In light of the economic situation extant in many European countries and where the countries that have had wind turbine developments for decades are now coming to realize this was a very expensive and not very worthwhile experiment, all things considered (few jobs, unreliable power supply well below capacity), Ontario is plunging ahead, working hard to approve new “renewable” energy projects as quickly as possible.
Here is the current tally, according to the most recent newsletter from Willms & Shier, environmental law specialists. (OPA is the Ontario Power Authority. FIT means the Feed-in Tariff.)
As of December 1, 2009, OPA had
received 1,022 FIT applications
for projects over 10 kW and
another 1,193 microFIT
applications. Almost 80% of
applications are for wind energy
projects, 16% for solar and the
remainder for biogas, biomass,
landfill gas and water power
projects. OPA has redeployed
resources to review and verify the
applications and will give priority
to the most viable, “shovel-ready”
projects that can be in operation
soonest.
In February 2010, OPA says it will
start offering FIT contracts,
beginning with Capacity
Allocation Exempt projects (those
500 kW or less), and will continue
through March with all of the rest
of the FIT projects. Economically
viable projects that do not receive
contracts will be considered when
more transmission connection
capacity is available or approved.
So, if there is a wind “farm” or “park” planned near you, i.e., VERY near and you are concerned about the effects on your environment, health and property values, we guess you can hope it’s not “shovel-ready”. On the other hand, if it isn’t, all is not lost for the wind developers and their pockets…they will be considered in the future.
In the meantime, the government is moving at a snail’s pace to establish a research chair for the long-called-for independent health study. At last look, they were creating a committee to look at which university might be best to take on this work. It will be 2012 before anything happens, if then, and by that time, there will be lots of shovels in the ground … and a lot of worried people.
If these developments were planned for Ontario’s North where there are few people and lots of wind, we would say, OK! But they are not: North Gower is a specific example of where the turbines will be within sight of almost everyone (you’d have to be living in a ravine not to see them, at 626 feet) and they will be heard by hundreds of people, including many children as there are many young families here.
Property values will decline (including farms), businesses will suffer, the spirit and fabric of the community will be changed forever…because the Ontario government is offering subsidies to foreign-owned wind developers who know full well where this industry is heading in their own countries. Canada is the land of fresh opportunity…to make buckets of money, with no accountability to its citizens.
For shame.
Put the wind turbines where the wind is, not where the people are.
To get in touch with the North Gower Wind Action Group executive directly, email chubbsworth@yahoo.com
and to download and sign the petition calling for a health study, go to the documents page here. To donate funds for the awareness effort, mail to P O Box 485, North Gower ON K0A 2T0
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