HomeMy WebLinkAboutLucknow Sentinel, 2009-04-15, Page 3Lucknow Sentinel, Wednesday, April 15, 2009 Page 3
Enbridge Ontario Wind Power Project opens in Bruce Twp.
BY TROY
PAT T'ERSON
Kincardine News
Staff
The province is
g its goal of
eliminating coal-
fired electricity with
the official opening
of wind projects like
the Enbridge
Ontario Wind
Power Project in
Bruce Township, on
April 3
The 190
megawatt project is
made up of 110
Vestas V82
1.65MW wind tur-
bines, positioned
across properties
from Conc. 4, north
to the Municipality
of Kincardine's bor-
der with Saugeen
Shores. It also
includes the five -
turbine Cruickshank
Wind Farm between
Tiverton and
Kincardine.
Rain poured
down and fog lin-
gered around the
Conc. 6 turbine site
next to the sub -sta-
tion that carries the
electricity . from the
project, which start-
ed cing elec-
tricity last fall.
Deputy Premier
and Minister of
Energy and
Infrastructure,
George
Smitherman, said
the Enbridge project
is a step forward in
their efforts to elim-
inate coal-fired elec-
tricity generation, as
well as a means to
provide economic
stimulus for farm-
ers, an increase in
tax base for munici-
palities and local
employment oppor-
tunities.
"It was a ` monu-
mental engineering
feat that brought
along this .capacity,"
Smitherman said to
a crowd of property
owners, Enbridge
staff, local media
and politicians.
He also refer-
enced the project in
line with the Green
Energy Act (GEA),
Bill 150, adding
that, if passed, it
would allow more
projects to go for-
ward in a stream-
lined way, based on
guidelines set out by
thea` province, rather
than a patchwork of
.
non-existent or
incomplete local
municipal guide-
lines.
"It's creating
province -wide stan-
dards from
Kincardine to
Kingston so there is
a provincial law
that's the same," he
said. "It will
enhance opportuni-
ties for companies
like Enbridge... and
bring more of these
projects to life.
Regarding criti-
cisms about the
removal of local
control and the
impact it could have
on communities,
Smithe ran said the
Ministry of
Environment is
open to hearing the
issues regardingset-
backs and health
concerns. He said
they're also listening
to local municipal
councils and plan to
educate them to
ensure they under-
stand the implica-
tions of the GEA.
Smitherman said
with 75 per cent of
Ontario's power
p oduced by nuclear
and hydro -electric
generation and an
increasing portion
of gas -powered
electricity available
during peak periods,
there's a "good
space" for renew-
able energy to fit
into the mix and
more planned for
the near future.
By using a "good
rate of compensa-
tion" to generate
interest in solar,
wind, biomass and
biogas electricity
production, their
goal is to allow the
GEA to usher in
new opportunities,
construction and
employment.
He also added
that incentives will
be offered to pro-
mote "distributed
generation" to see
individual home-
owners produce
electricity with
renewables to meet
their needs.
Smitherman
shrugged off the
attendance of over
50 protesteam, saying
although nuclear
power is widely
Locally, it
also has its critics
and the same goes
em is lack of written rules
From pie 1
He visits the site
of the attack, veri-
fies the kill and
cause and discuss-
es hunters with
property owners.
Once a bounty kill
is completed, he
collects ears and
provides them for
testing.
K e n
Vanderburgh, who
brought the issue
forward to council,
said the problem is
a lack of .written
rules for the time-
line.
Both Trick and
Stevenson
explained that the
MNR decides how
much time a hunter
has to find and kill
the coyote before
they lose the right
to the bounty.
One difficulty
with the timeline is
that hunting is eas-
ier for both the
fanner and hunter
in winter when it is
easier to track the
animal but.
S tev'enson
explained that
waiting to hunt the
predator won't stop
predation in the
affected area.
Trick said that
coyotes are becom-
ing bolder and
cited several exam-
ples of the animal
coming into urban
areas to look for
food. In Goderich
they are coming
into town for
garbage and food
and in Bayfield
coyotes preyed on
a dog tied ups in a
backyard.
Bounties are a
province -wide ini
tiative of the MNR
but are only
offered in . Grey -
Bruce, Huron and
Ottawa . areas. It those increases
was suggestea uric
the MNR increase
the time and dis-
tance to mak a it
easier to kill coy-
otes but
Vanderburgh said
for wind power.
"Some folks are
not in favour of
wind power and
we'll be listening
closely to their con-
cems as we imple-
ment the (GEA),"
he said. .
The project is cur-
rently into its three-
month shutdown
where work-
ers will be inspect-
ing each turbine to
ensure the mechani-
cal and electrical
equipment is work-
ing
Enbridge`:
manager Bob
Simpson said they
don't yet have the
'figures on how
much electricity has
been produced,
adding it ; will take
one to tvvo years to
determine an aver-
age ou
Photo by Troy Patterson
The Enbridge Ontario Wind Power Project celebrated the
grand opening of its 115 turbine, 190 -MW venture during the
rain on Friday, April 3 with politicians property owners and
digniterles taldng parte Above right. Ontario's: Deputy Prem'
and Minister ofEnergy and Infrastructure George Smithennan
shows off a scale model of a Vestas V$2 turbine .while standing
on the stairs of an actual turbine east of Underwood. Standing
with him, from left to right, Enbridge president of new ventures
JimSchultz, Enbridge Ontario Wind Power president Chuck
Sulo, Huron -Brace MPP Carol Mitchell and Enbridge Oil
and Gas Distribution president Janet Holder.
wouto not neap.
"You don't need
four months, you
don't need two
months," he said. "
You need it during
the right time."
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