Some councils putting health and safety concerns ahead of developer dollars

Several municipalities in Ontario are taking a stand against wind power development out of concern for their citizens, reports the Windsor Star, in spite of the fact they may be risking revenue and largesse from corporate wind developers.

Cash-strapped Amherstburg council declared the town an "unwilling host" for wind turbine projects and is potentially turning away big bucks from future developers in property tax revenue and payments turbine operators make to towns per unit.
Lakeshore gets $100,000 in property tax revenue from its 120 wind turbines and will receive $4 million over 20 years in annual payments made by the wind turbine companies per unit to the municipality, said Steve Salmons, Lakeshore's director of community and development services.
"It's been a financial windfall for us," Salmons said. "We also have $1 million in road improvements and repairs (developers made) that wouldn't have gotten to."
Lakeshore council is "open for business" when it comes to wind turbines. Salmons estimated the turbines will have a $7 million economic impact on the town including lease payments made to land owners. Amherstburg Coun. Diane Pouget is unconvinced by the financial benefits. "We don't know what the health issues are associated with (wind turbines). We have asked for no further wind turbines to come into our community until we receive all of the (health) information."
While the town may be passing up sources of revenue, Pouget said health and safety are a paramount concern for council. She said it was her understanding that Ontario pays the U.S. to take its power when it has generated too much, partly because there is no way to store renewable energy The federal government is doing a study on the health effects of wind turbine noise and results are due next year.

It is approximately 70 weeks until the next municipal election in Ontario.

http://www.windsorstar.com/health/Taking+stand+wind+turbines/8740263/story.html
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OPA announces another 'engagement' opportunity

In what seems to be a never-ending string of "dialogue" and "engagement" this summer, the Ontario Power Authority announced yesterday that it will entertain (Okay, they didn't use that word) comments on a new, competitive procurement process for "large renewable energy projects."

Aside from the fact that they really mean POWER projects, this engagement activity comes well before the province actually has a new Long Term Energy Plan (LTEP).

The OPA introduces the new engagement opportunity:

The OPA is commencing the development of this new competitive procurement process for large renewable energy projects by engaging with stakeholders, municipalities and Aboriginal communities as outlined below. This is the beginning of the discussion about the new competitive procurement process. The OPA will be providing the Minister with interim recommendations by September 1, 2013, and it is expected that additional engagement activities will occur in fall 2013.

Meetings will be held beginning the week of August 12, and written submissions may also be sent. The deadline for all comments is August 21.

For more information, follow the link:

http://www.powerauthority.on.ca/renewable-energy-competitive-procurement-process





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