Just days after the Superior Court dismissed a petition to overturn the approval of NextEra Canada’s wind turbine project near Arthur, the company applied for a building permit.
Preserve Mapleton Inc. (PMI) lost its battle in court to halt the 10-turbine wind farm in the township. The plan is for the construction, installation, operation, use and retiring of a Class 4 wind facility with nine 2.3-megawatt wind turbines and one 2.22MW wind turbine, with a total capacity of 22.9MW.
NextEra plans to proceed with its construction plans even though PMI is still appealing to the Environmental Review Tribunal the awarding of the contract by the Ministry of the Environment.
NextEra spokesman Josie Hernandez said in an interview the Dec. 8 ministry approval under the Renewable Energy Act gives the company the right to proceed with the project even though the tribunal dates have not yet been set. She said her understanding is those will happen in July.
Hernandez explained the court case took precedence over the approval of the project. When asked if it could be a gamble (if the tribunal rejects the wind farm approval), she said the company is permitted to go ahead, but she is unable to discuss the tribunal proceedings.
Yet she added, “We are not a company that takes gambles.”
She said NextEra has “much experience” in the renewable energy field and she feels comfortable proceeding.
Hernandez said while the company has applied for its building permit, that has not yet been issued by Mapleton Township. She said NextEra is working with chief building official David Kopp and hopes to get started soon. She added there are time limits to how long the township can delay the building permit application.
“We are fully entitled to move the project forward as deemed appropriate,” she explained.
Hernandez explained the tribunal is “entirely different” than the scope and mandate of the courts, and that is why the company has the right to proceed with the permit application and the work.
When asked when the project might get underway, she said, “We are still working on our schedule,” but in many ways, “We have been ready to go for some time.”
Project director Nicole Geneau said some of the jobs being created by the project will be specialized, but in many other cases, “We will try to hire locally.”
Hernandez expected there could be 150 jobs created to erect the turbines and connect them to the hydro grid. She explained the company will erect the towers in three separate sections using cranes.
She added the turbines are the same size as the five that are located at the west side of Arthur village.
The upwind, three-bladed, horizontal-axis wind turbines will each have a hub height of 80 metres and rotor diameter of 101m. The overall height of each turbine, including the blade length, will be approximately 129 metres.
Hernandez said when the company is ready to start its construction it will inform the public of the construction schedule.
Geneau said NextEra, in order to enable ongoing communication with township residents, is forming a community liaison committee that will be moderated by a third party. She said NextEra is in the process of developing the charter for that committee.
Hernandez added the committee will be made up of five area residents, mainly from Mapleton, and it already has four people. The company is seeking a fifth person to be part of it. She said the committee will be in place for two years to “make sure there is two-way communication.”
Geneau said the committee’s meetings will be open to the public and will be publicly announced. Plus, she said, “Everything will be on our website.”
Hernandez said IBI Group – an architecture, engineering, consulting and design firm – is working on a date and she hopes the first committee meeting is scheduled for June.
The NextEra website noted the work to build the turbines includes leasing land rights for:
– wind turbines;
– access roads;
– collection lines;
– transmission lines;
– short-term construction space; and
– post construction, typically six months or less, with the land is restored and returned to its original use.
No costs ordered yet
The superior court has not yet awarded costs in PMI’s appeal. It suggested PMI pay $5,000 to the Ministry of the Environment and another $30,000 in legal costs to NextEra, but PMI officials stated they will argue against having to pay those costs.
Then, NextEra and the ministry will be given ten days to rebut that argument. Until those arguments are heard costs will not been formally awarded. PMI is continuing to actively fundraise to continue the ERT process.
