Lakeshore Advance, 2013-05-08, Page 2828 Lakeshore Advance • Wednesday, May, 8, 2013
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d Bind Farm
Gord Potts
Director Business Development
and Project Manager
Grand Bend Wind Farm for
Northland Power Inc.
The blades for the
Grand Bend Wind
Farm turbines will
come from a manu-
facturing
anufacturing facility in
Tillsonburg, Ontario.
http://grandbend.northlandpower.ca
Wind Farms and Domestic
Content Requirements
Defining domestic content
The Grand Bend Wind Farm has an agreement with the
Ontario Power Authority's (OPA) Feed -In Tariff (FIT) program
for renewable power under the Green Energy Act. One of the
measures the OPA implemented into the FIT program is a
domestic (or local) content requirement (DCR).This means
that we are required to meet a minimum required domestic
content level of 5o%. The OPA defines domestic content
as; "If designated activities are done in Ontario, developers
receive a qualifying percentage towards their domestic content
requirement. Criteria for designated 'activities range from
manufacturing certain components in Ontario to retaining
labour and consulting services provided by Ontario residents.''
For more information about the domestic content requirements
for on -shore wind facilities, as established by the OPA, the
following link (pages 90-95) provides a detailed breakdown;
http://fit.powerauthority.on.ca/sites/default/files/page/
FIT_Contract_Version_2.1.1.pdf.
Creating jobs in Ontario
The requirement is creating jobs for Ontarians. Just last week,
a German manufacturer, REpower Systems Inc, announced they
were opening a manufacturing plant in Welland, Ontario to
manufacture the wind turbine blades. The company is expected
to hire 125 employees immediately, with another 75 workers to be
hired at a later date. Thorold, Ontario is already home to a wind
turbine manufacturing plant, as are other locations across Ontario.
However, the policy is also being challenged. In December 2012,
the World Trade Organization ruled that Ontario's domestic
content requirements violate sections of the General Agreement
on Tariffs and Trade 1994. Canada's Department of Foreign Affairs
and International Trade, together with the federal government,
has stated that they will appeal the ruling.
Intelligent energy for a greener planet
by Gord Potts
Grand Bend Wind Farm DCR
For the Grand Bend Wind Farm, Northland Power is currently in
the process of evaluating Requests for Proposal (RFPs) received
from companies who wish to be engaged as our Engineering,
Procurement and Construction (EPC) contractor for this project.
The EPC contractor will be responsible to provide 2o% of the
required 5o% DCR, primarily through the use of Ontario residents
during the construction phase of the project. The remaining 3o%
of the 5o% DCR will come from the turbine supplier by sourcing
from Ontario facilities the blades, towers and a heat exchanger.
Northland Power has engaged Siemens as our turbine supplier.
The blades for their turbines will come from a manufacturing
facility in Tillsonburg, Ontario. On one of our other wind projects,
McLean's Mountain Wind Farm, located in Manitoulin Island, we
have engaged General Electric as the turbine supplier and White
Construction Ltd. as the EPC contractor.
Northland Power's staunch adherence to domestic content
requirements among our renewable energy projects is in line with
our corporate values; we want to promote sustainability – in our
homes, businesses and communities. Whether it is by investing
in local people, companies or land, we believe in sustaining
healthy communities wherever we live, work and play. As Ken
Lewnza, president of the Canadian Autoworkers' Union said,
"Governments in Canada at every level must have the capacity to
encourage local production through procurement policies. These
kinds of thoughtful policies should be replicated right across the
country — not dismantled,' If you have questions about the
requirements or project, please visit our website our contact me
at grandbendonorthlandpower.ca.
1 http://fit.powerauthority.on.ca/program-resources/faqs/
domestic -content
2 http://www.lfpress.com/2012/1J/19/ontario-to-defend-local-
content-rules-that-have-brought Sob -in -investment
Northland Power is an Ontario -based company with over as years experience developing,
NOAND
owning and operating facilities that produce and sell clean and green energy POWER