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Tag Archives: Samsung

Power surplus in Ontario: another wind farm announced

03 Wednesday Feb 2016

Posted by ottawawindconcerns in Renewable energy, Wind power

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

electricity bills Ontario, IESO, Parker Gallant, Samsung, Samsung-Pattern, Scott Luft, surplus power Ontario, wind farms, wind power

$1.5 million spent paying off wind power developers NOT to add unneeded power to the grid already on February 3rd

From Wind Concerns Ontario:

100-MW North Kent wind farm posted despite surplus power in Ontario

Ontario electricity customers pick up the tab for unneeded power development, again

The huge, 100-megawatt North Kent 1 wind power project proposed by the Samsung-Pattern Energy consortium was posted yesterday on the Ontario Environmental Registry. The announcement comes despite the Ontario Auditor General’s report in 2015 that Ontario has a significant oversupply of electrical power, and that Ontario ratepayers are paying too much for “renewables.”

In just the first eight hours today, the day after the announcement for North Kent 1, the Independent Electricity System Operator or  IESO curtailed about 11,000 MWh of wind generation alone.  It could have provided power for 1200 average households; instead it has cost Ontario electricity ratepayers $1.5 million … for nothing.

The power developers claim the power produced from this project during its 20-year agreement with the province will generate “electricity equivalent to the annual electricity needs of 35,000 homes.”

Their use of the wording “equivalent to” is interesting because with Ontario’s current and significant surplus of power, the electricity generated from this project will almost certainly NOT go to Ontario electricity customers, but instead will be sold at a discount to neighbouring jurisdictions like Michigan and New York State.

As an example, Samsung-Pattern’s Armow wind project just began operation this week, and energy analyst and blogger Scott Luft commented: “the only drivers of price in Ontario are excess supply and supply rate increases (primarily at OPG). Samsung’s announcement states ‘Armow Wind is expected to generate enough clean energy to power approximately 70,000 Ontario homes each year’, but …  it’s unlikely it will have the opportunity to power a single one — it will power American homes or nothing at all.”

Energy commentator Parker Gallant also remarked: “The power [from the Armow project] delivered to Ontario will be charged to all average ratepayers at 13.5 cents/kWh whereas the power (probably about 50% of production) will be charged out to those NY & Michigan ratepayers at about 2.5 cents/kWh. Ontario ratepayers will pick up the difference between the 2.5 cents the surplus is sold for and the 13.5 cents/kWh the Armow owners will be paid.”

Although the project may be appealed (almost every wind power project in Ontario has been) Samsung-Pattern confidently announce that construction on the project will begin later this year, and operations will begin early in 2017.

Comments on the project are accepted by the EBR in writing or online until March 18. Comments must relate to environmental impact.

NoNewWind_FB

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North Gower resident report on K2 wind project

25 Monday Aug 2014

Posted by ottawawindconcerns in Ottawa, Renewable energy, Wind power

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Capital Power, environmental damage wind farm, Huron County, K2, Pattern Energy, Samsung, wind farm, wind plant, wind power, wind turbines

A resident of North Gower recently visited Huron County, where the K2 wind power project is under construction by a consortium of Samsung, Pattern Energy, and Capital Power. The 270-megawatt 140-turbine power project is located in the Township of Ashfrield-Colborne-Wawanosh.

Billed as “one of Ontario’s most promising renewable energy facilities,” the project was the subject of an appeal (dismissed) and is now being appealed by local residents who are asking for a stay of construction.

Here is what our citizen reporter said:

I just returned from Huron Co from vacation next to the K2 plant which is well into construction. All dire predictions of construction problems have occurred, the concession roads in Ashfield are taking such a pounding from heavy trucks that the $15 m paid to the township won’t begin to replace the damaged roads. While last year no one would talk of wind turbines, this year they will talk of little else; over 85% of residents now are against K2. Very frustrating as it seems people have to experience the degradation to the community before they will pay attention. If such pressure had been applied to the council earlier, perhaps something could have been done. But, maybe not as some of the sitting members have signed on as leasees with Capital-Samsung, in an unbelievable conflict of interest.
Further south at Grand Bend the council is at least appealing a wind plant, probably with no effect but they are trying.
All the more reason to alert residents here of what will occur if a go ahead is ever given to the local wind plant. It will not be pretty to put it mildly, and the wind company will act immediately to expedite the project. By then it will be too late.
Despite being warned about the potential for problems with water (the water table is 12 inches from the surface), Samsung-Pattern-Capital proceeded with the wind project, with the approval of the Ontario government. Almost immediately after construction began, land was flooded and as far as we know, water continues to be pumped and trucked away from the project.

Cancelling the Samsung contract: CFRA today

26 Monday May 2014

Posted by ottawawindconcerns in Renewable energy, Wind power

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

CFRA, green energy contracts, Jan Carr, Ontario Power Authority Dr Jan Carr, power industry, renewables contracts, Rob Snow, Samsung, solar power generation, wind power contracts

Former CEO of the Ontario Power Authority Dr Jan Carr, will be Rob Snow’s guest on CFRA today, immediately following the 5 PM news.

Dr Carr has said that the power industry was “aghast” at the awarding of the renewables contract to Samsung, a company that had “no demonstrated expertise” in wind or solar power generation, and that the contract remains a horrific example of government procurement gone wrong.

The Samsung contract should be cancelled, he said in a letter to The Financial Post last week.

List to CFRA at 580AM, or live via http://www.cfra.com

 

Samsung project “dead” in Southgate

03 Thursday Apr 2014

Posted by ottawawindconcerns in Health, Renewable energy, Wind power

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Brian Milne, community opposition wind farms, Feed In Tariff, Not a Willing host, Samsung, Southgate, unwilling host, wind farms

Mayor says there were too many “issues” and not enough municipal control. Samsung’s proposed agreement demanded all building permits, access to roads and virtually everything they needed, in return for payments of $180,000 per year for the wind power project. Each of the 56 turbines would have netted Samsung $775,000 per year, under the government’s Feed In Tariff subsidy program.

The community held a meeting a few weeks ago, featuring a local Realtor who said property values in Southgate would disappear, and University of Guelph economics professor Ross McKitrick, who said wind power is expensive and ineffective as a reliable source of power.

Here is the news story.

News Centre

Samsung Project Dead

Thursday, April 3, 2014 8:28 AM by Jon Meyer

Southgate Council votes against the wind project with unwilling host status.

There is audio for this story.

MP3 - click to open click to open MP3 version

or click the play button to listen now.

(Southgate) – The large wind turbine project in Southgate has apparently been stopped.

Mayor Brian Milne says the Samsung, Pattern Energy project needed willing host status from the Township to move ahead.

At last night’s meeting, Milne says Council voted unanimously to stop the wind  project by declaring itself an unwilling host.

Milne says there was no way the township could resolve a number of issues it had with the project, without more control.

He says it was apparent the project would tear the community apart.

Samsung needed willing host status to move ahead with its 50 turbine, 120-megawatt wind farm proposal.

Milne applauds the Province for giving them that out clause, and the ability to say no.

But Milne wishes the Province gave them site plan control.

Instead, he says council had to say yes, with no conditions.

He says just three weeks ago Southgate was in the process of considering being a willing host.

But Milne says that was only if they could come to terms on a agreement on a number of issues — which included a good neighbour policy and issues around health and property values.

But Milne says they couldn’t come to those terms, and they had no choice but to stop the project.

The decision comes…

Read the full story here.

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