Tag Archives: wind farm

South Dundas wind farm meeting draws mixed reaction

06 Thursday Aug 2015

Posted by in Renewable energy, Wind power

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , ,

Cornwall News Watch, August 6, 2015

South Dundas wind farm meeting brings large crowd, mixed views

Posted on August 6, 2015 by in News, South Dundas // 2 Comments

Wind turbines of the EDP Renewables’ South Branch Wind Farm, east of County Road 16, turn in a summer breeze on Aug. 5, 2015. The company is proposing another farm east of here that could cover approximately 10,000 acres. (Cornwall Newswatch/Bill Kingston)

DIXONS CORNERS – A big crowd had mixed feelings over a proposed second installment of a wind farm in South Dundas.

Roughly 70 people were at the Matilda Hall on County Road 16 Wednesday night to see various charts and talk with representatives about the South Branch Wind Farm II project as part of a three-hour open house.

The 75 megawatt wind farm would be nearly three times the size in area than the existing South Branch Wind Farm (it would be roughly 10,000 acres) and would have 20-30 turbines to the east of the existing wind farm.

The now-operating South Branch Wind Farm is 30 megawatts and has 10 turbines.

The Spain-based company, EDP Renewables, is among 21 qualified companies in Ontario to put together competitive bids for wind farms and are holding these open houses as part of their requirements to submit a bid.

While Morrisburg residents Dick and Doreen Liberty are generally not supportive of wind energy, they felt EDP Renewables put a good case together.

Uncertainties about health

“I think that there’s probably a reason to have wind but I’m still, like everyone else, somewhat skeptical about the fact that there’s some uncertainties. For example, the cows, is this affecting them? Still born calves, milk production and so on and (health effects) in humans as well,” Dick Liberty told Cornwall Newswatch.

Doreen Liberty said they came to “get educated” because it’s hard to make an informed opinion without the information.

“By looking at some of the charts I would say the province has a pretty good handle on what they’re doing and they have to jump through several hoops to get to the final points,” Dick Liberty said. “I’m somewhat impressed.”

EDP Renewables has to submit its proposal by Sept. 1 and its hoping to get council support by resolution Tuesday night, which would give it a competitive advantage.

With the exception of Coun. Archie Mellan, the entire council also showed up at the open house. MPP Jim McDonell was there as well.

South Dundas councillors and staff, spokesmen from EDP Renewables and local residents chat about the proposed South Branch Wind Farm II project during an open house Aug. 5, 2015 at Matilda Hall in Dixons Corners. (Cornwall Newswatch/Bill Kingston)

“I’m not surprised at what I’m hearing,” South Dundas Mayor Evonne Delegarde said after mingling with constituents. “The people who are involved or potentially involved in the project are supportive and the people who are not, are not supportive,” she said. The mayor said the biggest concerns she heard were about turbine noise, setbacks and the coverage area.

“Your head and your heart have to come into play on this one,” Mayor Delegarde stated when asked about balancing the concerns of constituents before Tuesday’s vote. “You know all the people…I have friends on both sides. I’ve received (dozens) of emails from both sides,” she said.

Bill Lortie moved into a home on Chess Road, a couple kilometers outside the proposed area for the wind turbines, about a year ago.

Larger than we thought

“The scope of it is larger than what we expected. The size of the turbines are larger, the number of turbines is greater that what’s currently in the ground there. It’s closer to our residence than we expected,” Lortie said.

Lortie seemed somewhat relieved that it wouldn’t have a direct impact on their home.

“Generally, we were impressed with the presentation. We’ll just have to take a ‘wait and see’ approach to where things go,” he said. “The bottom line is they’re an energy company. They’re in to make a profit, obviously. It’s a bit of a concern if these things start spreading all over,” Lortie said.

“It’s green energy as opposed to gas and oil and coal. Obviously it’s the direction in which we’re all heading and one of these days there will be wind farms all over the place and probably people won’t think twice about it,” he said. “It’s new now and people are rebelling, especially (over) the sound impacts and possible other environmental impacts.”

Another public meeting is happening in Finch Thursday from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m. at the Finch Community Arena at 4 John Street for EDP’s 100 megawatt Nation Rise Wind Farm.

Photos show wind farm devastation of Algoma

30 Thursday Jul 2015

Posted by in Renewable energy, Wind power

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , ,

Wind Concerns Ontario, July 30, 2015

Toronto photographer documents wind farm destruction in Ontario’s North

Wind is green, wind is good: photo shows blasting for access roads and turbine foundations in Algoma Highlands Photo: Gord Benner
Wind is green, wind is good: photo shows blasting for access roads and turbine foundations in Algoma Highlands Photo: Gord Benner

Toronto area resident and photographer Gord Benner took a circle tour of Lake Superior this summer and was astonished to see the damage being done by wind “farm” construction in Ontario’s formerly pristine North, especially the iconic Algoma region which was so often the subject of paintings done by the Group of Seven. The Algoma region attracts visitors from around the world.

Today, Benner says, they will see roads and transmission lines, and turbines to generate power where before there was Nature.

Benner writes:

“We started the Lake Superior Circle Tour at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan and proceeded clockwise through Wisconsin and Minnesota. Didn’t see any wind turbines until after we entered Ontario. The IWTs [industrial wind turbines] installed near Dorion were not visible from the highway, but sure enough, there they were along the most scenic section of the Trans Canada Highway 17, from Lake Superior Provincial Park south to Sault Ste. Marie. Cottages and camps that we visited at Bow, Negick and Trim Lakes were surrounded by these huge machines.

“Sadly, nature, tourism and Group of Seven landscapes are taking a real beating.”

With woodlands cut away, and hilltops blasted flat, the damage caused by wind “farm” construction will be irreversible.

windconcerns@gmail.com

Huge turbines dwarf the landscape; here, a truck travels over a new road built for the power project in Algoma
Huge turbines dwarf the landscape; here, a truck travels over a new road built for the power project in Algoma

 

Concern rises in Eastern Ontario as news of wind power proposals spreads

21 Tuesday Jul 2015

Posted by in Ottawa, Renewable energy, Wind power

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

, , , , ,

Ottawa Wind Concerns is receiving emails daily from residents of Nation Township as concerns mount about a large wind power generation project proposed by energy giant EDF.

The company claims as many as 160 farm owners have signed up, but residents say, those numbers don’t add up

Quoted in a recent article in Farmers Forum the mayor stated that Nation is a “willing” host to wind power, but again, residents say, all is not as it seems—that motion was passed years ago, without any notice to or discussion by residents. It is now being used to demonstrate community support for the wind power proposals.

A public meeting is being planned for Nation residents; we’ll keep you informed.

Wind Concerns Ontario signs and brochures are available from us at ottawawindconcerns@gmail.com

 

“Cosmic math”: wind developers hold open house in Eastern Ontario

09 Thursday Jul 2015

Posted by in Renewable energy, Wind power

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Ontario Farmer

By Ian Cumming

St. Isidore–With a September 1 deadline to apply to the Ontario government for a share of the provincial allotted windpower megawatts (MW), four wind companies held public information open houses in three eastern Ontario counties, detailing their area proposed projects.

Two of these were: the RES Canada presentation in Vankleek Hill for the 15-turbine, 40 MW Gauthier project on June 22, and the EDF EN Canada presentation for the 14-MW project in St. Isidore on June 23.

With EDF having a large number of solar and wind proects in 19 countries throughout the world, including scattered throughout the United States plus Alberta and Quebec, the company is looking to expand its presence in Ontario, says David Thornton, from stakeholder relations at the company.

Wind developer exec former McGuinty staffer

Thornton started as a staffer in Premier McGuinty’s office, was the former campaign manager for the Ontario LIberal Party, and over six years at Queen’s Park, was senior policy advisor for renewable energy at the Ministry of Energy, and also senior policy advisor for land use planning and municipal affairs at Municipal Affairs.

Thornton and his staff fielded questions from the audience.

“Who do you work for?” Thornton asked Sylvia [sic] Gagnon. “I work for no one,” Gagnon replied. “I live in North Glengarry and I’m against the invasion of our beautiful farmland by these monstrosities.

“I came here for answers and instead I’m talking to a lot of slippery people.”

The over 160 farmers signed up for the St. Isidore project “are more than who will get windmills,” said Thornton to Ontario Farmer. “That’s the way these projects work.”*

However, “all these farmers who sign up will be paid something, whether they get a windmill or not,” added Mark Gallagher from EDF.

The concept of also paying local supportive residents who have signed up a minimum of $1,000 per year** “was something I brought from Ireland,” said Gallagher. “They do that over there, pay people on a per acre basis.”

EDF pays the municipal taxes on the windmills, said Gallagher *** which would come to $150,000 per year on a project smaller than what they are proposing in St. Isidore.

He noted that, on top of that, they are committed to invest heavily in sports grants and other community projects over the next two decades. ****

The one farmer who held out from EDF, having 700 acres in the St. Isidore area as part of his 5,000 acres in two counties, gave a quick walk through scanning the posters and [said] “I’ve seen enough, I’m going home,” he told Ontario Farmer.

This is going to end badly

He said his instincts are telling him “this is going to end badly.

“It’s a business model based on a falsehood that can’t sustain itself. Some day people won’t be able to pay more on their hydro bills.”

The night before, in Vankleek Hill, the RES Canada presentation had fewer posters but the issues and the concerns for those attending were exactly the same.

“I have no idea where the Liberal government is getting the money for these things,” said local mayor [Champlain] Gary Barton at the RES presentation. Barton, unlike his counterpart in St. Isidore is not embracing the proposed project in his area.

However, under the Green Energy Act, “there is nothing I can legally do,” said Barton.

He recalled a specific face-to-face meeting several years ago [that] involved him and another local mayor with then Ontario Energy minister George Smitherman, expressing concerns about a large solar project in their area.

“He told us there is nothing you can do,” said Barton.

Electrical engineer Stan Thayer was at the RES presentation noting, “I’m not against anything. When I was at McGill in the 1970s we worked with solar panels and wind mills. I understand all this.

“But, I can’t afford it,” said Thayer. “Plus, the BS being presented to the public is wrong,” he said.

Cosmic math

“No one has shown me facts from any windmill, no matter the size, making a profit,” said Thayer.

“They are using cosmic math,” he said. “Because we don’t know where they are getting their numbers. They don’t add up, multiply or divide.”

 

EDITOR NOTES:

* It’s the way they work now: the new procurement process requires sign-off from adjacent landowners so developers are paying people.

** $1,000 a year for noise, vibration and changed property value?

*** Taxes on wind turbines (they are NOT “windmills”) are capped under the Green Energy Act at $40,000 per megawatt, in spite of the fact the turbines cost $2-3 million. The property tax revenue is less than 20 or so houses.

**** The wind developers get to choose where the money from their “vibrancy” or community funds go, and they like to choose sports so they can have their name plastered all over it as advertising.

Nature Canada, field naturalists call for action to save Amherst Island

28 Sunday Jun 2015

Posted by in Renewable energy, Wind power

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , ,

Nature Canada and the Kingston Field Naturalists are calling for action to save Amherst Island, near Kingston, from a huge windpower generation project which will not only devastate the island community, but also endanger thousands of migratory birds and other at-risk or endangered species.

See this posting from the Association to Protect Amherst Island, below. Be sure to look at the project map below, too—how does the government excuse this in the name of “green”?

Kingston Field Naturalists Nature Canada
Dear Friend,

A 27-turbine wind power project proposed for internationally recognized Amherst Island, an Important Bird Area near Kingston Ontario, may be approved soon by the Ontario government.

The many Species at Risk on Amherst Island include birds (Short-eared Owl, Bobolink, Eastern Meadowlark, Eastern Whip-poo-rwill, Barn Swallow, Golden Eagle, Least Bittern, and Red Knot), Blanding’s Turtles, and Milk and Ribbon Snakes.

Amherst Island has an international reputation as one of the most outstanding places in North America to see concentrations of northern owls and is an important stopover for bats on their migratory path across Lake Ontario. Bats are becoming endangered in many places and in April 2015, Canada, the United States and Mexico signed an agreement to protect the pathways of migratory bats.

A wind turbine installation on this small island, as learned from the nearby Wolfe Island installation, would result in loss of habitat for Short-eared Owl and serious and irreversible harm to local populations of Bobolinks, Barn Swallows and Eastern Meadowlarks, and to breeding population of Red-tailed Hawk, breeding and roosting Purple Martins, and Osprey. Additionally significant breeding population of Blanding’s Turtle, Wilson’s Phalarope and Whip-poor-wills are also at risk. No one is considering the cumulative impact of this project and the many others that are operational or proposed for this important migration route on the vulnerable populations of birds and other wildlife.

More information about the Project and the Island can be found at: http://www.protectamherstisland.ca

This might the last opportunity to convince the Province to make the right decision and put an end to this project before it enters the expensive and draining cycle of legal challenges. It is time that Ontario’s green energy policy is balanced with its international obligations to protect biodiversity and that decision makers demonstrate genuine respect for the wishes of the overwhelming majority of community members. Please send letters to those listed below, asking that the wind-turbine project for Amherst Island be stopped completely – and permanently:

Ontario Premier, Kathleen Wynne, premier@ontario.ca

Minister of the Environment and Climate Change, Glen Murray, minister.moe@ontario.ca

Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry, Bill Mauro, minister.mnr@ontario.ca

Director, MOECC, Sarah Paul sarah.paul@ontario.ca

Senior Project Evaluator, MOECC, Susanne Edwards, susanne.edwards@ontario.ca

CC Association to Protect Amherst Island protectai@kos.net

Thank you,

Kingston Field Naturalists and Nature Canada

 

Site plan for the proposed power project:

 

 

EDF wind power project map: St Bernardin to Casselman

25 Thursday Jun 2015

Posted by in Ottawa

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , ,

Wind power developer EDF revealed its project area map online and at the Open House held on June 23rd.

These maps do NOT represent lands actually under signed options, but indicate the area in which company representatives are looking for landowners to sign up to lease land for a future wind power development.

Landowners are advised to read all material related to leasing land for wind turbines, beyond what the wind developer may supply, and to consult a lawyer before signing ANY agreement.

The map is available here.

Power developer EDF claims to have signed leases for St Isidore wind project

22 Monday Jun 2015

Posted by in Renewable energy, Wind power

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , ,

Ontario Farmer, June 16, 2015

Farmers signing up for St. Isidore wind power project

by Ian Cumming

[Excerpt]

A 10,000-acre windmill project is being proposed near St. Isidore in Prescott County with many farmers already having signed leases.*

The 150-megawatt project is projected to run from Highway 417 north to County Road 10 and 16 in the Nation township, states a press release from the St. Isidore Wind Energy Centre, and affiliate of EDF Renewable Services.

“There are supportive landowners in the area that have already signed up,” said David Thornotn from EDF. …

The St. Isidore Wind Energy Centre is holing an information meeting for the public on June 23rd from 5 to 8 PM in the St. Isidore Arena, said Thornton.

A Ponzi scheme: local farmer

“I have 700 acres right smack in the middle of it and I think the program is stupid,” said a farmer who wished to remain unidentified. “It’s a Ponzi scheme that in the end has you buying your own power. They’ve been phoning me for a couple of years now to sign, but I won’t,” said the farmer. “Others have probably signed up…they want the money now not realizing that in the end it will cost them.”

People who work at the power dam in Cornwall “tell me that you would cry when you see all the water that we dump over the dam because we don’t need the power,” said the farmer. “And when these things become obsolete the companies will be gone or bankrupt…You’re going to have to clean your own tower up.”

…Local landowner groups have become involved over the St. Isidore and other nearby proposed wind projects said Beth Trudeau from that organization.

Municipalities can take action

Their response to the project will focus on making municipal politicians aware of the fact that the Green Energy Act does not prohibit them from ruling as to whether or not the projects can be constructed, she said.

“The municipalities are saying there is nothing they can do, and we intend to show them otherwise,” said Trudeau.

*The wind power generators at the utility or industrial scale are NOT “windmills,” they are wind turbines. This should properly say the wind power developers is “alleged” to have signed agreements with farm owners as it is a common tactic for the developers to encourage people to sign by telling people many others already have; also, at this stage, the agreements are likely an “option” and not a contract.

 

Health impacts of wind turbine noise, infrasound a public health concern: Carmen Krogh at ideacity

19 Friday Jun 2015

Posted by in Renewable energy, Wind power

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , , , , ,

Health researcher Carmen Krogh was a guest speaker at this year’s ideacity event in Toronto. No matter where in the world industrial-scale wind turbines have been installed, she said, the constellation of symptoms is the same.

This has become a world public health concern.

Take 20 minutes, please, to view this presentation, and ask yourself about the role of the Government of Canada in this, as the wind power industry leads the government down the renewable energy “roadmap” using taxpayer dollars. It is time the government sponsor proper, independent research that really wants to find an answer, not promote the industry on the untested promise of green energy and jobs.

View her excellent presentation here.

Australian Senate report: dismayed by wind industry behaviour

19 Friday Jun 2015

Posted by in Renewable energy, Wind power

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

As you may know, the Senate in Australia (which is an elected body) has been conducting a review of wind turbines and problems associated with wind power generation in that country for several months.

Although the final report is not due out until August, the Committee felt it necessary to release an interim report and the “headline recommendations.”

They are very interesting…and refreshing in that here is a body that has listened to both sides, and has concluded there is cause for concern.

Of particular interest are these three paragraphs from the report.

Why are there so many people who live in close proximity to wind turbines complaining of similar physiological and psychological symptoms? As with previous Senate inquiries, this committee has gathered evidence from many submitters attributing symptoms of dizziness, nausea, migraines, high blood pressure, tinnitus, chronic sleep deprivation and depression to the operation of nearby wind turbines. The committee invites the public to read and consider the evidence of people who have experienced these symptoms and who attribute their anxiety and ill health to the operation of turbines.2

1.13 These health affects should not be trivialised or ignored. The committee was particularly distressed by renewable energy advocates, wind farm developers and operators, public officials and academics who publicly derided and sometimes lampooned local residents who were genuinely attempting to make known the adverse health effects they were suffering.

1.14 The committee is aware of people complaining of these impacts who have since left their family home. Some now live a nomadic and uncertain existence. In one case, the now deserted home had been in the family for five generations—since the 1840s. These are not decisions taken lightly. Having left the turbine vicinity, several witnesses noted that the symptoms had faded if not disappeared.3

The Committee quite rightly observed that the decision to leave the family home, and often hundreds of thousands of dollars of investment, to say nothing of farm operations and property, because they HAD TO.

The recommendations listed by the Senate Committee include the need for independent clinical research, and continuous independent monitoring of wind power project noise and infrasound (oh, and we need standards and regulations for infrasound–Ontario doesn’t have these and is dragging its feet on this issue)—the Committee also vindicated the effort and methodology of acoustician Stephen Cooper whose Cape Bridgeport study and finding of unique “sensation” resulting from the turbine emissions.

Several months ago, Ottawa Wind Concerns was subjected to a barrage of insulting Tweets one evening from Australia from a pro-wind power physician, and acolytes of sociologist Simon Chapman. Mr Chapman is mentioned specifically in the Senate Committee report, presumably as one of the disappointing “academics.” (Mr Chapman also functions as a paid consultant for the wind power industry.)

The commentators that evening included one Chris Young of Ottawa who works in the renewable energy field (former Board member of the Ontario Sustainable Energy Association, and former employee of NorSun Energy). Mr Young, at the end of a trail of increasingly insulting posts claiming that people who reported health effects from turbine audible noise and infrasound were essentially nuts, said that Ottawa Wind Concerns, people like us, and specifically me, were “irrelevant.”

Now that we have a government body stating that there is cause for concern, that the wind power industry’s behaviour has been lamentable, and that the way forward is research that is actually intended to find out what’s going on, we ask, who is “irrelevant” now?

Jane Wilson, RN

Chair, Ottawa Wind Concerns

ottawawindconcerns@gmail.com

P.S. The Ontario Sustainable Energy Association is supported significantly by taxpayers. See funding information here.

P.P.S. Mr Young now enjoys the position of being the only person blocked from our Twitter feed.

More wind farms for Eastern Ontario: Casselman, St Isidore to see 150 MW proposal

11 Thursday Jun 2015

Posted by in Renewable energy, Wind power

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , , ,

Wind power developer EDF has announced it intends to bid for 150 megawatts of wind power (50 turbines) on 10,000 acres of land it has optioned near St-Isidore, Ontario. Bids under the 2015 Large Renewable Procurement process are due September 1st. The company is promising 250 jobs “at the height of construction” and a total of four full-time jobs after the project begins. EDF is also promising $150,000 per year in municipal tax revenues and a further $150,000 per year in community benefits. (Taxes on wind turbines are capped at $40,000 per megawatt under the Green Energy Act; municipal benefits in the form of “vibrancy funds are typically less than 1% of the developers’ revenues; full-time jobs for wind “farms” are for highly trained technical staff). This proposal follows announcements by EDP Renewables and Invenergy, both proposing projects in Stormont-Dundas-Glengarry. The Independent Electricity Systems Operator or IESO has said there is no capacity on the grid in Eastern Ontario for these projects, at present. A public Open House is being held June 23rd in St Isidore; see the notice here.