Ontario is rejecting wind power: Wind Concerns Ontario to Wynne government

11 Tuesday Aug 2015

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

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community opposition wind farms, Feed In Tariff, IESO, Kathleen Wynne, Large Renewables Procurement, Nation municipality, Not a Willing host, Town of Essex, Wind Concerns Ontario, wind farm, wind mills, wind turbines

NEWS RELEASE

Ontario Communities Reject Wind Power Proposals

<!OTTAWA, Aug. 11, 2015 /CNW/ – More than 90 communities have now declared themselves to be unwilling hosts to huge power generation projects using wind turbines.

The municipality of Nation, east of Ottawa, yesterday reversed an earlier statement of support, and the Town of Essex declared it wants no more wind turbines.

“The Premier promised not to force power projects on communities,” says Wind Concerns Ontario president Jane Wilson. “But we still can’t say ‘no.’ Making the unwilling host declaration is a powerful statement to this government.”

Ontario citizens are increasingly aware that large-scale wind power brings potential environmental damage, harms wildlife, is linked to health impacts due to the noise and infrasound, and is causing electricity bills to climb beyond affordability.

Despite a surplus power supply and the high cost of renewables, Ontario is contracting for more wind power this year. “The people of Ontario are saying ‘We’ve had enough,'” says Wilson. “The current procurement program should be abandoned immediately.”

www.windconcernsontario.ca

SOURCE Wind Concerns Ontario

Nation says NO to huge wind farms

11 Tuesday Aug 2015

Posted by Ottawa Wind Concerns in Uncategorized

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community opposition wind farms, cost benefit wind power, Julie Leroux, Nation, Not a Willing host, Save The Nation, St Bernardin, St Isidore, wind farms Eastern Ontario, wind power, wind power project, wind power projects, wind turbines

Wind power project rejected: the people of Nation speak

Council for the municipality of Nation, just east of Ottawa, met last evening and decided to reverse a motion of support for two wind power projects, in St Bernardin and St Isidore. Nation is now Not A Willing Host to wind power projects, making it the 90th community in Ontario to reject wind power proposals. The community group Save The Nation/Sauvon La Nation held a huge public meeting last week, and revealed that council had passed the support motion with no public discussion or input. The majority of residents are opposed to the power projects on the grounds that the potential for environmental damage is significant, and the impact on agriculture and the social fabric of the communities would be extensive. “We are not for sale,” said Julie Leroux of Save The Nation in an interview. EDF of France had claimed it has spent hundreds of thousands wooing the community, paying for hockey dinners and other events designed to sway farm owners to sign leases for the project. See the story from CTV News here: http://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/residents-of-nation-east-of-ottawa-fight-wind-turbine-projects-1.2510730 Related story: the town of Essex last night voted not to support a new wind power project, saying they want no more wind turbines. There are now 91 Not A Willing Host communities in Ontario.

Eastern Ontario wind farms: no community support

08 Saturday Aug 2015

Posted by Ottawa Wind Concerns in Renewable energy, Wind power

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Brinston, community opposition wind farms, Eastern Ontario wind farms, EDP Renewables, Farmers Forum, FIT, IESO, Not a Willing host, Premier Kathleen Wynne, subsidies for wind power, Tom Van Dusen North Dtormon, wind farm, wind mill, wind power, wind power LRP, wind turbines

Eastern Ontario wind farms: “enjoy the horizon while you still can”

From Farmers Forum, August 4, 2015

Community opposition to industrial-scale wind power mounting

Excerpt from “Eastern Limits” by Tom Van Dusen

I’m not sure what it is about North Stormont Township but wind power developers seem to love it.

Their calculations must have discovered more forceful winds than normal stirring the township. On the surface, though it seems no more or less windy than any other rural municipality.

In increasing numbers, developers have been wafting through the township looking for prime sites* to erect their industrial turbines. As in other communities where they’ve landed, their efforts have been the subject of increasing protests, petitions, and testy meetings.

Correctly gauging the way the wind is blowing on the issue, township council has just taken a stand against turbines and their proponents…for what that’s worth. With the provincial government relentlessly pushing wind power, it’s probably not worth much.**

Mayor Dennis Fife has explained that too many ratepayers are against wind projects for council to reasonably support them. Fife has expressed his personal opposition, claiming wind will never match nuclear power generation.

Typical of disgruntled ratepayers is Roger Villeneuve who worries that towers “much taller than any tree I’ve ever seen or will ever see” will soon dominate the local landscape.

…Council was helped along in its decision by Concerned Citizens of North Stormont which circulated an unwilling host petition, demanding that elected representatives back it at a meeting July 28. They did.

In explaining its opposition the citizens’ committee cited the loss of property values and prime agricultural land, increased hydro costs to cover wind power expansion, environmental impact on birds and bats, health issues related to pulsating noise and shadow flicker, and eventual decommissioning costs.

…Developers have been through all this before, in several other Ontario municipalities where they’ve landed. You see, they have carte blanche from the province under the Green Energy Act, trumping any local motions, opposing them. Projects are decided by the province’s Independent Electricity Service Operator [sic–it is “System” Operator] (IESO) with little regard for local concerns.***

…a growing number of wind power opponents are urging councils to use other tools at their disposal…one suggested option is refusing a bylaw to permit road access to turbine sites. ****

…

“Enjoy the natural horizon while there still is one,” says ratepayer Roger Villeneuve.

Wind Concerns Ontario notes:

* What they are looking for is willing landowners. Wind doesn’t really have much to do with it.

** The Not A Willing Host declaration stems directly from a statement by Premier Kathleen Wynne that she wouldn’t force wind power projects on communities that weren’t willing. Her failure to honour her word is underscored by the 89 (soon to be 90?) communities that have protested by municipal resolutions.

*** This is true but the failure of a developer to gain municipal support does not help them in a successful bid. Bids without community support are ranked lower.

**** This is not actually a valid option: several communities have tried this already and what happens is, the developer goes to the Ontario Energy Board which then grants permission to use road allowances. The municipality is then left without a road use agreement and possibility of compensation for the sometimes considerable damage to public roads.

South Dundas to rethink Not A Willing Host?

18 Thursday Jun 2015

Posted by Ottawa Wind Concerns in Uncategorized

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Brinston, Not a Willing host, South Dundas, wind farm South Dundas, wind power South Dundas, Yvonne Delegarde

Cornwall NewsWatch, June 18, 2015

MORRISBURG – A proposed ground-based solar farm has South Dundas revisiting whether it’s not a willing host for green energy.

Solar company SunEdison has approached the municipality asking for support for a solar farm at 4278 County Road 1, south of Glen Stewart, on a private piece of land.

The company is hoping to get municipal support in order to receive preferential scoring when applying to the province’s Feed In Tariff (FIT) program.

South Dundas council heard Tuesday night the proposed site, which could be anywhere from four to 10 acres, is not farmable land.

“That same footprint, the top soil was stripped in 1997,” Planner Don Lewis told council.

“I have no problem with it…it’s a business proposition,” Deputy Mayor Jim Locke said.

But Locke used the moment to chastise the province and its electrical regulators.

“Hydro One, IESO (Independent Electricity System Operator) and the provincial government have done a terrible job of informing the public on what’s going on with electricity production in this province,” Locke stated.

“I have no problem with the individual doing what they want with their land,” Coun. Archie Mellan said. “I just think we should clarify whether we’re a willing host for these programs…before we go farther or endorse or reject this proposal.”

Piggybacking off comments from Coun. Mellan and Coun. Marc St. Pierre, Mayor Evonne Delegarde also expressed concerns with endorsing a green energy project.

“I did pull out the (not a willing host) resolution once again. I know we only pertain to the wind but I think the solar is in the same ball park,” Delegarde said.

South Dundas committed to being a non-willing host, specifically pertaining to wind power, in October 2013.

While South Dundas has approved a number of roof-top solar units on a site-by-site basis, this would be the first ground-mounted solar farm in the municipality.

“We did the rooftop site by site but that’s a lot smaller project that you would even think about in this case or in a wind project basis. So, I don’t support going forward with this,” the mayor said.

While Delegarde recognizes the Green Energy Act, she doesn’t want to support anything that “would encourage the provincial government to add extra burden on Ontarians.”

A report on the non-willing host will be back at council in two weeks.

WEBSITE EDITOR’S NOTE: Once again, if the province had ever done a cost-benefit study for its renewable power program, municipal officials wouldn’t be tossing around advantages and disadvantages in the dark—with electricity bills rising every six months and the economic impact of expensive, intermittent renewables more apparent than ever, Ontario wouldn’t want to do a cost-benefit study NOW.

South Dundas wind power plant target

26 Tuesday May 2015

Posted by Ottawa Wind Concerns in Renewable energy, Wind power

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Brinston, Cornwall Standard-Freeholder, Evonne Delegarde, Invenergy, North Dundas wind farm, North Stormont wind farm, Not a Willing host, South Dundas, South Dundas wind farm, Standard-Freeholder, Stormont-Dundas-Glengarry, wind farm Eastern Ontario, wind power, wind turbines

Not the photo the Standard-Freeholder used, of a turbine alone in a field. THIS is reality: a house and turbine near KIncardine, Ont.

U.S.-based Invenergy is trying to persuade South Dundas to reverse its unwilling host resolution and put its stamp of approval on a proposal for more wind turbines for the area.

Cornwall Standard-Freeholder, May 25

South Dundas remains a magnet for wind power developers, despite an earlier proclamation the municipality is “not a willing host” for the controversial turbines.

Just on the heels of a presentation made by the township’s only resident turbine developer, EDP Renewables, a second firm wants in on the action. South Dundas council heard last Tuesday from James Murphy and Ryan Ralph, who were representing Invenergy, reputed to be the continent’s sixth-largest green energy entity.

Invenergy is proposing its Nine Mile Project, which would be considerably more ambitious the current South Branch project that is now operating in the Brinston area. It would also spill into North Dundas.

If developed, Nine Mile would produce between 50-90 megawatts/hr. South Branch delivers 30 megawatts, but EDP is hoping to expand its operations in the township.

Invenergy needs council’s blessing in order to arm itself with a best-case argument to get provincial approval as it competes with some 40 other companies. One of the requirements that South Dundas wants projects to satisfy is to show there is a demand for more electricity.

Invenergy has indicated by 2019, more energy will need to be produced in Ontario, reversing a current trend of selling power at loss to other jurisdictions.

Mayor Evonne Delegarde said the new council welcomes new presentations in order to analyze their individual worth.

One of the social spinoffs for hosting a turbine project is the community donations the township receives annually – $1,000 for every megawatt produced, so Nine Mile would provide $50,000 to $90,000 per year for 20 years.

As for her opinion, the mayor said the community investment would not be a factor in view of whether to accept the proposal. Several property owners have already signed up to receive $500,000 in lease payments if the project goes ahead.

twitter.com/GregPeerenboom

NOTE: Ottawa Wind Concerns has learned that a community group opposed to the wind power project may be forming in North Stormont–we will keep you informed.

ottawawindconcerns@gmail.com

20-25 MORE wind turbines for Brinston area south of Ottawa

20 Wednesday May 2015

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

≈ 2 Comments

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Brinston, EDP Renewables, Invenergy, Irish Headline Road, North Dundas, Not a Willing host, South Dundas, Stormont Dundas Glengarry wind farm, wind farm map South Dundas, wind milles South Dundas, wind turbine locations South Dundas

Cornwall Newswatch May 20, 2015

Invenergy wants 20-25 windmills west of Brinston

Posted on May 20, 2015 by Editor in News, North Dundas, South Dundas // 1 Comment

James Murphy, left, and Ryan Ralph, senior manager of business development for Invenergy, make their presentation to South Dundas council May 19, 2015 for a proposed wind farm west of Brinston. The 20-25 windmill site would be west of the existing EDP Renewables’ South Branch Wind Farm. (Cornwall Newswatch/Bill Kingston)

SOUTH DUNDAS – Another company is looking to cash in on wind energy in the Municipality of South Dundas.

Representatives from Chicago-based Invenergy made a presentation to South Dundas council Tuesday night – a presentation very similar to EDP Renewables’ last month.

Spokesman James Murphy told council they’ve already secured land leases with 30 landowners for a total of 11,000 acres in South Dundas.

The company says it has paid out $500,000 to date for the leases.

“We get asked a lot, well, how big is the project? Is it big, is it small? In general, we think it’s going to be around 50-90 megawatts, using a similar unit on the South Branch (Wind Farm) project….somewhere between 20-25 positions (windmills) on that 11,000 acres,” Murphy told council.

The wind farm would be west of Brinston and south of Irish Headline Road.

Answering a question from Deputy Mayor Jim Locke on where the exact locations of the windmills would be, Murphy said that wouldn’t come until late 2016 if they were successful in their bid this year.

Murphy says they also have a smaller land footprint in North Dundas but, when they asked to make a deputation to the council there, they were refused. North Dundas is also a non-willing host. Instead, a public meeting is being held at a nearby community center.

Murphy also stressed there would be public meetings on the proposed project this summer, which has to be submitted to the government by September.

Much like EDP Renewables, Invenergy would have a community reinvestment fund.

Invenergy and EDP Renewables are both trying to woo support from council is order to score better on a points system for the request for proposal (RFP) process, despite the fact South Dundas committed to being a non-willing host in October 2013.

South Dundas listened but made no commitments Tuesday night.

The Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) is expected to outline the capacity for wind power on the hydro grid in two days (May 22) and, at that point, both companies will have a better idea how big their wind farms will be.

MPP Jim McDonell launches wind farm petition

08 Friday May 2015

Posted by Ottawa Wind Concerns in Uncategorized

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Eastern Ontario, Jim McDonell, Not a Willing host, Ontario government, Stormont-Dundas-Glengarry, wind far, wind farm Crysler, wind farm petition, wind farm Winchester, wind power

MPP for Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry Jim McDonell has launched a petition asking to Ontario government to return full consultation for the community regarding a proposed 30-50 turbine wind power project, and further, to do a complete study of any impacts of the proposed power project.

The petition MUST be printed out, signed, and mailed or delivered to Mr McDonell’s office as a legal document. Fax or scanned versions are not legal.

Obtain the petition here: Petition

Contact Mr McDonell’s office at 613-933-6513 or visit his website at: http://jimmcdonellmpp.ca/

Massive wind farm proposed south of Ottawa

24 Friday Apr 2015

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

≈ 2 Comments

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Brinston, Eastern Ontario wind farm, EDP Renewables, Not a Willing host, Otatwa, South Dundas, surplus power Ontario, wind farm

Cornwall NewsWatch, April 21, 2015

Next South Dundas wind farm could be four-fold of South Branch: EDP

Posted on April 23, 2015 by Editor in News, South Dundas // 0 Comments

EDP Renewables Project Manager Ken Little, left, and Deputy Project Director Thomas LoTurco make a presentation to South Dundas council April 21, 2015. The company responsible for the South Branch Wind Farm is planning on building another farm east and north of Brinston, Ont. (Cornwall Newswatch/Bill Kingston)

MORRISBURG – The next wind farm in South Dundas could be up to four times the size of the South Branch Wind Farm, township officials heard Tuesday night.

EDP Renewables made a presentation to council to update the municipality on its next steps to build another wind farm in the county and ask for its support for the project through a “community support resolution.”

While no decisions were made Tuesday night, it’s unlikely that South Dundas will put pen to paper to back the wind farm as it signed a resolution in the fall of 2013 to tell the Ontario government is was a non-willing participant in wind energy.

EDP already has a 10 turbine, 30 megawatt operation – the South Branch Wind Farm – near Brinston.

Spokesman Ken Little says they will have a better idea how big the project will be when the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) publishes the grid connection availability, expected on May 22, 2015.

But, based on EDP calculations, they are assuming the capacity will be 50-100 megawatts, which could be serviced by 40 windmills.

Unlike the South Branch Wind Farm, this next farm is part of a competitive bid process and not under the Ontario government’s feed-in-tariff (FIT) program.

It would be east of the South Branch Wind Farm and would stretch in a northeasterly direction toward Winchester Springs.

Little says it’s likely the area would also be eligible for a community investment fund, similar to the one in Brinston, of $1,000 per megawatt per year for 20 years.

He also alluded to jobs, saying the operations are supported right now out of their New York office. “If we were to have another project in the area we would be talking about our own fully-dedicated operational staff full-time for those projects as well.”

“We’re going to start our public open houses in late May,” Little told council Tuesday night. “These will be general in format just to discuss the project and folks to ask questions.” Dates haven’t been set but they will mostly like be held at Matilda Hall or the Dixons Corners Municipal Center.

Little says there’s going to be a bigger demand for wind power in the years ahead. “With the Ontario energy surplus, it’s always a hot topic for discussion, it’s something where were closely getting to a window where that surplus will no longer be a surplus,” he said. The Pickering nuclear plant will be shut down in 2020 and 10 Bruce and Darlington nuclear plants, will be cycled off for rebuilds between 2017-2028, he explained.

For the green energy skeptics and the curious, EDP officials say the existing operation in Brinston is open for tours from the public at any time.

EDITOR’S NOTE: EDP is referring to the issue of surplus power in Ontario because that is the fact that the South Dundas unwilling host motion hinges on. The truth is, wind power–produced out-of-phase with demand, intermittent and unreliable–cannot replace the nuclear plants during their period of refurbishment. That would more likely be achieved by the natural gas plant at Lennox, and hydro.

An information evening will be held May 6th in Finch at the Lions Arena, at 7 PM.

Energy Minister Chiarelli on CFRA today

27 Friday Mar 2015

Posted by Ottawa Wind Concerns in Renewable energy, Wind power

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Bob Chiarelli, CFRA, electricity bill increases, energy poverty, hydro bills Ontario, Large Renewable Procurement Ontario, Not a Willing host, Ontario consumers, Ontario electricity bills, Ottawa, Ottawa wind concerns, Steve Madely CFRA, wind farm, wind power

After “boasting” that projected electricity bill increases will result in $120 more on electricity customers bills a year yesterday in Toronto, Ontario Energy Minister Bob Chiarelli is a guest on CFRA’s The Home Page at 1 p.m.

Morning show host Steve Madely disputed Chiarelli’s math on his CFRA show this morning, saying by his calculation, the increase in electricity bills will be at least $140…and that Ontario consumers can ill afford it.

Chiarelli acknowledged that the increases are due to Ontario’s “investment” in “green” energy.

That doesn’t make economic sense, says Ottawa Wind Concerns Chair Jane Wilson. “Wind power which is today less than 4% of Ontario’s power capacity, actually represents 20% of the utility cost,” she says. “And because Ontario has a surplus of power, we are exporting a significant part of that at a loss to the United States, while we are paying wind power developers billions. Yet consumers are being asked to pay more–this is just nuts.”

Ontario opened its new contracting process for large renewable power projects on March 10; it is not clear whether a large wind power generation project will be proposed for the rural Ottawa area. The City passed a resolution in 2013 saying it did not support a wind “farm” in North Gower, and demanded a return of local land use planning powers that were removed by Ontario’s Green Energy Act.

Call in to the radio station at 613-521-8255, and listen at 580AM in Eastern Ontario, or live online at cfra.com

ottawawindconcerns@gmail.com

Wind farm fight in Ontario 2014: no giving up

31 Wednesday Dec 2014

Posted by Ottawa Wind Concerns in Uncategorized

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Algoma, Blanding's Turtle, Drennan case, Environmental and Lands Review Tribunal, Eric K Gillespie, Julian Falconer, legal actions wind farms, Northland Power, Not a Willing host, Ontario, Ontario government, prince Edward County, Rebecca Thompson, Sun News, Wind Concerns Ontario, wind farm appeals, wind farm lawsuits, wind farm property values

From Wind Concerns Ontario

Ontario wind farms in 2014: a look back

A spokesperson for Northland Power, whose Grand Bend wind power project can now proceed following decision in an appeal, told a London Free Pressreporter that “One would think the people opposed would lose their appetite for this fight, but they haven’t yet.”

Indeed not. And 2015 will be more of the same as almost every wind power project in Ontario has been appealed, and several are headed for judicial review. Plus, countless private individuals have lodged or plan to take legal actions related to noise nuisance and property value loss.

The truth will stand, eventually.

Here’s a look back in pictures at the year that was.