While everyone awaits the Ministry of the Environment’s decision on the Conestogo Wind Energy Centre, officials with NextEra Energy Canada want to re-affirm their commitment to keeping the public informed.
Company spokesman Josie Hernandez said anyone wanting more information about NextEra Energy, and specifically the 10-turbine wind farm proposed southwest of Arthur in Mapleton Township, can find it at canadianwindproposals.com.
Information about its parent company is available at nexteraenergyresources.com.
NextEra project director Nicole Geneau also wants to clarify several pieces of misinformation circulating about the company.
Contrary to speculation included in a recent letter to the editor in the Wellington Advertiser, she said NextEra Energy has not hired the law firm Cassels, Brock and Blackwell to lobby the provincial government.
“We’ve never done any business with that firm,” Geneau said.
She explained the company does have registered lobbyists, but those were hired mainly to help “reach out” to stakeholder groups such as the Ontario Federation of Agriculture. She added anyone can easily look up any of the company’s lobbyists.
Geneau also said any reports or rumours about the company having a poor environmental record – also mentioned in another letter in the Advertiser – are “very inaccurate.”
Most of the correct information is available online, Hernandez noted, and in order to help keep Mapleton residents better informed, NextEra will also be regularly distributing Newsletters, including one this week.
Right now, Geneau explained, the company is waiting to hear if its application will be approved by the Ministry of the Environment.
“In the interim we continue to work through project details,” she said, mentioning a detailed site plan, road user agreement and various municipal requirements.
Geneau said Mapleton Township did forward a copy of its EBR comments directly to the company, but other than that, the company has heard very little feedback from locals over the last few months.
The public commenting period on the EBR registry ended a month ago and Geneau hopes to have a decision by the end of August. However, she expects the ministry will have some items about which it requires more information.
Provided there is no appeal – anyone can appeal the decision within 15 days after it is posted – the company will proceed with work on obtaining building permits from the township, Geneau said.
The goal, she added, is to start construction in December and have the project operational by the end of March. If and when construction begins, the company will open a small office “close” to the construction site, Geneau said.
However, she stressed there is still a lot of uncertainty surrounding the schedule and NextEra will provide more concrete information once the MOE releases its decision.
