It appears the efforts of a local group to oppose large wind farms in Mapleton, as well as a call from the township for a moratorium on such projects, may all be for naught.
On April 8 the provincial government released a list of 184 new “green energy” contracts that were approved under its Green Energy Act feed-in tariff program.
Among them were NextEra Energy’s 23 megawatt (12 turbine) Conestogo Wind Energy Centre in northeast Mapleton and Invenergy Canada’s 69MW (46 turbine) Conestogo Highlands Wind Energy Farm in southeast Mapleton.
And while the contract offer does not mean the two projects are approved, it is an important step for both companies moving forward.
“We’re very excited about that,” NextEra Energy spokesperson Josie Hernandez said on Monday when asked about the contract. “But we still have some work to do.”
Hernandez explained the province’s approval simply means there will be availability on transmission lines to carry the power from NextEra’s project, but the company still has to complete work on its environmental studies and construction permits.
She added company officials will be meeting this week to narrow down a timeline, but she still expects development plans to be finalized by the end of this year, with construction to begin early next year and be completed later in 2011.
NextEra has completed all its land lease negotiations, said Hernandez, and the company has to hold another public information session in the coming months, where she expects the company will unveil its turbine layout.
James Murphy, development manager with Invenergy, echoed Hernandez’s statements, saying while his company was successful with the contract application, it still has to carry out other duties to gain final permission for its project.
Murphy did not want to specify an exact timeline for the expected construction of Invenergy’s project.
“It’s a factor of months,” Murphy said.
Premier Dalton McGuinty has said the Ontario contracts could generate more than 2,500MW – enough electricity to power 600,000 homes – and will mean thousands of “much-needed jobs in construction, operation and maintenance” as well as about $9-billion in private sector investment.
But that likely means very little for Mapleton residents worried the possible effects the 80-metre tall turbines will have on ground water, human health and valuable farmland and livestock.
John?Crul, who is among the leaders of a local group opposed to the wind farms that asked council to call for a moratorium, was unavailable for comment by press time.
with files from David Meyer
