been open and acted in the best interests of residents of South Dundas, with regards to the South Branch project. Giles claimed too many informal meetings with a lack of follow-up was a big issue.

Giles said he felt the biggest lesson learned from the South Branch project was that revealed a lack of public contact or consultation and urged council to take responsibility for “access, transparency, honesty, respect for all voices, and courage to change position and challenge authority, if it is the right thing to do.”

Mayor Steven Byvelds** responded with “I think we are an open council. We do not have informal meetings and do not discuss council issues away from the council table.” ***

 

*They are not “farms”

**Remember that name, especially in the next municipal election, October 2014

***Because that would be ILLEGAL under the Municipal Act, wouldn’t it?

Aerial photo of South Branch wind power plant by Ralph Butler

Ontario’s Not a Willing Host communities meet today

20 Tuesday Aug 2013

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

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , ,

Coalition of ‘Unwilling Host’ Municipalities

Press Advisory August 20, 2013, Ottawa

Representatives of the 62 municipalities that have declared themselves ‘unwilling hosts’ to wind turbines are coming together during the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) meeting currently underway in Ottawa to discuss ways to bring their concerns more forcefully to the government.

According to Kevin Marriott, Mayor of Enniskillen, ‘the government has not addressed the concerns of these communities’.  In the Throne Speech and other statements by the Premier, they talked about wanting to locate projects in willing host communities, but there has been no substance to these announcements in terms of municipal input will be incorporated in the process.  Meanwhile, the government continues to approve wind turbine projects without consideration of municipal concerns according to Marriott.

Some municipal officials represented at AMO have already experienced the impact of wind turbines on their communities.  Complaints start once when they become operational with people being forced from their homes by noise and low frequency noise vibrations.  These municipalities are looking for the MOE to actually start enforcing the noise standards that they have set and to follow up on the health complaints being filed with Medical Officers of Health.

Mayor April Jeffs of Wainfleet wants the government to start applying learning from these early projects and apply increased set-backs from people’s homes to new projects before they are approved.  Wainfleet adopted a 2 kilometer set-back by-law that was challenged in court by the wind developer.

Municipalities are looking for the government to return real local planning authority for wind turbines to local municipalities.  These powers were taken away by the Green Energy Act. Municipalities are better placed that a Queen’s Park civil servants to identify local issues that need to be addressed in reviewing wind turbine projects.  They also have processes in place to review and approve other complex or controversial projects building projects that take place in their municipalities.

The municipal representatives at AMO will be meeting Tuesday August 20 at 4:30 pm. in the Governor-General 1 on the 4th floor of the Westin Hotel in Ottawa.

For further details contact, Kevin Marriott at 519-383-9170 or April Jeffs at 905-658-7890.