It’s rare that we get to see our electricity being made. It usually comes from some far and distant unknown source. Plug something into an outlet, and there’s the power. The rest is a mystery.

In the south Peace Region of BC, we have it good.  Here, we have wind power. Big wind power. Right from our own back yards we can see the blades turning, and the faster they turn the more green electricity is pouring into our area. But how can we be sure its not just “disappearing” into the grid? How do we know we actually get to use this ultra-green power?

(Note: the following description of how electricity flows in a grid has been confirmed by conversations with BC Hydro and a friendly physics teacher . . . oh, an electrician too.)

HAPPY LITTLE ELECTRONS

Electricity is composed of tiny bundles of energy called “electrons.” It is conceptually accurate (although a great technical simplification) to think of electrons as flowing through a wire like water through a pipe. You can have twenty closed taps on a pipe, but water will only flow to and through the tap that is open, and it will flow out of the closest tap first. Electricity behaves much the same way.

In the case of our local Bear Mountain Wind Park, electricity generated there flows down a power line from the ridge to the Hart Highway substation. From there it has a choice of going west to Chetwynd (not likely, since that area is now being powered by the Dokie and Quality Wind projects), or east to Dawson Creek. Since Dawson Creek is the nearest big load (open tap), the electricity from Bear Mountain will flow there, while powering up everything it encounters on the way: farms, ranches, etc.

After powering Dawson Creek and area, left over electrons spread out like sap through the leaf of a tree, with the grid being the veins in the leaf. Each load, no matter how large or small, is an open tap that electricity from Bear Mountain will flow to. The stronger the wind blows, the bigger the leaf becomes, spreading wind-generated electrons out across the region.

Thanks to the laws of physics, electricity goes directly to where it is needed exactly when it is needed. It happily turns night into day, gives us instant communication anywhere in the world, toasts our bread, keeps our iPhones and iPads happy, and charges our electric cars (some day). Magic.

ENERGY INDEPENDENCE FOR THE PEACE!

To power all of Dawson Creek’s homes (population about 13,000), street lights, water treatment plants, communications towers, municipal buildings, businesses, arenas . . . pretty well everything, requires about 15 megawatts (15 million watts) at peak load. The 34 wind turbines on Bear Mountain produce that much in a nice breeze; five times that in a strong wind. Averaged over the year and accounting for maintenance down-time and low-wind days, Bear Mountain Wind could easily power three Dawson Creeks year around.

Wind parks more than about 100 km apart are usually in different wind regimes: when the wind is not blowing at one, it will be blowing at the other. Pair Bear Mountain Wind Park with Quality Wind near Tumbler Ridge, and we have a region flooded with wind power pretty well 24/7, 365 days a year. Looking at the South Peace region as a whole, it is now safe to say that we are essentially energy independent from the rest of the planet, powered entirely by the greenest electricity ever invented, generated right here were we live.

So rest assured, oh lucky Dawson Creek residents, that when you see those blades turning even very slowly, (and how often do you see them NOT turning?) you are living in British Columbia’s first wind-powered city, and if you are living in the South Peace region, you are in BC’s first wind-powered region. I think that’s something we can all be very proud of.

QUICK FACT: thanks to government leadership, wind power has surged in Ontario, a province with only a modest wind resource compared to the Peace River Region. Ontario’s Independent Electricity System Operator now considers wind a mainline power source in the province.

Don Pettit is a director of the board of Peace Energy Cooperative.

Image Caption: (sunset over DC) The electricity produced by the 34 turbines of Bear Mountain Wind Park (visible in this photo along the distant horizon) stays right here in the region, powering all of Dawson Creek in a light breeze and most of the South Peace in a strong wind. (Don Pettit photo)

And yet, each day seven billion people can see the wind sweep across their paths, feel the kiss of a breeze on their skin and hear the wind whistle its friendly tune.

Wind is universal and the power of wind is universal. Let us focus on what we share together, instead of what we don’t share. Let the power of wind connect seven billion people, who share the idea that wind power is the way of the future.

Born and raised in Fernie BC, Allyssa is in her fourth and final year as a communications student at Royal Roads University.  Allyssa is passionate about leadership and plans to further her career in the International and Intercultural Communication Masters program.

Friends of Wind Ontario co-founder Jutta Splettstoesser and renewable supporters were on hand at Queen’s Park April 18 for the defeat of PC Party Bill 39 which aimed to end the Green Energy Act — which is delivering huge benefits to rural areas, creating jobs for college graduates, and providing Ontarians with a modern and clean electricity system. Supporters of wind and renewable energy continue to stand on the right side of history!

Friends of Wind Ontario in front of Queen’s Park in Toronto, Ontario on April 18, 2013

Bullfrog Power, Canada’s 100 per cent green energy provider, gives Canadians a simple way to choose 100 per cent green electricity for their homes. Across Canada, Bullfrog’s green electricity comes exclusively from wind and hydro facilities that have been certified as low impact by Environment Canada under its EcoLogoM program instead of from polluting sources like coal, oil, natural gas, and nuclear — or high-impact large hydro.

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I’m starting out this new renewable energy column “Watt’s Happening?” by busting a few common myths around the cleanest energy sources ever invented: wind and solar. Lets jump right into a hotly debated wind turbine controversy: does wind power harm or benefit birds?

Thanks to the extensive environmental assessment and follow-up studies required of wind facilities in Canada, we know that the 34 turbines of Bear Mountain Wind Park near Dawson Creek killed about 160 bats and 85 birds in 2010. Not a nice thing to know if you are both a supporter of clean energy and a bird lover, as I am. But can these numbers be put into perspective so that we can honestly evaluate the impact of wind power on birds and bats, and not just blurt out “Oh! How terrible!”?

I love birds, but I also love cats. Now there’s a serious contradiction indeed! I know from my personal experience that each cat kills at least 2-3 birds per year (probably closer to 10!) no matter how many bells I attach to them or how carefully I try to keep them inside. Let’s be conservative and say 2 birds per cat per year.

My local veterinarian friend estimates that there are about 5000 cats in Dawson Creek. That means cats kill at least 10,000 birds per year in this city. Add in window-kill and road-kill, and the number of needless bird deaths in and around Dawson Creek comes to about 20,000 per year. Surprising, isn’t it?

A recent study by the University of Georgia and National Geographic peg the bird deaths by cats in North America at 500 million per year. Then add in collisions with buildings (especially glass office towers): one billion (yes billion) per year in North America alone.

Habitat loss, though harder to quantify, is probably even more of a killer than cats and glass office towers. Birds and bats are definitely in trouble on this planet, but it’s not because of wind power.

For bat decline, the spread of a deadly virus is now suspected, encouraged by a warming climate, much as the Mountain Pine Beetle epidemic was spread by warmer winters in northern latitudes. Unanticipated “cascade effects” are now being seen on all plant and animal species around the world, and things are just getting started. If we want to protect birds and bats, in fact all wildlife, we must slow down and eventually stop climate change.

One of our best bets is a rapid shift to renewable energy sources like wind and solar. Once set up and operating they are essentially carbon-free. A complete shift to renewables (and yes, that IS possible: the subject of a future Watt’s Happening column) will eventually slow and then stop climate change.

Wind power has a carbon footprint, certainly. Manufacturing and installation cost carbon. But once up and running, a steady stream of carbon-free electricity quickly compensates for this carbon cost. Remember, we’re not burning anything because WIND is the fuel! Compare that to coal, diesel or gas-fired generators, which never work off their carbon footprints but only add to them.

Averaged over the year, Bear Mountain Wind Park powers most of the South Peace region, and yes it has an environmental impact, but a tiny one. Every megawatt of wind power put in place is one more megawatt of polluting, carbon-belching power we do not need.

No energy source is perfect. They all come with a price attached. Wind power has the smallest carbon and environmental price per watt of any readily available energy source, and wind power helps birds and bats by slowing climate change. Period.

If you want to take personal, direct action that really will save and protect the precious lives of our winged friends – support wind power, and by all means have your cat neutered!

QUICK FACT: Denmark is now generating more than 30 percent of its electricity with wind power, making their grid the most wind-powered in the world. Their goal is 50 percent by 2020. Germany is not far behind.

Don Pettit is a director on the board of Peace Energy Cooperative.

Image caption: Bear Mountain Wind Park powers BC’s first wind-powered city, Dawson Creek, plus most of the South Peace region year-around, combining pollution-free energy with an eight-kilometer hiking trail and beautiful nature park. Maps of the park and how to get there are available at the Peace Energy Cooperative office and Tourism Dawson Creek. (Don Pettit photo)

Mike is featured on the cover of the Winter 2013 issue of the Voyageur (The Magazine for Alumni and Friends of St. Lawrence College).  He is one of five nominees from St. Lawrence College for the 2012 Premier’s Awards.

After receiving his electrician’s “ticket” at St. Lawrence College, Mike had a successful career as an industrial electrician in both the printing and automotive sectors. He saw an opportunity to move into a new exciting direction and he joined a small start-up company bidding on the province’s first commercial wind farm – Melancthon 1. The successes there lead him to join the TransAlta Wind Company where he oversaw the installation of both the Wolfe Island and Melancthon 2 Wind Farms. Mike moved permanently to Wolfe Island during construction of the wind farm and is now the Operations Supervisor. “He… is credited as not only the first person in the province to run a modern wind farm with in-house maintenance, but to garner global attention as one of the best-run wind farms in the world” (p.6 Voyageur/St. Lawrence College/Winter 2013).

Mike teaches a part-time course for St. Lawrence College to 32 wind technician students in the classroom at the wind farm facility. He donates all the proceeds for teaching this course to a scholarship fund. TransAlta matched his donation so now the Mike Jablonicky/TransAlta Wind Facility Scholarship at St. Lawrence College supports future students of wind technology.

Mike recognizes that public relations are an important part of his role on Wolfe Island.  He listens to people express their concerns and he answers many questions from first hand experience and knowledge. He has played host to local, national and international guests who want to learn about the business.

In 2012 The Canadian Wind Energy Association (CanWEA) awarded the Matt Holder Community Connection Award to Mike Jablonicky (TransAlta). This award recognizes “an organization or individual who embodies the mandate of responsible development through a commitment to understand and build meaningful relationships with host communities…. (Mike received the award) for his outstanding engagement with the community of Wolfe Island and his hard work and dedication to ensure the wind farm was a welcomed addition to the community.”

I highly recommend a visit to Wolfe Island to check for yourself what a well-run wind farm looks, feels and sounds like.  You can e-mail Mike’s administrative assistant, Trudy, at trudy_deruiter@transalta.com or phone (613) 385-2045 to arrange a visit. You can even get close enough to the base of a wind turbine to touch it but you must have permission first because the wind turbines are on privately owned property.

Submitted by Deb Hudson for County Sustainability Group http://www.countysustainability.ca/

Mike Jablonicky looking out from on top of a wind turbine

Join us on Wednesday, April 10th, 2013 at the Bill Reid Gallery, 639 Hornby Street in Vancouver, for a discussion about the future of wind energy in British Columbia. Hosted by BC Sustainable Energy Association (BCSEA) Vancouver Chapter and Canadian Wind Energy Association (CanWEA), this speaker event features presentations by experts on wind energy, energy policy and sustainability issues in BC.

Presenters will highlight both successful case studies and common concerns. The evening will conclude with a moderated discussion between everyone present. Audience members are encouraged to bring their questions and comments!

Featured speakers include Nicholas Heap, CanWEA’s BC Regional Director, Dr. Tim Weis, Renewable Energy & Efficiency Policy Director at Pembina Institute and Marc Soulliere, President and CEO of Tsleil-Waututh Nation (TWN) Wind Power Inc.

For over a decade, Nicholas Heap has worked as a planner, policy analyst and campaigner in government, environmental organizations and industry to advance the implementation of low-impact renewable energy in BC. As CanWEA’s Vancouver-based BC Regional Director, he advocates for the responsible and sustainable development of wind energy, and is an active voice in the ongoing BC conversation on energy policy.

Dr. Tim Weis is a professional engineer who specializes in clean energy policy design, research and strategic decision making. He has written extensively on sustainable energy technical and policy issues at national, provincial and municipal levels, as well as opportunities specific to First Nations’ and northern communities.

Marc Soulliere has over 15 years of experience in senior sales and executive roles in the wireless technology industry, and has worked extensively with Fortune 500 companies on implementation of large-scale multi-million dollar IT projects. He entered the wind energy industry in 2008 and has been trained in wind site assessments, wind theory, turbine designs and energy production.

Doors open at 6:30pm. Limited tickets available.

General Admission                              $10
BCSEA Member/Senior/Student        $ 8

Register today!

- Nicholas Heap, CanWEA’s BC Regional Director

Darn near 20 years ago I wrote a column for this newspaper called EnviroNews. In it I prophesied the coming of wind power to the Peace Region (I was right), and the revival of rail across North America (I was wrong). Perhaps the paper was desperate for filler, but over 300 EnviroNews articles were published between 1995 and 2001 on everything from backyard composting to TV addiction.

Well, here I go again. A lot has changed in the last two decades, but also a lot has stayed disappointingly the same. Humanity continues to be in transition. As much as the powers that be would have us believe that “business as usual” will be just fine, thank you very much, such is not the case. Business as usual is eating itself, destroying the “natural capital” foundation on which it is built. It is not “sustainable.” The debate about how to arrange the deck chairs on the Titanic rages on, but our course is still set for that same iceberg, dead ahead.

But there are ways to change course to a more sustainable world, and the good news is that it’s starting to happen. The media is so filled with a surplus of doom and gloom that there’s not much room left for the really GREAT stuff, so that’s what I’m going to focus on in Watt’s Happening.

Most of the big changes and big controversies we are seeing these days orbit around one thing: energy. Nothing is more destructive, polluting and harmful to nature and human health than how we presently extract, distribute and use (and waste!) most of our energy. Moving to a world run entirely on renewable energy, used efficiently and conservatively, is one of the really big things we have to do, and one of the most remarkable projects that humanity has ever attempted. The good news is that we not only can do it, we are doing it.

But many of our energy choices will fall to you and I. Governments are in a tough position to lead so large a change: short time lines (the next election) and the influence of immensely powerful corporate elites make their job very difficult. So we have to make our own choices: oil, gas, coal, wind, solar, tidal, geothermal, hydroelectric, nuclear? What’s it going to be? A mix no doubt, but into which of these should we place our best efforts? In which direction does a sustainable future lie? The prosperity or hardship of our children may well depend on the energy choices you and I make today.

Personally, I’m big on renewables. Making energy without burning fuel, but instead harvesting it directly from the wind and the sun, for instance, now that’s pretty cool and seems like a common-sense way to go (no pollution, lasts forever, everybody’s got some, things like that). Apparently, lots of folks agree, since renewables continue to be the fastest growing energy sector on the planet. This is really good news, since there seem to be some BIG problems with this fuel thing.

So I’ll begin Watt’s Happening by busting a few myths that have collected around renewables, just to clear the air, so to speak. Future articles will bust some juicy myths like:

“Wind turbines are bad for birds.” WRONG!

“We can’t possibly power the whole planet with renewables, because there just isn’t enough of it and renewable energy is intermittent and unreliable.”  REALLY WRONG!

“Wind turbines don’t do anything to green their local area because ‘the power just disappears into the grid.’” TOTALLY WRONG!

“Electric cars don’t make any difference because the electricity they use was probably made in a coal-fired plant anyway.” SURPRISINGLY WRONG!

“Solar hot water heaters, solar electricity and geothermal energy for my home or business are expensive and impractical.” ALSO WRONG!

Which reminds me: if you, oh reader, are using RE in any way, for any reason, I would love to hear about it. Send pictures! Email me via the Peace Energy Coop website (www.peaceenergy.ca “Contact Us”), AND there are prizes – send me something about RE and you will receive a FREE copy of my amazing book Power Shift.

OH BOY, THIS IS GOING TO BE FUN!

Photo caption: Author and photographer Don Pettit is definitely upbeat when it comes to renewable energy. His book Power Shift chronicles the building of Bear Mountain Wind Park, a project launched by Dawson Creek’s very own Peace Energy Cooperative.

…

There is so much more that can be said on this topic, but I don’t wish to dive in to politics, start dissecting research papers or quoting scientific studies. That has already been done. My mission is to quell fears, destroy doubts and satisfy uncertainties. My husband, my dog and myself live among windmills. We have worked underneath them for months on end. We have neighbors and friends who live in even closer proximity than we do. I am friends with turbine technicians and tradespeople who have spent countless hours inside nacelles, 80 meters in the air. We are all fine. We are happy. We are healthy. We chose to believe in science instead of scare tactics.

For Meredith’s full blog please visit Life Among Giants.

~Meredith

This article was written for, and may also be found on, the excellent legal blog SLAW.

For the full blog and list of references please link back to the original. 

After nearly two years of vigorous anti-wind litigation in Ontario, anti-wind activists have failed to satisfy any court or tribunal that wind energy development in accordance with government standards will cause serious harm. Many wind projects have been approved, and wind-based electrical generation is growing fast. However, the same concerns keep being raised, and we know of no Ontario wind farm that has obtained its approval without the cost and delay of litigation.

Renewable energy approvals in Ontario

Ontario was the first Canadian jurisdiction to set up a special approvals regime for renewable energy, through the Green Energy Act. To generate and sell commercial scale wind power in Ontario, the proponent must obtain a Renewable Energy Approval (REA) under the Environmental Protection Act from the Director of Approvals, Ministry of the Environment.

Because of the social, environmental, and political importance of reducing carbon emissions and switching to renewable sources of energy, the REA cannot be easily overturned. Any Ontario resident may appeal the decision to issue the REA, or its terms and conditions, to the Environmental Review Tribunal (ERT). To succeed, however, they must prove that, on the balance of probabilities, the wind project will cause:

1. Serious harm to human health, or
2. Serious and irreversible harm to plant life, animal life or the natural environment.

This is very difficult. Repeated studies around the world have shown that wind energy does not directly cause these harms1; while no form of electricity generation is free of adverse effects, wind power is relatively benign compared to coal, nuclear, heavy petroleum, major dams, etc.2 Nor has harm been proven in countries, such as Denmark and Germany, which have a dense network of turbines and a high level of wind energy generation. Even in other parts of Canada, there is much less concern about wind than there is in Ontario.

However, some people do find turbines sufficiently annoying to interfere with their sleep, especially if they do not receive any financial gain from the turbines. Persistent sleep loss can be devastating, as many young parents and other caregivers can attest. There is also a powerful nocebo effect, in which can people experience real, distressing symptoms if they believe that the source of their concern is harmful.

All decisions to date have held that these effects do not meet the legal test of harm, and are not sufficient to block the development of wind energy.

Harm to health, plants, wildlife or the environment?

The first case was a challenge to Ontario’s regulatory regime governing REAs. In Hanna v. Ontario (Attorney General),3 Mr. Hanna sought to invalidate the Renewable Energy Approvals Regulation because, he argued, its minimum setback requirements for wind turbines were inadequate. He claimed that the 550 metre minimum setbacks from nearby homes were inconsistent with the MOE’s “Noise Guidelines for Wind Farms” and the province’s Statement of Environmental Values. The SEV calls for a precautionary, science-based approach to decision-making. Therefore, he said, the province should not be able to issue REAs if there is still uncertainty about turbines’ full effects.

The Superior Court dismissed his application, finding that there had been a full public consultation, and a ministerial review of science-based evidence. Further, the adequacy of a minimum setback in a particular case can be challenged before the ERT, so those who are concerned have an alternate remedy.

Erickson v. Ontario (Director, MOE),4 was the first of the anti-wind appeals to reach the ERT. The ERT heard evidence from experts from around the world on the cutting edge of scientific inquiry. In a very lengthy decision, the ERT found that interference with sleep can cause harm to human health, and that there are “some risks and uncertainties associated with wind turbines that merit further research.” However, it could not conclude that the Kent Breeze Wind Farm turbines would significantly harm either human health or the environment, and the REA was upheld.

Aboriginal rights?

In Monture v. Director, MOE (Monture 1)5, a Six Nations appellant tried to use the same issues plus aboriginal rights and claims to block the Summerhaven wind project REA. Mr. Monture claimed that the REA failed to respect the Treaty rights of the Onkwehonwe, would affect their hunting and fishing rights, and would harm birds, wildlife, trees and agricultural land. However, the Tribunal ruled that aboriginal claims and consultation issues could not expand its jurisdiction, which was limited by the EPA to whether the project would cause serious harm to human health or the environment.

The Tribunal acknowledged that Mr. Monture’s evidence was informed by the “accumulated knowledge of the Onkwehonwe people as traditionally passed down through the generations, as well as cultural values that emphasize the importance of respecting the natural environment.” However, this evidence made only “general reference to the issues of habitat loss, fragmentation, avoidance of resting and foraging grounds, and sensory disturbances.” Mr. Monture’s other submissions regarding cumulative effects, bird mortality, and plants with medicinal value were too general to establish that this particular project would cause serious harm to animal life, plant life or the natural environment. A mere possibility of harm was insufficient to meet the legal test; Mr. Monture’s appeal was dismissed.

Mr. Monture, Haldimand Wind Concerns (a citizen’s group), and others were similarly unsuccessful in their appeal of a second REA6: Monture v. Director, MOE (Monture 2).7 The ERT did, however, recommend changes to the terms of the REA regarding natural heritage pre-construction and post-construction monitoring; reporting and review of results; Community Liaison Committee; and aboriginal consultation.

Embracing the nocebo effect?

In Chatham-Kent Wind Action Inc. v. Director, MOE8, the appellant offered no evidence, and the case was left to two individual participants. Mr. Ternoey based his opposition to the turbines on the real power of the nocebo effect.9 He explained: “Here the potential cause for harm is internally grounded in the mind, not external in the object of the turbine… the level of noise is not as important as the attitude or reaction to the noise.” He argued that the ERT was wrong to demand scientific evidence of objective causation of harm, since some people can experience a health impact due to his or her belief that the turbines are harmful. Since this nocebo effect can cause serious harm to human health, the legal test is met and the turbines should not be built.

The ERT rejected this argument; the Environmental Protection Act test for overturning a REA requires objective causation of harm, not just a subjective belief, however sincere. (Imagine what would happen if a nocebo effect test could block other forms of power generation or of other infrastructure: sewage plants, landfills, highways, transmission lines, cell towers, airports….)

Property value?

Opposition to wind energy may be driven, in part, by concern about nearby property values. In the only case decided to date, Kenney v. Municipal Property Assessment Corp., the Assessment Review Board found no such evidence. The Kenneys’ waterfront home on Wolf Island was assessed at $357,000. The Kenneys appealed, arguing that their assessment failed to take into account the negative effect of the Wolf Island Wind Project, then the second largest wind farm in Canada. Although the Kenneys believed that the wind farm threatened their health, their enjoyment of their property, and its value, the Board found there was no credible evidence of loss in value.

The Charter?

Since wind opponents cannot meet the legal test, i.e. prove serious harm to their health or the environment, they are now attacking the legal test itself. In Drennan v. K2 Wind Ontario Inc., Shawn and Trisha Drennan are seeking $4 million in damages plus an injunction to prevent K2 Wind Ontario Inc. from obtaining a renewable energy approval from the Ministry of the Environment for its proposed wind farm in Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh. 90 local landowners have leased their land for the project; much of it between 650 metres and 2 km from the Drennan home. Mr. and Mrs. Drennan claim that the wind farm will create a nuisance, make them ill, and reduce their property values.

The Environmental Protection Act puts the onus of proving such harm on wind opponents, instead of requiring each wind proponent to prove that their project will be safe. This, the Drennans claim, violates their right to security of the person under s. 7 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. They are seeking an interim injunction to stop all wind turbines within 2 km of their home, without having to prove that the turbines will cause them serious harm, and without providing the usual undertaking as to damages.

And in 2013?

Thus, it seems that anti-wind litigation will continue to be active in 2013. As the ERT is permitting appellants to relitigate the same issues for each new wind farm, three more REA appeals including similar grounds are also scheduled on the Environmental Review Tribunal’s Hearings List for this year: Gilead Power’s Ostrander Point wind project, located in the heart of the Prince Edward Point Important Bird Area; Northland Power’s Manitoulin Island wind farm, and Capital Power’s Port Dove and Nanticoke Project. Decisions are pending in Manitoulin Coalition for Safe Environment v. MOE and Haldimand Wind Concerns v. MOE.

And motions will be argued in the Drennan case. The injunction hearing is scheduled to be heard in February. The province is seeking summary judgment to dismiss the action. Meanwhile, the REA application has been filed and presumably is being processed.

- Dianne Saxe and Meredith James

Beautiful shades of orange and pink spread over the North Shore Mountains as I gaze out of the view pod of the wind turbine at Grouse Mountain Resort. The wind over the ridge breathes life into the gigantic 12,000 lb. blades.

I am faced with two distinct forms of beauty. The first is a breathtaking sunset of Vancouver, BC. The second is a beauty that one may not consider. It originates from the intelligent machine supporting the view pod. This wind turbine’s graceful blades spin to harness the kinetic energy of the wind to create electricity. The more they spin, and the faster they spin, the less energy will be needed from more environmentally destructive forms of energy.

I have one of the coolest jobs in the world. I work as a tour guide in this wind turbine. I get to explain to visiting guests how this project is part of a revolution; there is a necessary future in a global energy mix that does not need to rely so heavily, or possibly at all on fossil fuels. Wind energy is an important part of the solution.

As the turbine produces electricity, it feels like electricity is surging through my own body as well. I feel re-energized to be part of the fight to combat the many environmental problems at hand. This surge of energy pauses as I remember that I found a dead bat near the base of the tower that morning. No form of energy is problem free. Four bats and two birds are part of the cost of this turbine every year. The surge begins again, however, as I remember that its positives outweigh its negatives.

When the 1.5 MW turbine is producing electricity, I feel I am part of the solution. I reduce my own carbon footprint by composting, conserving energy, and not eating meat, but these actions only get me so far. As of 2005, fossil fuels emitted 8.02GtC/yr into the atmosphere (Nagase, 2005)*. Greater use of alternative energy sources will lower these emissions levels and help combat other environmental crises. The beauty of the creation of clean energy is my inspiration to join the fight.

* Nagase, Kozo. 2005. “Carbon–Money exchange” to contain global warming and deforestation. Energy Policy 33 (10): 1233-8.

Kathryn MacDonald is a 3rd year University of Toronto student. She is a renewable energy enthusiast working towards becoming an Environmental Lawyer. Kathryn works as a tour guide at the Eye of the Wind turbine atop Grouse Mountain in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Critics of wind power point to infrasound as an agent produced by wind turbines that causes health impacts of varying degrees of severity to people nearby.

Is infrasound produced by wind turbines of sufficient volume, intensity or sound pressure to cause humans harm?

Short Answer:

• The infrasound produced by wind turbines is too quiet to be heard, felt or to cause harm.
• Infrasound measurements 75 meters from beaches measure higher levels of infrasound with otherwise very similar noise characteristics to wind turbines, yet hundreds of millions of coastal dwellers are not sick from it.
• A child on a swing experiences infrasound at a level of around 110dB and frequency 0.5Hz.  This is much higher than wind turbines generate yet swings are not banned.
• People driving cars are exposed to approximately 100 dB of infrasound, yet commuting isn’t being declared a significant threat to health.

Long Answer:

First, the basics:

• What is sound? Sound is vibrations in the air; energy in waves that reach our ears. It’s frequency is measured in waves per second or Hertz (Hz).  It’s volume or sound pressure is measured in decibels (dB). Humans can typically hear sound between 20 and 20,000 Hz, but volume makes a difference to human’s ability to hear sound too.
• How much is a decibel? The decibel scale is a logarithmic scale not a linear scale. That means that for every increase of ten decibels, the sound pressure or volume increases by a factor of ten. Therefore a 20 dB range implies 100 times the sound pressure, while a 30 dB range implies 1000 times the sound pressure. A 60 dB range implies 1,000,000 times the sound pressure.
• What is infrasound? Infrasound is very low-frequency sound, typically defined as being between 1-20 Hz. It is called infrasound because it is below what human ears can normally hear. Some differentiate 1-16 as infrasound and 16-20 as low frequency noise, as the 16-20 range can be audible at very high volumes. [4]
• What emits infrasound? Virtually every piece of mechanical equipment, traffic, air conditioners, refrigerators, surf, your heart and wind.[4] Surf infrasound 75 meters from the beach is about 75 dBG, yet tens of millions of seashore dwellers do not fall ill from it, but in fact are lulled to sleep by it. [1]  A child on a swing experiences infrasound at a level of around 110dB and frequency 0.5Hz, much higher than wind turbines emit, with no ill effect and no one suggests banning swings as a result.[9]
• Can humans hear infrasound? Yes, humans can ‘hear’ infrasound if it is loud enough. The graph lists the frequencies and dB ranges. Basically, the closer the frequency is to normally audible ranges, the lower the decibels have to be but they are still well above decibels required for audibility above the 20 Hz level.[3], [14]
• Can humans feel infrasound? At very high levels, yes, humans can feel infrasound. This requires sound pressures 20-25 dB above those where infrasound can be heard. [3],[14] Remember that the decibel scale is logarithmic and 20-26 dB represents 100 times or more the sound pressure; this is a very large difference in energy in the sound.
• How do you detect infrasound outdoors? In order for infrasound to be heard above infrasound from wind, microphones are typically placed in holes dug in the ground.[1]
• Does infrasound travel further than other sound? Yes, infrasound does propagate farther than higher-frequency sound, but it still diminishes as distance increases. Like normal sound, the louder the infrasound, the further away it will be detectable. As a useful rule of thumb for the math-inclined, audible ranges of sound typically diminishes with cube of distance, while infrasound diminishes closer to the square of distance.[2]  Interestingly, elephants use this to communicate over longer distances and it took a while for humans to figure this out as no one could hear or feel it.[8]
• How much infrasound are people exposed to daily? If they live in cities, typically they are exposed to 50-65 dBG of infrasound most of the time due to traffic, air conditioning, heating fans, subways and air traffic.  If they live near airports, more.
• What are these dBLin, dBA and dBG things? dBLin is the actual sound if it were measured by a relatively perfect instrument. dBA is a filter that is applied to the actual sound so that it most closely reflects what human ears can hear of the sound; we hear higher frequencies better than lower ones.  dBG is a filter that is applied to the actual sound to approximate how humans perceive infrasound and low-frequency sound, mostly between 10 Hz and 30 Hz.

Second, here are the health-related aspects:

• Can infrasound harm humans? At very high levels for very long exposures, yes. Some aircrews exposed to infrasound at about 130 dbG for hundreds of hours a month in helicopters and Hercules have experienced physiological changes. This is a bit difficult to separate from airframe vibration however, and the two are often confused. Military helicopter seats, for example, are designed to address airframe vibration, but are sometimes referred to as addressing infrasound.[5]
• Is Vibro-Acoustic Disease (VAD) real? Sort of.  The aircrew syndrome as described above was dubbed vibro-acoustic disease long after the initial findings.[5] There are physiological changes at lower levels of sound pressure that have been recorded for airline crews who are exposed to 83.2 dBLin (A weighting removed) sound for most of their careers.  It is worth noting, of course, that people in cars are exposed to 100.8 dBLin, yet commuters are not considered an endangered medical group.[11] The only people using the term VAD are the 3-4 researchers in Portugal who write about it and anti-wind groups. The following analysis of the research on VAD is highly telling:
  • Of the 35 papers on VAD, 34 had a first author from a single Portuguese research group. Seventy four per cent of citations to these papers were self-citations by the group. [13]

  As the average level of self-citation is 7% in science, this is a strong indication that this is not taken seriously by other scientists, and the handful of researchers working on it take themselves too seriously.

• Can infrasound have other impacts on humans? Yes, there is some evidence that some people feel anxiety when exposed to sufficient volumes of infrasound. The experiment masked volumes of infrasound above 85 dBG in loud music and assessed the reactions of the audience of 700. Some 22% reported anxiety and other mild stress reactions. Other physiological impacts are asserted in terms of resonance frequency of various body parts such as seeing ghosts, but these are also experienced at high-volumes of infrasound.[4]

Now for wind turbines:

• Do wind turbines emit infrasound? Yes, like virtually every other piece of moving equipment, wind turbines emit infrasound.
• How much infrasound do wind turbines emit? Modern wind turbines emit an average of 60-63 dBG next to the wind turbine.  This means that humans can’t hear or feel the infrasound when they are standing next to the wind turbine.  It also means the infrasound is far below the levels at which other impacts above were noted. [1]
• Is infrasound the same as the regular slightly louder sounds caused by the blades passing the tower? No, this is regular noise that occurs a bit more than once a second, but it is different than infrasound. It is often confused with infrasound because of the coincidence of low numbers per second of something related to noise. This is best described in the same way as your heart-rate or music, as beats per minute.
• How low is the infrasound at dwellings near wind turbines? Measurements with good methodology and approaches detected infrasound at 200 and 360 meters at less than 60 dBG outdoors, and showed that indoors with the windows closed infrasound was even lower. [1]
• Does wind energy cause unusual amounts of infrasound at dwellings? No. A well-structured comparative study sponsored by the South Australia Environment Protection Authority concluded that wind energy generated infrasound was below the levels experienced by urban and rural dwellers from other sources, and could not be separately identified.
• Organised shutdowns of the wind farms adjacent to Location 8 and Location 9 indicate that there did not appear to be any noticeable contribution from the wind farm to the G-weighted infrasound level measured at either house.
• Do wind turbines cause ground vibration? Yes, there are minute amounts of ground vibration measurable very close to wind turbines. Measurements show that they are less than vibration from people walking or cars idling.  The vibration is undetectable by humans. Very sensitive seismographs were used to record it. It’s not the same as infrasound.[2]
• Is Alec Salt — the only researcher who seems to think this — correct that infrasound specifically from wind turbines affects the ear at much lower levels than previously thought? [16]  Peter Seligman, PHD, DEng, and director of seven generations of cochlear implant sound processors doesn’t think so. [15]
• The level of infrasound picked up from the body by this microphone was a major problem and far exceeded all infrasound from external sources. In fact it was some ten times greater.

and

• Another argument that has been put up (Dr Alec Salt) is that infrasound stimulates the outer hair cells of the cochlea. These cells are said to be inhibitory and thus do not create any perceivable sensation. It is held that because wind turbine infrasound is air‐borne rather than conducted through the body, it has different effects on the auditory system and also the vestibular system. The explanation given is that these systems have not evolved to deal with air‐borne noise. Even if that is the case, the former point stands; that beyond a few hundred metres, airborne infrasound is below the level of natural and other man‐made noise.

Other researchers do not appear to be replicating or citing Mr. Salt’s work except in the process of debunking it.[17] It is worthy of note that Mr. Salt’s work is not based on human studies, but a significant extrapolation from studies on guinea pigs.  In the absence of significant other work by others in this area, it is gross speculation that infrasound above 60 dBG poses a threat to humans.

As has been pointed out, Salt and other researchers making these claims are taking measurements very close to wind turbines and measuring levels of low-frequency sound far above that at dwellings:

• Two articles (Jung and Cheung 2008 and Sugimoto et al 2008) have been cited as arguments that wind turbines generate high levels of infrasound and LFN (Salt and Hullar 2010). However, the measurements reported in those articles were made in close proximity to wind turbines and are uncharacteristic of exposure in residential buildings. Jung and Cheung (2008) measured at 10 and 98 m from a 1.5 MW turbine with levels exceeding 80 dB in the frequency range 1–10 Hz. Sugimoto et al (2008) report levels of up to 80 dB in the frequency range 1–20 Hz inside a small shed 20 m from the wind turbine. [17]

From the same paper, Bolin et al rather thoroughly dismiss Salt’s wildly speculative claims:

• Salt and Hullar (2010) hypothesized from previous research that the outer hair cells are particularly sensitive to infrasound even at levels below the threshold of perception. In their article, the last paragraph mentions that wind turbines generate high levels of infrasound, with reference to three articles, two of which are not relevant to exposure in residential environments (Jung and Cheung 2008, and Sugimoto et al 2008). No references were made to published compilations of knowledge that indicates that the infrasound to which humans are exposed to by wind turbines is moderate and not higher than what many people are exposed to daily, in the subway and buses or at the workplace (e.g. Leventhall 2007, Jakobsen 2005). It is therefore hard to see that Salt and Hullars’ results are relevant for risk assessment of wind turbine noise in particular.
• In Australia, anti-wind advocates such as Sarah Laurie* are referring to a report by The Acoustic Group Pty Ltd [19] as evidence that infrasound is dangerous to humans near wind turbines. Is this true? This is the conclusion of Steven Cooper, Principal of the firm and an acoustical consulting engineer for 34 years. However, the data he collects does not support this.  He does not measure infrasound, but infers it from dB(A) measurements by adding 31-37 dB using a rule-of-thumb. He then bases a conclusion of danger on Alec Salt’s work, which as has been shown sounds impressive until people who know what they are talking about look at it. The dB(A) measurements in the Cooper report, by the way, showed a peak noise in the bedroom with the window open of 33 dB(A) which is quieter than a library, much quieter than bird calls; it’s slightly noisier than a quiet rural area according to industry standards.[19] As this house was likely the closest to the most wind turbines, it’s hard to imagine a scenario in which very simple noise mitigations such as occasionally closing the window wouldn’t have eliminated any noise annoyance.

To summarize, while infrasound can cause impacts on humans when its very loud and with very prolonged exposure, wind turbines generate too little of it to have any impact near or far. The evidence remains the same: some people near wind turbines find the noise annoying, some of them find it stressful, some of them lose sleep due to stress.[6],[7]

* Sarah Laurie refers to herself as Dr. Laurie, however she has been unregistered and non-practicing for longer than she was practicing medicine. While sincere, she is actively causing harm by spreading disinformation about health impacts of wind energy and appears to be both giving medical advice and conducting (poorly structured) medical research without oversight, accountability or legal right to do so. While she is not prevented from claiming the title Doctor as it is an unprotected title, it is not incumbent upon others to refer to her according to how she wishes to be known.

Thanks:

Many thanks to Geoffrey Leventhall, Christophe Delaire and David Osmond for the comments, suggestions and content improvements.

President Barack Obama had his choice of topics to be included in his State of the Union address earlier this week. You can bet his phone rings constantly in the weeks leading up to the address, as special interest groups jockey for mention. So the significance of the President’s focus on climate change and a clean energy future can’t be overstated. He chose this moment in world history to ensure that all sides of the debate are clear on his intention to address what is arguably the single greatest threat to our economy, our natural resources, and oh yeah – our survival.

But not everyone wants to act now. There will be time later for change, right? And some flat out deny there is a problem with our climate to begin with. These voices choose to ignore the overwhelming scientific evidence, reinforced in public perception by yet another “storm or drought or flood of the century”, much preferring the cozy gauze of their comfortable status-quo cocoon.

“But if Congress won’t act soon to protect future generations, I will,” the President declared. “I will direct my Cabinet to come up with executive actions we can take, now and in the future, to reduce pollution, prepare our communities for the consequences of climate change, and speed the transition to more sustainable sources of energy.”

Social media buzzed north of the border as supporters of renewable energy tried to imagine what it would be like to have a shared vision in Canada. People shared ideas for real, concrete actions to address the devastating climate change impacts of fossil-fuels. Studies and reports were cited, illustrating a lack of leadership on the climate file by many developed nations. Someone flipped me a quote from a recent report by the World Wildlife Fund for Nature: “The spiraling economic, social and environmental cost of our current energy system, and the looming threat of climate change disaster, flip the burden of proof: anything other than sustainable renewables used efficiently should now have to justify their existence … ”

Political rhetoric is great for quoting in 120-character spurts. Studies and reports are necessary to substantiate that which those in denial would prefer to ignore or, worse, spin to their own purposes. At the end of the day, it takes people to make change. It takes people who are ahead of the curve, people with vision and an internal compass that ceaselessly drives them, people who don’t tire of the negativity and ridiculous misinformation spewed by opponents.

I’ve been extremely fortunate over the past few years to meet some people who fit that bill. They have names like Don and Meredith, Gary and Marie, Jutta and Paul, Mike, Jenna, Madison, David, Ken … They hold day jobs but spend their free time – evenings or a few hours squeezed in between the laundry – doing what they can to advance the cause of a cleaner future. They write letters, they blog, they Tweet, they drive through snow storms to attend information events. They are not paid for their work in advocating a renewable energy future. They simply believe down to their very core that bringing reliable and cost-effective renewable energy into our electricity system is a real action that will net real results.

Unlike so many who wait for the next person to stand up, these strong but few put into practice President Obama’s new tagline: “I will act”.

I’m proud to know these incredible characters, and I’m proud to stand here with them on the right side of history.

- Chris Forrest, Vice-President, Communications, CanWEA

My fascination with wind turbines began sometime around 2006. Driving down the 401 eastbound, I noticed the two-blade wind turbine that sat off to my left somewhere around Highgate. I looked at it in wonder and thought to myself, “That is brilliant! Why aren’t more farmers generating their own power this way?”. A short time later I came across the same style two-blade turbine at a turkey farm just outside of London, once again thinking it was an amazing way to generate power for the turkey barn. Those two-blade turbines planted a seed in my mind that would lie dormant until 2009.

Having been quite literally born and raised on a farm, I was always interested in agriculture and rural life. Until I was 12 years old, we lived on a farm on the outskirts of Thamesville. In an odd twist of fate, that farm was sold to a gentleman who had a dream of building wind turbines, but I’ll come back to that later. I had never lived in ‘town’ until I moved in with the man I was dating (now my husband) in 2008. City life and myself were not a good mix; I longed to get back to my rural roots, and let my boyfriend experience the quiet, relaxed living that the countryside provided. He agreed to try it and in August of 2009, he sold his house and we purchased a home together in Tilbury East township.

Our new home was actually quite old, having been built in 1858. The land it sat on was purchased from the Crown in 1848. We had an expansive yard, barns behind us and fields on all sides. We also had something else nearby; Wind turbines. The Boralex Swanton Line project turbines were the closest, sitting within 1km of our home. Many of the Kruger Port Alma project turbines were close by as well. Later on, Kruger added turbines even closer when they built the Chatham Wind Farm. Contrary to what many of those who oppose wind energy perpetuate, we had absolutely no qualms or hesitation whatsoever about purchasing a home near wind turbines.

Living among the turbines was every bit as peaceful and benign as we expected it would be. Watching the sun rise behind them from our bedroom window was always beautiful. It was nice to gauge the wind direction and speed by taking a quick peek at them. Occasionally, we would hear the gentle ‘wooshing’ sound of the blades when the wind was passing through them directly towards our house. Once again, counter to everything the anti-wind people say, this was completely unobtrusive and not offensive in the least. We would hear it for a moment and then carry on with our day and forget about it completely, as it was drowned out by something as small as the noise of your feet on the floor.

In June of 2011, we were married on the front porch of our home. We had spent the last 23 months tirelessly renovating the centenarian Ontario farmhouse, spending nearly 6 figures on a complete restoration by the time all was said and done. The fact that our home was surrounded by wind turbines did not in any way deter us from investing significantly in the house. We had added the original style wrap around porch back on to the house in our reno, and there my fiance and I exchanged vows, rings and a kiss making us husband and wife. Our small gathering of family and close friends stood on the lawn for the short ceremony. Everyone remarked how beautiful the wedding was and how serene our surroundings were.

Fast forward to today. My husband and I still live in our country home and love it dearly. Our 5 year old dog, Hemi, has no complaints about life on the farm. Anyone and everyone who has visited our home either for a bonfire or a BBQ out on the porch has marveled at how peaceful it is on our little slice of rural property. I enjoy asking all our new guests if the wind turbines are driving them crazy yet; it always garners a laugh and sparks a discussion about the ridiculous claims surrounding wind energy. My husband and I, as well as our darling dog, are all in excellent health and enjoy much happiness in our day to day lives.

We have been blessed to not only live among wind turbines but to also work around them, which began in the fall of 2010. In the years since we have worked on 3 different wind farms, including Kent Breeze; A project which was the brain child of that gentleman who bought my parent’s farm so many years ago. I can’t help but think that our positive feelings and belief in wind energy helped us find a place on those 3 projects. Working as a security guard, I have taken great pride in watching those wind farms take shape around me as I watched over them. Someday I hope to transition from security to a different role in wind, such as a turbine technician or a lineman.

It has been incredible to watch wind power blossom into a mainstream source of energy in Ontario. Farmers are no longer feeding cities with just food but with power as well. We have come so far from the days of those two-blade turbines that caught my eye and fascinated me. In 2011 I stood in awe and watched as the first 2.5 megawatt GE wind turbines turned for the first time ever in North America. The fact that it happened in Thamesville, my old stomping grounds, made the experience that much more dear to my heart.

I could delve into all the technical specs that support wind energy as a viable source of power with this blog entry, but that information is readily available to anyone who cares to search it out. Wind is powerful, it is beautiful, it is peaceful. Turbines will not saddle countless future generations with toxic waste. Our greed for cheap power blinds us and makes us believe that sort of thing is okay when it truly isn’t. A landscape dotted with gently turning wind turbines is a beautiful thing if one chooses to view it as such, appreciating that a natural resource is being harnessed and converted into electricity. It is truly incredible.

There is so much more I could say on this subject, but instead I will keep it short and sweet; I live, work and breathe wind. I will be forever fascinated.

~Meredith

Read more about Meredith on her blog, LifeAmongGiants.

Coal, oil and other fossil fuel based industries require limited supplies and cause irrevocable harm to our land, while our solar and ocean based technology still hasn’t matured enough to provide reliable power to all of Canada. Nuclear fission has unsolvable waste problems and nuclear fusion is still a farfetched dream, too far away to alleviate Canada’s energy crisis. Hydro is fine, if you ignore the swathes of land that are required for a reservoir. This leaves wind energy. Wind is almost everywhere in Canada, and the technology exists today to construct wind farms throughout Canada, both on land and offshore. The wind itself if free and, once constructed, the maintenance of wind farms is low, but better yet, wind technology is improving all the time, allowing wind farms to become both cheaper and more efficient. Best of all though, wind energy has no emissions and an incredibly small impact on the environment.

This means that if Canada devotes the willpower towards pursuing wind energy then we can start making the all-important switch from powering our society with the burning of fossil fuels, to renewable and clean sources. That is why I am a friend of wind energy. It gives us the capacity to energize our wonderful society, while preserving what I love about Canada.

Nicholas is currently a grade 12 student in Coquitlam, BC. He plans to go on and study Engineering at university next year. Nicholas hopes to eventually become equipped with the skills necessary to design and innovate new, more efficient ways of doing the necessary things that make our society run.

A New Take on a Brave New World: Wind as a Renewable Energy Source

Imagine a world where society has access to an endless resource that is able to fill a huge proportion of Canada’s energy needs, creates jobs and gives off no greenhouse gasses or pollution; in fact, use of this resource will reduce Canada’s annual greenhouse gas emissions! This resource is vital in combatting climate change.

The facilities for extracting this resource do not pose a physiological threat to humans and do not have a negative effect on property values. This resource drives competition and innovation among developers and energy providers, resulting in remarkable advances in technology and guaranteeing affordability and price stability over traditional sources of energy. Finally, this resource invigorates rural economies without damaging traditional ties to the land and nature and allowing traditional farming and ranching activities to proceed undisturbed.

Does it sound too good to be true? As utopian as it seems, wind energy is real, current and brings a message of hope for Canada.

Critics of wind energy assert that the turbines are noisy (they are actually quieter than your neighbours), that wind farms will be ineffective against climate change (just one turbine saves 4000 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually) and that wind farms kill birds (birds are literally more than 1000 times more likely to get killed by cats). Current and ongoing research has debunked many such myths and continues to validate the importance of wind energy as a complement to other existing energy sources. It is important to ask questions and be cautious of ideas that could lead us to a dystopian future, but wind energy seems to be blowing us in the right direction. Indeed, it currently powers over one million Canadian homes.

Jessica is currently completing a Bachelor of Education degree at the University of Calgary. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Calgary.

Q. How long have you been involved in renewable energy, and what attracted you to this industry?

I’ve been working in this business for more than a decade. I have always been concerned about air pollution and climate change. Having children accentuated these concerns. My career route to renewable energy was not direct and was more fortuitous. Yet when the opportunity arose to work in the industry, it was a natural fit for me.

Q. Canada just passed 6,000 MW of installed wind energy capacity this year, and added over 900 MW of new wind power in 2012 alone. A few provinces are leading the way in terms of real actions to achieve renewable energy targets, while several provinces are actually increasing their GHG emissions from electricity generation. What will it take to convince high-emitting provinces to integrate renewables?

We need a non-distorted and transparent pricing regime within the energy sector. The playing field is still uneven between renewable energy and fossil fuels. Fossil fuels have support in the form of exploration credits, loan guarantees, and preferential tax and royalty structures. The Pembina Institute recently identified $2 billion in tax subsidies alone to the fossil fuel sector, per year. The public remains unaware of the many subtle and overt subsidies enjoyed by the oil and gas industry. At the same time, production incentives for renewables have been cut. This inequitable situation needs to change.

In energy terms, Canada’s two solitudes could refer to our high GHG emitting provinces and our hydro based provinces. But what all the provinces and regions of this country share is a decent wind resource. Right now there are active discussions about an east-west pipeline to bring Alberta crude oil to Quebec and perhaps the Maritimes. These are province-to-province discussions. My preference would be to have a discussion at the provincial and federal level about an east-west grid. These talks could be a foundation for a national renewable energy strategy. But whether or not you buy into the concept of an east-west grid, the underlying issue is that Canada lacks a coherent energy strategy that would provide transparent pricing within the sector.

Finally, the impetus for change can also come from the ground up, at the local level as that is where the impacts of climate change are felt first. After Hurricane Sandy, many municipalities are doing risk assessments on rising sea levels and the impacts of climate change on their cities and towns, including the city of Victoria. Certainly in BC, First Nations have an important role and voice in the energy debate.

Q. BC is taking advantage of LNG for a lucrative export market. Exploiting this resource has the potential to dramatically increase the province’s GHG emissions. What can be done to mitigate this?  

At a minimum, electrify the processing of LNG at these facilities using clean renewable electricity. All-electric LNG facilities do exist; for instance the Statoil facility in Hammerfest Norway is all electric (it uses two 65 MW Siemens VSDS (variable speed drive systems). There are many advantages to using electric drive beyond the obvious one of GHG avoidance, including improved safety, efficiency and longer equipment life. If we don’t electrify these plants, it means building thermal facilities, higher GHGs, and further delaying a clean energy future.

Port electrification is another area that should be mandatory. We must ensure port operations are electric and all tankers using our inland waters are equipped with shore power to reduce emissions from shipping. In this day and age the burning of bunker fuel by tankers in our waters, or any waters for that matter, should be banned. We have the power to do this. We just need the courage.

Q. While wind energy enjoys high support in public polling, it is not immune from opposition. What steps and actions should be taken by developers to help achieve broad community support?

Location, location, location. Consultation, consultation, consultation. Get the facts out. I wouldn’t be in this business if I didn’t believe in the important role wind energy can play in our future. Properly located, wind energy is a valuable contributor to our energy mix. Improperly located, the damage done impacts the entire industry and good projects suffer. No energy source is without issues and no energy source enjoys universal support. But I think the vast majority of people understand that the benefits of wind and renewable energy outweigh the problems.

Q. BC has tremendous wind energy potential that is envied in North America. British Columbians tend to be highly “environmentally conscience” and support wind and solar in public polling. So why did it take BC so long to get into the wind energy game? And what are the prospects for wind development going forward?  

It is true; BC has been very slow to develop its wind potential. In fact, until 2009, BC had no wind energy at all. I remember the frustration I felt looking at the CanWEA map of installed wind power capacity by province and seeing a big zero over Canada’s 3rd largest province. Things have changed for the better, I believe we are 4th overall now – a distant 4th, mind you, behind Ontario, Quebec and Alberta and just slightly ahead of Nova Scotia.

There are many reasons why BC took so long to get on the wind map, but suffice it to say this province has enjoyed cheap and plentiful clean power, mostly big hydro power, for decades. Until recently BC Hydro was a net exporter of power.

I can safely say that when Sea Breeze started out a decade ago, there was a profound lack of knowledge about wind energy within BC Hydro and within the government. They were suspicious and/or indifferent about wind energy, and focused most of their attention on the perceived high integration costs of wind energy. That attitude has changed mostly because other large utilities embraced wind and avoided the integration issues that BC Hydro was concerned about. But there have only been a few calls for power over the last decade and the amounts have been small. We are not sure what is on the horizon. With new industries like LNG and new mining projects coming online, BC Hydro is now running into a supply crunch problem. At the same time much of BC Hydro’s infrastructure, its large dams and the grid are in need of repair or upgrade. So these are interesting times.

Q. Many people don’t realize how much water is used in the production of traditional energies, while wind energy protects this precious resource. What is another fact about wind that may not be as widely known as it should be? 

It is important that in the last few years the price of wind energy has dropped so significantly. When I first started out in this business, the cost of wind energy was quite high compared to conventional energy. There was a definite premium on the green option and one had to “sell” the environmental benefits, the zero emissions and the long term “no fuel” costs of wind energy. But we can now say that wind energy is cost competitive. Unfortunately the high price perception persists, certainly in BC.  Without another call to offset that perception, this belief will persist.

Q. What is the best part about your job?

Definitely the people I meet – and I have met thousands over the last decade – from politicians, regulators, industry executives, competitors, collaborators, environmentalists, First Nations, school children – you name it. I have had the privilege of speaking to them and more importantly listening to them and their concerns and expectations not only about wind energy and my projects, but energy issues in general.  It is encouraging to me to realize that there are people out there who share my concerns about the environment and sustainability and who are actually doing things to make positive and lasting changes.

•  Interview compiled by Chris Forrest, Vice-President Communications & Public Affairs (CanWEA)

As a supporter of the environment I could not believe that the Ministry of Natural Resources would allow such a travesty against nature.

Like so many others, I remember the annihilation of bald eagles caused by DDT. This chemical caused severe reproduction problems, leaving eagles without offspring for the next generation. And that since the early 1980′s they’ve been on the endangered species list.

But how are they doing today? Turns out, they’re doing much better than anyone expected.

On June 28, 2007 the United States de-listed Bald Eagles as an endangered species in the lower 48 states. It was re-assigned a risk level of “least concern” on the IUCN Red list. Canada followed the American lead in 2009, moving eagles from endangered, to a species of “special concern”. However this new designation only applies to northern and southern Ontario, as the species is not at risk nationally.

The removal from the endangered species list was prompted by much better breeding and mortality rates. During the period from 1990 to 1998 the minimum number of active nests in Ontario rose by 65%, from 719 to 1,193 (Grier et al, 2003). North western Ontario can now boast that the Lake of the Woods area habitat is saturated with Bald Eagles and is at its natural carrying capacity (Grier et al, 2003).

Nest productivity has increased and some standing reproduction records have hit new highs since recording began in 1980. 2011 set new records for highest number of occupied territories, highest number of nesting pairs, and the most successfully fledged young in Ontario.

The Canadian Bird Atlas reads, “The Bald Eagle has experienced a substantially expanded range and increased population since the first atlas was published, with significant increases in the probability of observation in all regions, and an almost fourfold increase across Ontario”.

Things are looking much better for eagles today than 30 years ago. But they can still get better. While doing this research I found there is another threat to the reproductive cycle of Bald Eagles. Ontario’s Bald Eagles are now being held back by contamination from heavy metals, chiefly mercury and lead.

“Long term exposure to mercury can limit the eagles’ reproductive capabilities, alter their behavior, impair their foraging abilities, increase their risk to disease, and even result in death.”

The single largest source of mercury pollution today is through the use of coal for electrical generation. Every year in the United States alone, over 42 tons of mercury is released by coal plants into the atmosphere, contaminating the air we breathe and the water we drink. Fully 42% of mercury emissions in the US come from coal plants. Ontario’s coal plants are no better. Wind energy is helping Ontario to replace dirty coal with clean, emissions-free power.

In hindsight, maybe I shouldn’t have been upset with the wind developer. Maybe I should have said thank you. Not only did they care enough to relocate the nest farther from a potential source of danger, they’ve agreed to install additional artificial nests, and their wind development is helping put an end to coal fired electrical generation. And the end of coal is good for every living creature in Ontario, especially Bald Eagles.

All energy production must be developed in a responsible manner, and wind energy is no different. But when taken in the broader context of measuring impacts to wildlife and humans, wind is a good choice.

Don Lesko

“I know it’s a tired cliche, but we must re-double our efforts for our kids.  Climate change is real.  It’s happening now.”

- Joyce McLean, Toronto Hydro Corporation

Welcome to Faces of Wind – the first in a new series of profiles highlighting individuals who are leading the charge in the renewable energy industry. For our first feature we spoke with Joyce McLean, a veteran of the environmental and energy sectors.

Currently Director of Strategic Issues at Toronto Hydro Corporation, Joyce has a 14-year history with Toronto Hydro.  She has worked tirelessly and with the utmost integrity for almost 30 years in the environmental and energy fields as a policy and communications professional.

Here Joyce shares her thoughts and reflections on wind energy’s past, present and future.

Q. This December the Ex Turbine will celebrate its 10th Anniversary. Billed as North America’s first urban wind turbine, it is viewed by millions of people every month. As one of the pioneers who helped make this dream a reality, what are you most proud of when you pass by the Ex Turbine?

I’m very proud that Toronto Hydro and WindShare were able to form a co-operative partnership to complete a project no one else had done anywhere in Canada before this.  The unique relationship between the City of Toronto’s electric utility and a community-based renewable energy co-operative set a precedent and provided momentum for a community power movement in this country.  We didn’t understand the approval and policy path we had to follow when we began but a committed group of strong-willed people along with some fabulous political support resulted in what some call the most visible wind turbine in Canada.  Now when I drive by 10 years later and see it spinning it makes me extremely proud that we were able to accomplish an early win for the wind sector in Ontario.

Q. Ontario stepped forward in 2009 as a North American leader in clean energy with its Green Energy Act. This also brought renewable energy from the margins to centre stage in terms of the public discourse. How will the past three years influence the future of renewables in Ontario?

Renewable energy is rapidly becoming part of the mainstream energy supply in Ontario.  The agencies that govern the electricity business in Ontario are becoming more familiar with the characteristics of renewable energy on both the transmission and distribution grids and are able to balance the power needs with the intermittency of these sources.  As other jurisdictions adjust their policies to embrace even more renewable energy, so too will Ontario.  Renewable energy delivers good quality jobs, community benefits, emissions-free electricity and a way to combat anticipated climate change impacts in Ontario and across Canada all at a very reasonable price.  Wind energy is now price-competitive with other forms of new generation.

Q. Canada does not have a national energy strategy and there has been endless debate about pricing carbon. How can the wind industry best position itself as a win-win for governments who also want to take advantage of natural gas and oil developments?

The wind industry is uniquely positioned to assist with electricity supply plans that take into account their carbon footprint.  Wind doesn’t produce emissions, use water, or generate waste – in short it’s a clean air technology.  As this national debate continues to evolve, carbon credit schemes with an embedded declining cap may well afford wind its rightful place in the national climate change debate – it is a stable element in a long term reliable electricity system.  As much of the utility world in Canada will need to retool given aging infrastructure in the coming years, and as the existing labour pool retires, the new components of installed infrastructure will take into account two-way power needs as our society demands it (electric vehicles, smart meters etc.);  these changes will also be driven in part by younger people, stepping into decision making roles in electricity companies across the country, many of whom no doubt critical of our national lacklustre positioning on climate change.

Q. Those opposed to wind energy development may be in the minority, but they have created a lot of noise and spread a lot of misinformation. You personally have been at the front of this debate and experienced hostilities at public events. How did this affect you? Did it change your views?

I acted as the policy and communications advocate for Toronto Hydro’s offshore wind farm proposal in Lake Ontario during the 5+ years that we worked on this responsible initiative to provide green electricity to the city of Toronto and help reduce local greenhouse gases.  There was indeed a small, very vocal group of anti-wind citizens who made it very difficult on a personal level.  The attacks became increasingly focussed on me and my two colleagues rather than on the ideas behind the proposal. It was frankly very disheartening.  Our personal integrity was questioned and I was called a liar publicly.  It was hard to take.  When I look back now I see that they won the first round – offshore wind is under a ban in Ontario at the moment.  My perspective is that we were just ahead of our time.  There is no doubt in my mind that offshore wind in Canada will gain acceptance as we continue to grow our southern Canadian urban centres along the Great Lakes/St Lawrence basin – an area ripe for offshore wind developments.  The economic opportunities created by offshore and onshore wind developments are now starting to be realized by our neighbours in the US Great Lakes states as many policy makers believe that wind jobs can replace those in the former auto sector which suffered a serious downturn during the recession.  US projects are moving ahead.  Ontario, which went from being a leader in this area to a dead stop, will eventually catch up.

Q.   Energy has always been a political issue, but it seems to becoming more and more of a win-loss, right-vs.-left equation both here and in other countries. How did we get here? How do we move forward?

The politicization of energy and electricity in particular is baffling to me.  Everyone in the political and public realm recognizes that electricity underpins how our society functions.  There are a whole lot of very smart people who run our system and produce electricity, yet it’s been used as a public policy tool for as long as most of us can remember.  Think back to Adam Beck, the founder of public power – he certainly recognized it as a public policy tool but somehow his intentions were clearer than what we all observe today, across the political spectrum.  One of the reasons I contend this has become the case, is that the average person does not understand how the system works and is not engaged in any meaningful discussion except to say no to new generation or rate increases, and to yell very loudly when their lights aren’t working.  Otherwise they truly don’t seem to care.  The only way I see that changing is with unbiased education materials coming from the government, and our children being taught about the electricity system in school.  It can be a very interesting subject!

Q. Wind energy enjoys very high general public support as a form of electricity generation, yet in some communities has faced the same sort of organized opposition that gas plants have faced. What has the industry learned from this?

Many early wind advocates were true believers, passionate about wind power who found themselves deeply shocked when their wind vision was rejected by neighbours and community leaders.  Counting myself among those, we saw it and see it as a moral decision and the right technology to support.  Clearly others see it differently.  I hope the industry has learned that we can’t explain, communicate, advocate, educate and listen enough on this topic.  Given people’s general lack of knowledge about the electricity system overall, it’s no surprise that many are rejecting a new technology.  Remember that while you may heard the same concerns a hundred times, a lot of citizens have never encountered wind energy and have sincere questions about what it does or doesn’t do.  Patience will reward those who deliberately help people through their questions and concerns.

Q. You were Chair of the CanWEA Board for two terms during a period of significant change and growth within the industry. What are you most proud of when you look back on your contribution?

My tenure as Chair of CanWEA was during a time of immense growth in the sector across Canada.  I’m proud to have helped professionalize the association by instituting a fair compensation package for staff, and adding structure to the administration of CanWEA.  In addition, I pushed hard for target setting (result was CanWEA’s WindVision 2025 document – CanWEA believes wind energy can satisfy 20 percent of Canada’s electricity demand by 2025), for snappy, eye-catching communications materials that members could use regardless of locale in the country and developing a sense of the benefits of membership in CanWEA.  When I first joined the board, our annual conference was in Pincher Creek, Alberta with about 400 attendees.  The 2012 conference attracted 2000 delegates. That growth has been very gratifying to me as I witness new wind projects move forward in every jurisdiction in Canada.

Q. A new report from the Global Wind Energy Council and Greenpeace suggests that wind power could provide as much as 11.7 to 12.6 percent of the world’s electric needs, resulting in CO2 emission reductions of almost 1.7 billion tons. Look into your crystal ball. Where do you see wind energy five years from now in Canada? Ten years?

This is all about politics and public will.  Until we actually start comparing the true costs of electricity supply, technology by technology, our electricity system is going to remain with the same basic makeup we’re in now.  We know that wind can compete favourably against every other type of electricity generation today, yet governments and utilities are still choosing polluting sources of supply over clean technologies such as hydro-power, wind and solar.  Kick-starting the idea of Friends of Wind and letting advocates and neighbours move this agenda forward will continue to be a critical step in gaining the hearts and minds of decision-makers in all jurisdictions. I know it’s a tired cliche, but we must re-double our efforts for our kids.  Climate change is real.  It’s happening now.  Extreme weather events are occurring in every corner of Canada.  Wind energy is not the only solution to this problem obviously, but it’s a responsible step – along with conservation, efficiency, green buildings, standard setting and other renewable supply - that our system planners and funders must take, if we’re to hold our heads high as Canadians again and be proud of our environmental legacy. I hope I see this is my lifetime.

• Interview compiled by Chris Forrest, Vice-President Communications & Public Affairs (CanWEA)

Through that effort, Warburg began to wonder how and where the United States could make wind energy happen. He set out to explore that question in 2009, travelling through America’s Heartland and to leading wind energy jurisdictions like Denmark and China. The result is Harvest the Wind: America’s Journey to Jobs, Energy Independence, and Climate Stability (Beacon Press, 2012).

Warburg’s work on energy issues dates back to the summer of 1973, when he led one of the US’s first challenges to nuclear power in Plymouth, Massachusetts. He was president of the Conservation Law Foundation from 2003 to 2009. Previously, he directed the Israel Union for Environmental Defense in Tel Aviv and was an attorney at the Environmental Law Institute in Washington, DC.

WindSight spoke with Warburg to find out more about Harvest the Wind, the people he met through more than 160 interviews and site visits, and the role wind power can play in a more sustainable energy future.

What inspired you to write the book?

I’ve always felt that renewable energy offers enormous promise. We in North America are both blessed and cursed by hugely abundant fossil and nuclear fuel reserves that are not necessarily the resources we should be tapping. They make us very complacent about pursuing a more sustainable energy future. My reason for writing the book was really to explore just how significant wind power could be in shifting us off conventional fuels.

When we look at some European societies, we see that they have learned over time to live within certain limits. Denmark is a great example of an affluent society that has been at the forefront of introducing wind power. Its Commission on Climate Change Policy has come out with a recommendation, which the government adopted, that the country become 100 per cent independent of fossil fuels by 2050. It anticipates that this will be achieved while doubling Denmark’s GDP, and that wind power will provide about 80 per cent of the country’s power by mid-century.

That kind of vision is what we need. Because we live in a society where there has always been the endless frontier, where there’s always been that next horizon to conquer in terms of resource extraction, we don’t really think about how we can live within limits while maintaining a high standard of living.  I think that’s a connection that North Americans need to make, that responsible and sustainable development does not require penalizing ourselves, but rather requires our adopting and furthering the right technologies.

How did you approach the project?

I wanted to write the book from the ground up. I wanted to tell the stories of people whose lives have been affected by wind power, everyone from farmers and ranchers who are hosting wind turbines on their properties to construction crews and factory line workers. I wanted to get a sense of how the people who are most directly affected by the introduction of wind energy regard the technology and what it is bringing to their families and their communities.

What I found really exciting and encouraging was just how animated many of the people who are involved in building wind farms are about the work they are doing. They really take pride in the fact that they are introducing a transformative technology. And as important as the number of jobs created by the wind industry is where those jobs are located. Many are in rural communities that have, for a very long time, seen nothing but a job drain as their farms have become more industrialized and work in the traditional agricultural sector has dried up. And it’s not just the jobs linked to building and operating wind farms; it’s factory jobs too. For all of the rhetoric we’re hearing from Mitt Romney about Barack Obama outsourcing  renewable energy jobs to Asia, the reality is the opposite. We have seen the domestic content of turbines built in the United States rise from about 35 per cent a half dozen years ago to 60 per cent today.

What did you find most interesting about the people and the areas that have embraced wind energy?

What impressed me most  was the pragmatic approach that many people take toward wind power. In places like Cloud County, Kansas, where I started my research, I found a very different attitude about the visual presence of wind turbines on the horizon than I’d encountered in New England with Cape Wind and various onshore projects. I found that people see themselves as part of a working landscape where wind turbines are an enhancement, not an unwelcome intrusion.

One of the things I find most compelling about wind power is its ability to help us curb our greenhouse gas emissions. But I found that issue doesn’t play very prominently in many of the communities where wind farms have sprouted up. That may change as we look at the devastating impacts of this summer’s drought and various other weather extremes that are happening with greater and greater frequency, but by and large, when people talk about the benefits of wind power, they talk about the most immediate benefit to their own farm budget or their own communities. They also talk about energy independence and how important it is to wean ourselves off foreign oil.

What do you think is behind opposition to wind energy? What is the solution?

There are legitimate concerns about the impacts of wind farms on vulnerable bird and bat populations, and about the noise generated by turbines. Those are very real issues that have to be addressed responsibly through careful planning and protective measures. But I think the visual concerns about wind turbines represent an outmoded perspective on where we should be placing our values. We have to develop a 21st century aesthetic that “sees” the very positive contributions that wind power can make to our economic and environmental sustainability. Most of us never see the mountains in the Appalachians where entire ecosystems have been ravaged by mountaintop-removal coal mining. Few of us see the open pit mines in Wyoming and elsewhere that create similar devastation to landscape ecology, and we generally don’t see the endless streams of train cars rolling out of mines and delivering coal to plants located hundreds and hundreds of miles way. I think we have to broaden our vision about the true consequences of the technologies that we’re depending upon and learn to embrace a viewshed that signals sustainability and greater care for our environment.

What did you discover about the ability of wind to meet our electricity needs and what is needed to move wind energy forward to meet that potential?

In a study released in June, the US National Renewable Energy Laboratory has estimated that we could be getting 80 per cent of our total electricity generation from renewable technologies by 2050. According to this report, wind and photovoltaics alone could be supplying 50 per cent of our power using technology that is commercially available today. Wind power really has become mainstream. It is no longer some kind of marginal, boutique technology.  It is quickly becoming a very significant contributor to our power supply. I think we have to regard it as such and recognize the enormous economic and environmental gains that it can provide.

What are the key messages you’d like readers to take away from your book?

I want readers to see that wind energy is an inclusive technology that invites broad participation by multiple communities, and that it is a profoundly transformative technology that will bring enormous benefits not just to the local communities that host wind farms, but to our society as a whole.

You can find out more about Philip Warburg and Harvest the Wind by visiting his web site, http://philipwarburg.com.

This December Quebec will shut down its only nuclear reactor, Gentilly-2.  This should give Ontarians pause for thought.  As Quebec shutters Gentilly-2, Ontario is looking to spend billions to resuscitate the aging Darlington nuclear station.  Like our provincial neighbour and other countries, we should divert those billions into renewable, cleaner and healthier energy sources.

There are many valid reasons for phasing out nuclear power – it is expensive (every nuclear project has gone massively over budget and undergone significant delays), environmentally destructive (from radioactive tailings ponds from uranium mining at Elliott Lake to radioactive contamination of Port Hope to pollution of Lake Ontario) and so far has created over 40,000 tons of highly radioactive toxic waste that we’ll need to manage for a million years.

But health risks of the nuclear industry go very much under the radar of governments, policy-makers, and the public. The Ontario government has marketed nuclear energy as “clean” and the answer to climate change, falling for the nuclear industry’s promotional literature which tactfully glosses over health concerns. As physicians, it is our duty to serve our communities by treating our patients and by advocating for illness prevention. For these reasons, we have taken the time to understand the implications of nuclear energy from a health perspective.  We see nuclear power as a serious threat to public health.

Each stage of nuclear power generation, from uranium mining, refining and day-to-day activity of nuclear reactors, releases small amounts of radioactivity into the environment on an ongoing basis. The nuclear industry claims that these releases are too small to cause any health concerns, but research indicates otherwise.

Since the early 1980s, numerous studies done in North America and Europe on the health impacts of nuclear plants have shown an elevated risk of a number of illnesses in nearby populations, particularly childhood leukemia. In 2008 a well-designed study done by the German government showed that children under 5 years old living within a 5 km radius of all 16 of the country’s nuclear plants had an elevated risk of developing leukemia.  A similar French study showed children under 15 years old living within 5 km of all 19 of France’s reactors had an elevated risk of leukemia.

These studies demonstrate that even during routine reactor operation, nearby populations are exposed to unsafe levels of radiation that are causing serious illnesses.

What does this mean for Canada?   It seems government authorities don’t want to know. There is not a single large scale case-control study looking at health effects of low level radioactive emissions from Canada’s nuclear reactors. So would Canadian children be less at risk than children in Germany and France?   Without the appropriate studies, it is reasonable to assume that our reactors are causing illness in Canada.

This is a significant concern.  Unlike other countries who build their reactors in rural areas, Ontario’s reactors are located in the most populous region of the country – Toronto.  Over four hundred and fifty thousand people live within 20 km of the Darlington nuclear station and over one million around Pickering.

And then there’s the Fukushima disaster.  While Canadian reactor operators assure us the risk of an accident is insignificant, the world is witnessing a major nuclear accident about once a decade somewhere in the world.  Given the massive impact that such an accident would have on our economy, environment and human health, this is no insignificant risk.

The potential enormity of a Fukushima-like accident makes it crucial that we explore and develop alternatives to spending billions to rebuild the Darlington reactors. This is what other countries are doing.  Since Fukushima, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland and Japan have all decided to phase out nuclear power and invest massively in green energy.  These countries are eliminating the risk of nuclear accident, protecting human health, and building a modern energy system.

Meanwhile in Ontario, the government has refused to even consider alternatives to Darlington nuclear station.  This is a mistake.

As physicians, it is our duty to advocate preventive medicine to protect human health. In this case, preventive medicine starts with following Quebec’s lead, closing Darlington and developing clean energy alternatives.

Dr. Cathy Vakil is a family doctor in Kingston Ontario, and an assistant professor in the Department of Family Medicine at Queen’s University. She is an active board member of Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment and of Physicians for Global Survival.

Dr. Éric Notebaert is an adjunct professor at the School of Medicine, University of Montréal. He is a Science Ambassador for the David Suzuki Foundation and serves on the board of the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment.

Help doctors protect the planet – donate now at www.cape.ca

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Ernestown Wind Park is a small, 10 megawatt, low-impact wind park proposed for rural Loyalist Township, in Southeastern Ontario. Known as ‘The Right Sized Wind Park, in the Right Place’, the Project won this year’s competition for ‘addressing the unique needs and challenges of rural communities in achieving sustainable energy goals, and demonstrating the effective use and balance of natural resources in the pursuit of sustainable energy goals.’

Janet Gutowski, Warden, County of Frontenac, said of the company’s community engagement program, “Ernestown Wind Park has taken a positive approach to local engagement. They are commended for following a positive and proactive approach to community engagement at a time when many developers are at odds with the communities asked to host their projects.” Warden Gutowski further praised the company for their investment in, ‘local consultation and stakeholder engagement by contracting staff to work within the community, engaging residents, and listening to concerns, and for promoting, ‘ long-term, low-impact energy that will complement Ontario’s goals of clean and sustainable electricity generation, while impacting economic growth in the rural community.’

Ernestown Windpark is committed to the ongoing development of strong relationships with the Municipality and residents of Loyalist Township, through door-to-door engagement, community event outreach and support, information sessions on wind matters of interest to the Project’s neighbours, coffee meetings, frequent newsletters, a well-water watch program, and continuing engagement of local and area businesses and companies.

Executive Director of SWITCH, Tyson Champagne, said of the company, “Ernestown Wind Park has provided an example of a truly sustainable clean energy solution by working with community members to develop a project that addresses the needs of all stakeholders.”

To learn more about the proposed Ernestown Wind Park and its community engagement program, please go to ernestownwind.com.

For more information link to Ernestown: http://www.ernestownwind.com/community/2012-switch-rural-initiatives-award

Show your support for wind energy and Friends of Wind by purchasing a calendar at:

www.windcalendar.ca

The Friends of Wind program, supported by wind energy industry leaders, gives interested individuals the chance to “join the conversation” about our energy future. It offers a variety of tools Friends of Wind can use to show their support for wind energy and the government programs that provide a positive climate for growth in the sector.

In the last few weeks, Ben Lansink released two documents on the Wind Concerns Ontario and Ontario Wind Resistance websites.  Mr. Lansink is an accredited appraiser and declares that his documents have been published without prejudice and that they are fair, impartial analyses. 

Other than his accreditation, nothing could be further from the truth.

We’ll expose his bias in three sections:

1. Motivation
2. Data manipulation
3. Omission of Press influence

1. Lansink’s motivation

Mr. Lansink’s firm specializes in creating evidence for law suits involving perceived losses in property value.  It’s called “diminution”.  It’s typically used in expropriation cases, where the appellant is attempting to increase the payment for their property.

According to his website, “Ben specializes in Diminution in Value analyses and the resulting Injurious Affection. His assignments include proximity to airports, hydro power transmission corridors, land fill sites, wind turbines, roads and road works, as well as contaminated land and buildings including urea formaldehyde foam insulation“.

So, a logical question might be, “Why would Mr. Lansink choose to perform all this research and then initially publish it on the Ontario Wind Resistance and Wind Concerns Ontario websites?” An impartial expert with solid balanced arguments might have considered developing more traction by using either the mainstream press or reputable academic journals or magazines to present his case.

The answer to this question may come from the relationship between Mr. Lansink and Eric Gillespie, and Mr. Gillespie’s relationship with wind opponents.  Eric Gillespie is the lawyer who has acted for a host of wind opponents and is closely associated with Wind Concerns Ontario (WCO). There have been a number of lawsuits launched recently by Mr. Gillespie against wind developers and their hosting landowners; all of which include property devaluation as part of the argument (e.g. Wiggins v. Fairview, Norfolk Wind Concerns v. UDI Renewables, Parent v. River Canard Energy).

Eric Gillespie and Ben Lansink appear to have assisted a common client in the past (Red Hill Valley Neighbourhood Association) and Mr. Gillespie refers to Lansink’s work in a letter to Canada’s Attorney General.

In addition, at least one source has described Mr. Lansink’s presentation to an anti-wind group in which he confirmed his association with Mr. Gillespie.

Given this information it is reasonable to assume that Mr. Lansink’s report is intended to support Mr. Gillespie’s initiatives in the courts and wind opponents’ public position. Whether they are “fair and impartial” is another question that may only be answered in the courts

2. Lansink’s manipulation of data

Mr. Lansink appears to be selective with the limited data he uses in his case studies and presents, as a basis for his conclusions, information from a few isolated home sales.   This would be in contrast with following the most basic notions of random sampling or full transactional analysis from which solid impartial experts typically derive their conclusions.

In Melancthon, for example, he chooses five properties that were bought by a developer (Canadian Hydro Developers – CHD) and then sold after the project was completed. He cloaks those situations as a classic buy-resell case study and attempts to create a valuation based on the following methodology:

1. Assume that the purchase price was at fair market value.  In truth, CHD purchased all properties at over 50% premium to market values – as represented by MPAC assessment data   (Table 1).

Table 1 Sales price vs. assessment value for Lansink’s Melancthon properties (1stsale)

Source: Lansink, MPAC

2. Assign a price escalator from “comparable” markets – in this case the greater Dufferin area.  However, the greater Dufferin area includes Orangeville, a market that’s been on fire as a sleeper for Toronto, as well as Amaranth, a sleeper for Orangeville.  As a result, Lansink’s    calculation of the increase of value due to the passage of time may be aggressive.

3. Assume that the properties were also sold at fair market value.  In aggregate, this may be close to the truth.  CHD had used a number of the properties for their project staff for a couple of years, lowering their cost of housing staff and construction workers, versus hotel, motel and travel alternatives. Once the project was fully commissioned the operator had little on-going use for the properties and sold them.

In three cases, the properties either sold at their asking price or close to their assessed value (Table 2).

Table 2 Sales prices vs. assessment value for Lansink’s Melancthon properties (2ndsale)

Source: Lansink, MPAC

* Assessment data not available for 2009

Two properties were likely sold below market value because of their uniquely heightened association with wind turbines.  Wind opponents who used these transactions to create a firestorm of media coverage that detailed their perceived health problems dramatically highlighted that association.  A search of the seller’s name + wind on the Internet yields over 500 citations.  One is actually used in the Lansink document.  Obviously, wind opponents’ actions devalued these properties by their unsupported statements.  Selling that house after such a mauling in the press would be like selling a haunted house.

In contrast, a search of the successful buyers’ names yields no mentions of any such complaints.

One case study “analysis” is highly suspect.  The original landowner was holding up an OMB hearing that was ruling on CHD’s project.  In the hearing, CHD had made adjustments to the project in accord with the concerns of the municipalities and other landowners.  For this particular landowner CHD agreed to purchase his property (OMB PL0605653 Minutes of Settlement).  The residence condition was deemed uninhabitable and was subsequently demolished.  This fact was omitted in Lansink’s appraisal.  He compares the above market price of the property when originally purchased with the market value price of the raw land when it was subsequently sold.

Of course, there remains the question about the hundred or so other transactions that occurred in the area in that time frame.  Those transactions were conventional single buyer-seller transactions, much like those included in the following analysis, but they were excluded for some reason.   A subsequent blog will explore these transactions in more detail.

So, in summary, the prices paid by CHD for these properties were sufficiently over-market to negate all the claims of devaluation stated by Lansink, and the sample used so small and selective that the conclusions drawn were clearly biased and wrong.

In Clear Creek, Mr. Lansink chooses seven properties that were sold in the area of a project.  In contrast with his previous methodology described above, only two were buy-sell situations.  A number of obvious questions arise:

1. Were these the only properties sold? Were other properties, at similar distances from turbines, sold in the area (e.g. Jacksonburg, Houghton Centre, Hemlock)?
2. Is the residential price index for the broader county relevant to this group of properties?
3. Did wind opponents pollute their property values through their hysterical reactions to the media?

If these properties are truly indicative of the nature of sales in the micro-area, then there may be evidence of diminution.  However, this is another area that was ground zero for health effect claims.  A group called “Norfolk Victims of Industrial Wind Turbines” had extensive press coverage.  A search for the leader of the group (“stephana johnston”+wind) yields over 800 citations.  As one commentator noted, “ Also, Stephana Johnston, 81 has now guaranteed no one will buy her house as she’s publicly stated that the turbines make it impossible [for her] to sleep there.”

We are analyzing the Clear Creek transactions and will publish more conclusions in a further post.

3. The influence of media’s amplification of wind opponent hysteria

A number of independent appraisals were performed in the early to middle stages of wind turbine development in Ontario, for example:

• Stantec for Canadian Hydro Developers [Melancthon], 2006
• Blake, Matlock & Marshal for Windrush Energy [Melancthon, East Luther], 2006
• S. Rayner for Canadian Hydro Developers [Wolfe Island], 2007
• University of Guelph Master of Science Thesis [Melancthon], 2009
• Canning & Simmons for CanWEA [Chatham Kent], 2010
• Assessment Review Board ruling on Kenney property [Wolfe Island], 2012

Outside of Ontario, a 2009 landmark study by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory found that “Home sales prices are very sensitive to the overall quality of the scenic vista from a property, but a view of a wind energy facility does not demonstrably impact sales prices”.

All of these studies found no significant reduction in property values before and after the project was constructed.

However, as wind projects were proposed for cottage areas such as Prince Edward County, the Huron coastline and Grey Highlands, opposition began to grow using bogus logic, and biased media intensity increased.  The umbrella organization Wind Concerns Ontario (WCO) represented most, if not all, of the wind action groups (WAG’s).   WCO had sophisticated members and access to professionals (e.g. PR, medical, legal, engineering, etc.) whose cottages, in many cases, were located near these developments.  Within a few months they had developed a very sophisticated and effective PR campaign.  However, in our opinion, these professionals took license with their credentials by not disclosing their cottage locations and by posting opinions that were frequently outside their training.

As an illustration, a search in Google Trends for Ontario reveals a strong and sustained campaign from early 2009 to the present.

Figure 1: Google Trends search for the term “wind concerns Ontario”

Source: Google Trends

Since these WAG’s had no evidence that was specific to projects planned near them, they shone a bright light on existing projects.  Anyone with a complaint was sure to be introduced to newspapers, television and radio; and invited to speak at scores of anti-wind lectures throughout Ontario.  As noted earlier, some of those press mentions added up in the hundreds.  Many of them, and their previously unknown small community names (e.g. Melancthon, Ripley, Clear Creek, etc.) became well known.  It is conceivable that this type of media coverage placed downward pressure on property values in a few places.  In contrast, other projects built in the same time frame, such as Chatham Kent and Prince garnered relatively few complaints and little press coverage.

In subsequent legal challenges and Environmental Review Tribunal (ERT) decisions (almost totally represented by Eric Gillespie), not a single case has substantiated any of the claims of adverse health effects.  In fact, health claims seem to have been removed from recent ERT’s by the appellants.  Importantly, in cases where residences were sold on the market or purchased by developers and then re-sold, there has always been a willing buyer and no media mentions of complaints of adverse health effects.  Lansink suggests that those buyers have been legally gagged, but no one is able to sign away their rights of redress under common law.  If they were provably suffering, they would still have some form of recourse.

* * *

In summary, Lansink’s analysis appears to be significantly biased. While he may turn up some isolated examples of property devaluation, Lansink has failed to show that wind turbines have widespread negative impact on property values.  Moreover, there is plenty of evidence to demonstrate that those suffering from psychogenic symptoms (I.e. those that originate in the mind) may have inadvertently been the root cause of their loss.  They certainly had lots of help from hundreds of activists who used these people, described as “victims”, to keep proposed projects from their back yard.  And, some of the media, sensing a good conflict, fanned the flames.

5 décembre 2056. Assise dans mon salon, je me détends en un après-midi nuageux, une tasse de thé entre les mains. Mon regard croise un geai bleu de l’autre côté de ma fenêtre. La chaleur est palpable, malléable même.

Je m’enligne aussitôt vers l’interrupteur en face de moi afin d’insuffler un tant soit peu d’air frais dans cette pièce suffocante. Et puis, je me souviens : le gouvernement a prohibé, depuis presqu’un an, l’utilisation du système climatiseur entre 9h et 15h les jours de semaine. Cela est justifiable lorsqu’on s’aperçoit de la lourdeur de l’air due à l’émission de gaz à effet de serre et de la permanente chaleur suffocante causée par la détérioration massive de la couche atmosphérique. Conclusion : plus le droit d’user du système climatiseur. Déception. Difficile de se défaire d’une habitude vieille de 50 ans. Pourtant, il me semble qu’il n’y a pas si longtemps, nous avions bien d’autres possibilités. Je cherche dans ma vieille mémoire défaillante et me rappelle : de gigantesques colonnes blanches grondant le ciel, et tout au sommet, de grandes ailes bravant chacune des rafales de vents, les défiant même de souffler davantage. Les grands parcs éoliens. Une énergie si pure et saine. Je me rappelle alors ce que les visionnaires d’antan avançaient: ils parlaient d’une énergie entièrement renouvelable et non dommageable pour l’atmosphère. Si on les avait davantage écoutés, depuis longtemps l’économie rurale aurait pris son essor, le prix de l’électricité aurait diminué à un coût dérisoire (ce qui aurait contribué au développement économique national), nous aurions un attrait touristique de plus à offrir aux communautés locales, des revenus supplémentaires de location seraient attribués aux agriculteurs louant leurs terres, et finalement, nous disposerons d’une énergie plus fiable et hautement efficiente. Définitivement, l’énergie éolienne est ce qu’il y avait de plus réconfortant au pays, 44 ans auparavant.

Leïla Côté

Instead of writing, however, I thought it might be more fun to rap about wind power. Can’t say that’s something that’s been done before… And I thought I’d give it a try. So, lay down a beat in your head and rap along:

Wind power, the new up-and-come-r

We be celebratin’ G’ Wind Day, ev’ry summa

June 15^th is the day that we dedicate

To support wind power and participate

Tell ma man Harper wind power’s tha way

It’s clean, it’s green, now hear me say:

People be trippin’, thinkin’ it harms their health

When really this energy helps spreads the wealth

Price stability is what you’ll find

When you check out the plants and wind turbines

With gas and coal,

The dollars go and go

We can’t spend no mo’

To make that power flow

Mother Earth is in need of assistance

Should be worried about her state of existence

We need green energy to be our number one choice

Those for wind energy, raise your voice

There’s this major problem called GHG

Let’s make greenhouse gas history

Wind energy reduces these emissions

Helping Canada with our planet-saving mission

People, people, can’t you see?

This energy’s the future for you and me

Reliable, afforable, not to mention green

Wind is number one, in every mean

Whether you wanna save the Earth, or save some coin

Supportin’ wind, together we join!

Thanks for reading!

Madison McDonald

Madison is studying Social Sciences at McMaster University, where she hopes to major in Political Science. Madison hopes to continue being an advocate for social justice during her time at McMaster.

Imagine salty ocean spray flying through the air, warm chinooks cresting over the rocky mountains, golden wheat fields rustling in the breeze, and gusts of wind whipping deep within the forests.

These are the things I think of when I imagine wind energy, a source of power which is around us at all times, invisible but omnipresent. We Canadians have the unique opportunity of a vast country with nearly endless land, stretching from sea to sea to sea. Wind is what connects us across this great land.

We have this abundant force all around us, yet we choose not to harvest it. Fossil fuels and coal still account for the vast majority of our energy creation, despite the toll they take on our environment. Wind is hope for the future, a clean source of energy we can rely on to stay with us and keep us healthy.

Wind power means so many things to me. It means harvesting a resource we already have without draining our environment. It means innovation, moving forward to a better tomorrow thanks to human ingenuity. It means creating jobs, in Canada, that people can feel good about. Most importantly, it means making a commitment to our grandchildren, to our great-great-grandchildren, that they matter to us.

This is what wind power means to me, and why it’s important. We have a beautiful and abundant resource which is ours for the harvest. We simply have to act; we must get involved and promote wind energy, innovation, and our future.

In the words of Dr. Seuss’ Lorax, “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” So go out and show how much you care. We have the power to improve the world. That’s the power of wind.

Gabrielle Lamoureux

Wind, or more specifically, air, surrounds us; envelops us; powers us. Not just us, but all living things and the Earth itself. You cannot see it, but it is the life force of us and of our planet, nurturing both creation and change. Wind has been used as a tool for millennia D from sailboats in 3000BC and grain mills in 100 AD to wind turbines in more recent years.

After visiting Maui last year, I still remember the feeling that came over me when I first saw the enormous wind turbines riding the crest of the West Maui Mountains. Some say they are ugly – an eyesore against a beautiful landscape – but I thought they were amazing. Let us not think of them as an eyesore, but as a symbol; a symbol of beauty, progress and responsibility. Tall, powerful, and majestic, their bright white arms reached out towards the endless sky as if giving thanks to the Sun for creating the winds that powered them. Slowly, each blade sliced through the air, creating a low pitched whooshing sound that both soothed and calmed me. As I lay there watching them, I was mesmerized.

Captivated by the feelings of awe and humility they instilled in me, I couldn’t help but wonder why they are not seen more frequently.

Energy production is one of the principle causes of global warming and climate change D one of the many great challenges we face today. Clean and renewable energy sources are in dire need if we are to curb our harmful ways before it is too late. Let us join together, as both Canadians and humans united, and embrace the power of wind to keep our planet clean and healthy. Please visit www.canwea.ca to learn about wind energy and how you can help make a difference.

Chris Brenner

Through the struggle to find an environmentally friendly source of power, wind energy has proven to be a major benefit to the environment as well as the economy. It is the answer to the many problems that we, as a nation, face in terms of energy. Instead of using non-renewable resources that are dwindling out of supply, why not use a resource that is readily available and renewable? Wind is exactly that. It is always present in any part of the world, effective and reliable.

I personally would like to live in a world in which people do not need to worry about smog alerts and the looming issue of global warming. Who wants to see their children grown up in a world where breathing in the air alone may cause health problems? We must take the first step in preserving the world we live in so that the future generations may follow us in cultivating the earth. Wind energy will be that step that we need to take. It provides energy without the side effects of harmful emissions such as toxic waterborne wastes and air pollution. Although many may know of the environmental benefits of wind energy there is also an economical benefit.

With the escalating prices of non- renewable resources, such as fossil fuel, wind energy will provide a stable cost due to the quantity of wind. It is infinite and will never run out. It provides stability and overall prosperity for our nation. Furthermore, it creates many job opportunities. As our country is recovering from the recession, wind energy may be the bright light at the end of the tunnel for most.

To me, wind power is not just an energy source; it is the start of a brighter and more hopeful future.

Gillian Ramos

Turbines and blades: The promise of wind energy
By Melanie Moller
September 25 2012.

In an era with an increasing demand for cheaper, more energy sources, the answer for Canada could be, as Bob Dylan so eloquently puts it, blowing in the wind.

Wind energy is harnessed by large windmill-like turbines before it’s converted into electrical energy, and there is no shortage of it in Canada.

“Canada has considerable wind resource that remains largely untapped,” said Metin Yaras, Carleton mechanical and aerospace engineering professor via email.

We currently get less than 2.5 per cent of our electricity through wind energy, but Yaras said in the next 10 or 20 years wind energy could potentially meet as much as a quarter of Canada’s energy needs.

The Canadian Wind Energy Association (CanWEA) is a non-profit trade association that promotes the use and development of wind energy in Canada. Their goal is to provide 20 per cent of Canada’s electricity needs by 2025, and they said they are on track to meet this goal.

“In 2011 we actually had a record year of wind energy installed capacity,” CanWEA communications officer Lejla Latifovic said.

Installed capacity is the maximum amount of electricity a turbine can produce in a given time. According to CanWEA statistics, Canada has 3,204 wind turbines capable of producing 5,511 megawatts of energy — enough to power 1.2 million homes.

Canada’s wind energy sector has grown exponentially in the last decade, with turbines in each of the provinces and in the Yukon, Latifovic said. We now place ninth in the world in potential megawatt production in 2011, Latifovic said.

It is also one of the fastest-growing major sources of electricity around the world, she said, with more than 150,000 turbines in 89 countries.

To get to the next step in making wind energy a viable option for the future, Canada needs to be a more aggressive competitor for international wind energy investment. Both Latifovic and Yaras said that would require some changes to wind energy-related policy at both the provincial and federal level.

CanWEA has created a “WindVision 2025″ that calls upon both levels of government for wind power infrastructure, manufacturer incentives, and streamlining the approval process for wind energy projects.

“We’re definitely on pace to meet our target,” Latifovic said, which would bring significant economic benefit and environmental benefits.

A greater dependence on wind energy would result in the creation of 50,000 jobs, more stable electricity prices, and $79 billion of investment in Canadian wind energy, CanWEA’s website said.

The turbines, which produce no greenhouse gases or toxic waste, will also contribute to a 17- megatonne cut in carbon emissions in Canada, providing what Latifovic calls an important part of a balanced energy diet.

“We need diversity of supplies in our energy mix,” she said.

“And we think wind energy is a key partner in building a stronger, cleaner, and more affordable energy store for all Canadians.”

This engaging breakfast will feature wind energy success stories from across Canada. Hear directly from community leaders from different regions of the country as they share how wind energy has changed their community and their life for the better. Then, head onto the exhibition floor to learn more about wind energy from industry experts and wind enthusiasts

Date and Time:

Wednesday October 17, 2012 in Toronto, Ontario

7:30am to 8:00am – Registration
8:00am to 9:45am – Breakfast
9:45am to 12:00pm – Exhibition Hall Pass

Location:

AllStream Centre Ballroom A – Breakfast
Direct Energy Centre Hall B – Tradeshow Hall
105 Princes’ Blvd. Toronto, ON M6K 3C3

You can register here for the Wind. For My Community breakfast and access to the tradeshow hall until October 15!

Or if you’d like to only attend Friends of Wind Day at the CanWEA 2012 tradeshow hall and are not already a Friend of Wind, register here and you will also be signed up as a Friend of Wind.

Quarante éoliennes, 80 mégawatts, 200 millions $ d’investissements et une centaine de travailleurs affectés à la construction : voilà des chiffres qui peuvent donner le vertige pour une municipalité d’un peu moins de 700 habitants comme Saint-Robert-Bellarmin, en Beauce, à la frontière du Maine. Lors de ma visite dans cette collectivité, j’ai pourtant pu réaliser qu’en travaillant de près avec ses membres, ces appréhensions deviennent tout sauf incontournables.

Dès le début du projet, le promoteur EDF-EN Canada a placé la consultation avec la communauté au cœur de ses préoccupations. « La transparence et le respect des engagements furent la clé du succès de ce projet » assure le maire Jeannot Lachance.

Cela s’est traduit par un dialogue continu avec les principaux groupes d’utilisateurs du territoire, le propriétaire privé ainsi que les représentants de la municipalité et de la MRC. « Au départ, j’étais possiblement l’une des personnes les plus craintives face au projet » mentionne Patrice Lachance, des sentiers pédestres et équestres du Mont-Bélanger. « Le promoteur a tenu compte de nos préoccupations et s’est assuré de limiter l’impact de la construction du parc éolien sur nos activités. Aujourd’hui, nous remarquons une demande chez notre clientèle afin d’observer les éoliennes en activité et nous pensons adapter notre offre touristique à cet effet ».

EDF-EN s’est également assuré de travailler en étroite collaboration avec les chasseurs, les acériculteurs et les villégiateurs. Lui-même adepte de la chasse, le conseiller municipal Robert Jolin n’aurait jamais cru qu’un chantier de cette ampleur aurait pu être interrompu pendant les deux semaines réservées à cette activité à l’automne. C’est pourtant ce qu’EDF-EN a accepté de faire ; et la saison 2011 fut l’une des meilleures des dernières années selon M. Jolin.

En visitant les différents commerces du village, on peut constater les effets de la construction du parc éolien. Le bulletin d’informations Éole-Lien renseigne la population sur l’état du projet et est notamment distribué à la station-service et au dépanneur. Les travailleurs du chantier remplissent le restaurant nouvellement rénové pendant leurs pauses-repas. Michel Poulin, ancien maire de la municipalité mentionne d’ailleurs que « lors de sa conception, nous nous sommes assurés que le projet favorise le talent local, d’abord celui de Saint-Robert-Bellarmin, puis celui de la MRC du Granit ».

« Il n’y a aucun doute que le projet éolien amène de nombreuses retombées pour la municipalité, ce qui nous permet d’améliorer la qualité des services offerts à notre population » remarque Gilbert Gagné, conseiller municipal chargé du développement économique. « Les retombées s’étendent d’ailleurs aux municipalités avoisinantes » rappelle le préfet Maurice Bernier. Une douzaine d’éoliennes supplémentaires seront d’ailleurs construites dans le cadre d’un projet communautaire entre la MRC du Granit et EDF-EN Canada.

C’est une population fière et active que j’ai pu rencontrer lors de ma visite à Saint-Robert-Bellarmin. Fière de l’activité qu’un tel projet amène mais aussi, fière de contribuer à l’essor d’une énergie fiable, propre et renouvelable.

Jean-Frédérick Legendre
Directeur régional – Québec
Association canadienne de l’énergie éolienne (CanWEA)

Des remerciements particuliers s’adressent à MM. Félix Destrijker et Daniel Giguère d’EDF-EN Canada pour l’organisation de cette visite. 

Plus de photos du parc éolien de Saint-Robert-Bellarmin sont disponibles sur la galerie photos des Amis du vent.

“As a responsible industry that has been delivering clean electricity for more than 30 years, we collectively continue to engage with experts in science, medicine and occupational and environmental health to monitor ongoing credible research in the area of wind turbines and human health. While Health Canada’s proposed new study may contribute to the significant knowledge base on this topic, the balance of scientific evidence and human experience to date clearly concludes that wind turbines are not harmful to humans,” according to a joint statement signed by the American Wind Energy Association, Australia’s Clean Energy Council, the Canadian Wind Energy Association, the European Wind Energy Association, Global Wind Energy Council and Renewable UK.

Over the past number of years the wind energy industry has worked proactively to ensure citizens have factual answers to their questions. The entire wind industry supports responsible engagement with communities and stakeholders to ensure questions are answered in a timely and appropriate manner, and understands this is fundamental to successful development of the wind energy the world wants.

For more infromation: http://www.canwea.ca/news/release/release_e.php?newsId=154

It is easy to see why. While I was there, the province was still reeling from the loss of hundreds of jobs from the closure of the Bowater Mersey paper mill on the province’s south shore. But at same time it was celebrating the completion of Sprott Power’s 31.5 MW Amherst Wind Project, which employed 150 people at the peak of construction, most coming from local Nova Scotia companies and trade union halls.

In those two events, and in the many conversations I had during the five days I spent making my way around Nova Scotia, I found a province looking to reinvent itself. Over and over again, I heard about the need to reignite the economy and create the kinds of sustainable jobs that will encourage its young people to stay and build lives in their home province. As Nova Scotia communities look at how they can contribute to that goal, wind energy is increasingly capturing their interest.

A big part of the reason is the way the provincial government has structured its renewable energy strategy. Its community feed-in tariff (COMFIT) program allows the Millbrook First Nation to create jobs for its members and earn millions in equity returns through its planned 6 MW wind farm. It also gives more than 300 local shareholders in Colchester County a chance to invest in turbines generating clean electricity on Spiddle Hill for their own use. These are just two in a long list of community projects in development that will complement larger commercial projects like Sprott Power’s Amherst wind farm and the 62.1 MW Glen Dhu Wind Farm in Pictou and Antigonish Counties. More than any other province, Nova Scotia sees the many opportunities presented by the varying models that can be used to develop its wind energy resource.

Perhaps because of that broad view and an inherited sense of innovation, I found Nova Scotians open to a thorough discussion about wind energy. While there are the usual questions about wind energy and its impacts that many people unfamiliar with the technology have, the people I spoke with were willing to look beyond those concerns, to have the big conversation about the benefits of wind energy in their own community. I found this heartening, and I think as Nova Scotia works to remake its economy by taking advantage of the many and varied resources that it has, it is this outlook and its sense of pride and innovation that will help Nova Scotia succeed.

Ulrike Kucera
Media Relations Officer
Canadian Wind Energy Association

• Canada’s wind energy industry enjoyed a record year in 2011 with approximately 1,267 MW of new wind energy capacity representing an investment of $3.1 billion and creating 13,000 person-years of employment, much of which is in Canada.

• Canada was in 6th place globally in terms of new installed wind energy capacity in 2011 and currently has 5,403 MW of total installed capacity – enough to power more than 1.2 million homes.

• Canada is on track to install more than 1,500 MW of new wind energy capacity in a record setting 2012.  It is expected to easily surpass 10,000 MW of total installed capacity by 2015 – providing new opportunities for Canadian manufacturers and bringing significant levels of new investment, jobs and economic benefits to rural communities and landowners across the country.

• Robert Hornung, President of CanWEA, says that “Canada, and in particular Ontario, has emerged as a very competitive destination for wind energy investment globally. This industry represents billions of dollars in new investments across the manufacturing and construction sectors. Wind energy is playing a growing role in delivering clean, safe and affordable energy as provinces look to build stronger electricity systems. Maintaining this growth and momentum will require continued commitments to aggressive targets for wind energy development and a stable policy framework.”

• In North America, just over 50,000 MW is expected to be installed in 2012-2016, bringing its total to just over 100,000 MW of wind energy at the end of the period. The Global Wind Energy Council  (GWEC) expects a strong 2012 for North America as both Canada and Mexico project well over 1,000 MW of wind energy capacity to be installed – complementing another strong year for the US which began the year with more than 8,000 MW under construction.

• The global wind energy industry will install more than 46,000 MW of new wind energy capacity in 2012. Overall, GWEC projects average annual market growth rates of about 8 per cent for the next five years. Total new installations for the 2012-2016 period are expected to reach 255,000 MW.  A significant portion of this growth will be driven by China, India and Brazil, with important contributions also coming from new markets in Latin America, Africa and Asia.

• Wind, solar and other renewable energy sources currently account for some 20 per cent of Germany’s  electricity production and are set to produce a third of it within a decade, reaching 80 per cent by 2050.

• The top 10 global leaders for new installed capacity in 2011 were: PR China (17,631 MW), USA (6,810 MW), India (3,019 MW), Germany (2,086 MW), UK (1,293 MW), Canada (1,267 MW), Spain (1,050 MW), Italy (950 MW), France (830 MW), Sweden (763 MW).

I’ll leave you with these thoughts from Lester R. Brown, President of the Earth Policy Institute and author of his latest book, “World on the Edge-How to Prevent Environmental and Economic Collapse”:

“If we make a full commitment to renewable energy, Brown writes, by 2020, the world could produce all our electricity from solar, wind, hydropower and geothermal, and we could phase out fossil fuels.”

“For the first time since the Industrial Revolution began,” he says, “we are investing in sources of energy that can last as long as the Earth itself.”

Sources : GWEC ( Global Wind Energy Council ) www.gwec.net and CanWEA ( Canadian Wind Energy Association ) www.canwea.ca

Article submitted by Don Ross for the County Sustainability Group www.countysustainability.ca

Fiers des succès obtenus dans la filière éolienne, élus et gens de l’industrie se disent plus prêts que jamais à poursuivre le développement de l’industrie éolienne, afin d’atteindre la cible de 4 000 MW d’énergie éolienne installée prévue à la stratégie énergétique du Québec.

Le 6e Colloque de l’industrie éolienne québécoise a permis de constater l’ampleur du chemin parcouru au cours des dernières années. L’atteinte du premier 1 000 MW au printemps 2012 et la mise en construction de 750 autres mégawatts d’ici décembre prochain constituent des jalons importants du développement de la filière. Les entreprises manufacturières ont des carnets de commande bien garnis pour livrer les projets octroyés jusqu’à présent. Plusieurs travaillent à développer des marchés à l’extérieur de la province. Les entreprises de services accompagnant l’industrie ont développé un savoir-faire permettant de faire rayonner le Québec sur la scène internationale. Les développeurs de parcs travaillent intensément pour les projets à livrer dans le cadre des 2e et 3e appels d’offres et attendent ardemment l’annonce d’un nouvel appel de projets.

« Le Québec occupe une position de choix pour s’investir dans le développement éolien. Plusieurs turbiniers et développeurs de parcs éoliens lorgnent du côté du Québec en raison d’une baisse de demandes aux États-Unis et apprécient la façon dont le Québec a convenu de développer la filière éolienne par le système d’appels d’offres. Avec l’expérience acquise, le Québec s’inscrit comme un leader en Amérique du Nord », mentionne le directeur général du TechnoCentre éolien, Frédéric Côté.

L’exemple du transport de pales sur rail présenté durant le Colloque à plusieurs participants démontre la volonté de l’industrie à se tourner vers les marchés d’exportation, contribuant à l’atteinte des objectifs de la stratégie gouvernementale de réduction des gaz à effet de serre.

« Lors du Colloque, nous avons constaté les retombées économiques de l’industrie éolienne dans notre région et pour le Québec. D’ailleurs dans notre région, le taux de chômage est à son plus bas depuis le dernier quart de siècle et ce, malgré un contexte économique difficile et une crise dans l’industrie forestière. Le volet éolien de la stratégie énergétique québécoise a visiblement porté fruit et le développement de cette industrie doit continuer », ont commenté les maires de Matane, Gaspé et New Richmond, Claude Canuel, François Roussy et Nicole Appleby.

Avec ses usines, ses centres de recherche, ses développeurs, ses entreprises de services et surtout, ses 5 000 emplois à temps plein, dont 1 000 en Gaspésie, l’industrie éolienne québécoise est prête à poursuivre son développement.

Source :
Dave Lavoie, conseiller aux communications et relations publiques, TechnoCentre éolien

(418) 368-6162 poste 224, dlavoie@eolien.qc.ca

Prizes
The winner of the Power of Wind Contest will win the following:

1st prize:

• $2,000 bursary
• Invitation to deliver essay in person at CanWEA’s Annual Awards Banquet
• Invitation to climb the turbine at Exhibition Place

2nd prize: $500 bursary

3rd prize: $250 bursary

Terms and Conditions
The contest is open until September 15^th, 2012. Entries will be accepted as of June 15^th. This contest is open to participants from Canada. There is no entry fee, and each participant can submit only one entry to this contest. CanWEA employees and CanWEA member organizations are not eligible to take part in the contest, nor are their relatives or members of their families. CanWEA also reserves the right to use any blog submissions on its website or for any other marketing materials. The decision of the judges is final. Only the winners will be contacted after submissions have been reviewed.

To be eligible for the bursary, all applicants must (and will be required to provide proof of):

• Canadian citizenship or permanent resident status.
• For graduating high school or CEGEP students, proof of enrolment at a recognized Canadian publicly funded post-secondary school for the Fall 2012 academic term.
• For full-time university or college students, proof of enrolment at a recognized publicly funded Canadian post-secondary school for the 2011/2012 and Fall 2012 academic terms.

How to submit your blog
Your 300 word blog can be submitted by email to info@friendsofwind.ca by no later than September 15th, 2012. Good luck!

(Available in French only)

Des critiques ont récemment été émises sur les retombées de l’éolien au Québec. Les opposants à cette forme d’énergie renouvelable soulèvent des craintes qui ne sont pas fondées et qui relèvent d’un manque d’informations quant aux opportunités créées par le développement de l’éolien. Il est important de rétablir les faits.

Au sujet des coûts de l’électricité, il faut dire les choses telles qu’elles le sont : l’énergie éolienne est concurrentielle.

Certes, les coûts de production d’électricité d’un parc éolien construit en 2012 ne peuvent rivaliser avec ceux d’un barrage hydroélectrique construit il y a 50 ans. En toute logique, il faut comparer des équipements construits dans les mêmes années. À ce chapitre, il est estimé que l’électricité produite par l’éolien est aussi abordable que celle qui sera produite par les nouveaux projets hydroélectriques d’Hydro- Québec. Pour fins de comparaison, les coûts moyens des appels d’offres de 2003 et de 2005 pour l’énergie éolienne au Québec étaient respectivement de 6,5 et 8,7 cents du kW/ h alors que le projet hydroélectrique de La Romaine devrait produire de l’électricité à environ 9,5 cents le kW/ h. L’énergie éolienne ne remplacera jamais l’hydroélectricité au Québec, elle est cependant le partenaire idéal pour diversifier le portefeuille énergétique du Québec, et ce, de façon propre et durable.

D’ailleurs, selon une analyse du Bloomberg New Energy Finance, le coût de l’électricité produite par les éoliennes terrestres diminuera encore de 12 pour cent au cours des cinq prochaines années grâce à une combinaison d’équipement à plus faible coût et de gains pour l’efficacité du rendement.

Les adversaires de l’éolien prétendent également que le recours à cette forme d’énergie ne diminue pas les émissions de gaz à effet de serre. Là encore, rien n’est plus faux. Avec le développement technologique et l’accroissement du nombre de parcs éoliens, les instabilités provoquées par les carences de vent sont beaucoup plus faciles à contrôler. Le Québec est d’ailleurs très bien positionné puisque l’éolien et l’hydroélectricité sont fortement complémentaires et n’émettent aucun gaz à effet de serre.

Sur le plan des retombées économiques dans les régions engendrées par l’éolien, l’expérience prouve qu’elles sont considérables. Entre 2005 et 2015 au Québec, l’éolien aura généré des investissements de plus de 10 milliards $, des dizaines de millions $ en retombées pour les municipalités et les propriétaires terriens et la création de quelque 37 000 emplois personne/année. En Gaspésie, le berceau de l’éolien au Québec qui accueille plusieurs entreprises oeuvrant dans ce secteur, on observait en 2011 le taux de chômage le plus bas depuis 1987 ainsi qu’un solde migratoire positif, une première en dix ans.

L’énergie éolienne est propre, abordable et compétitive. Sans peser dans le portefeuille des Québécois, elle favorise un fort développement régional. S’y opposer équivaudrait à laisser passer une chance exceptionnelle de développement économique et environnemental pour le Québec.

Jean- Frédérick Legendre Directeur régional – Québec Association canadienne de l’énergie éolienne (CanWEA)

The report, Renewable Energy Facts, released today by the energy consulting firm Bridgepoint Group, reviews the Auditor General’s December Annual Report that made several conclusions which, upon closer examination, are based on incomplete, inaccurate or missing facts.

“Auditor Generals’ reports form an important basis for public discussion. That discussion should be based on accurate facts and probing questions,” said Dr. Rick Smith, the Executive Director of Environmental Defence. “We commissioned an independent firm to double check what was being presented.”

“One thing is now clear. The Auditor General’s office needs to explain whether it just didn’t look for all the facts, or whether it looked and didn’t like what it found. Because the conclusions the Auditor General’s office came to are difficult to justify.”

Sweeping claims are made about Ontario’s renewable energy policies throughout the report, often without citation or reference. Among them, a claim that appears to be taken from a widely discredited Spanish study suggesting that using renewable energy will cost jobs because it costs more.

The Bridgepoint report reviews these claims and points out that recent reports suggest that while electricity prices are expected to rise in Ontario, renewable energy development is not the primary cause and that abandoning renewables would do little to change the trajectory.

“Ontario is challenged by the fact that it needs to update its electricity system, but any new form of electricity is going to be more expensive than what was built in the 1970s and ‘80s,” said Dr. Tim Weis, Director of Renewable Energy and Efficiency with the Pembina Institute. “There is no realistic scenario where prices are not going up. Ontarians need the facts to ensure informed decisions are made about investments in new power supply, yet it appears the Auditor General’s office did not even compare the cost of new clean energy with the cost of new polluting energy.”

The Bridgepoint Group’s report provides a review of some of the largest questions raised by the Auditor General report. Examples of discrepancies are listed below. The report can be downloaded here: http://www.bridgepointgroupltd.com/database/rte/files/Renewable%20Energy%20Facts.pdf

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For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact:

Stephanie Kohls, Environmental Defence, 416-323-9521 x. 232; 647-280-9521 (cell), skohls@environmentaldefence.ca

Dr. Tim Weis, The Pembina Institute, 780-485-9610 x105, timw@pembina.org

A new poll by Léger Marketing (French only), conducted earlier this year, found 83 per cent of Quebecers have a positive view of wind energy. Almost 9 out of 10 agree the province could develop an advantageous expertise in the wind sector, as it has with hydroelectricity, while 77 per cent (up from 75 per cent in October 2010) agree Quebec should pursue further wind energy development after 2015.

CanWEA commissioned the poll to update a similar survey done in October 2010. Now that the province has installed its first 1,000 MW of projects, the association wanted to see if there has been “an evolution in their perception of wind,” says Jean-François Nolet, CanWEA’s vice-president of policy and government affairs. The results show support is growing.

“It is very good news,” explains Nolet. “It shows the good work that developers are doing. It also shows that we are delivering on jobs and revenues for municipalities and landowners. People see this industry is growing and is having a very positive effect.”

Some of the strongest support for the industry is found in eastern Quebec, which is the hub of the province’s wind development and manufacturing sectors. There, 91 per cent of residents have a positive view of wind.

“What we see in the report is that the closer you live to a wind farm, the more you like them,” says Nolet.

The poll results will be a powerful tool for the industry as it works with government, municipalities and other stakeholders on developing opportunities for future growth, he adds. Although the province has a target of 4,000 MW by 2015, there are no polices in place to drive development after that point.

“This helps show the government that people in the province do want further wind energy development. It is not the end of the story. It is only the beginning.”

Wind stacks up well with the attitudes of Quebec residents to energy in general, says Philippe Roy of Ryan Affaires publiques. “Usually when you talk energy with Quebecers, they only talk about one thing and that is hydro,” he says. Renewable resources like wind and solar are seen as “complementary with hydro.”

Quebecers are also supportive of action on climate change, says Roy. “They see wind as one of the solutions we have to propose.”

The project’s 60 Enercon E70 turbines pushed Quebec’s installed wind energy capacity past the 1,000 MW mark. It is a number, industry participants agree, that represents far more than just turbines in the ground.

“The political will to have wind be part of the generation mix and further the province’s participation in renewable energy is, I believe, really what we are celebrating,” says Frits de Kiewit, Invenergy’s director of business development for Canada.

The province embarked on what former Hydro-Quebec CEO André Caillé described as its “great adventure” in wind when it launched a request for proposals (RFP) for 1,000 MW in May 2003. The utility was already buying the output from a handful of wind farms located in the Gaspésie, but the government saw the opportunity to do much more, using a combination of long-term power purchases and local content requirements to bring jobs and investment to the economically depressed region. It followed up with two more RFPs that expanded the investment opportunity to the rest of the province, one in October 2005 for 2,000 MW and another in April 2009 for 500 MW from smaller-scale projects with equity participation by Quebec municipalities, co-operatives and First Nations groups.

“The strategy has had a tremendous impact on the economy of the region. Now on the Gaspé Peninsula and the County of Matane we are talking about over 1,000 jobs in wind,” says Frédéric Côté, general manager of Quebec’s TechnoCentre éolien. “We have large manufacturing facilities in place, and we have developed a local network of enterprises that have developed expertise in wind and are now exporting their products and services to other provinces and other countries.”

Today, in fact, the Gaspésie is a bright spot in Quebec’s economy. A recent study by the financial group Desjardins placed it among the top five regions in 2010 with an economic growth rate of 5 per cent, compared to 4.4 per cent for the province as a whole. Desjardins points to the wind industry as a key factor in that growth, and concludes that “activities related to wind power continue to carry the economy during 2011 and 2012.”

The province’s goal is to have 4 GW of wind on its system by 2015. By the time it gets there, according to a study commissioned by CanWEA, the industry will have attracted $10 billion in investment, generated more than $25 million a year in royalties and rents to landowners and municipalities, and created more than 38,000 jobs in project construction, equipment manufacturing, and operations and maintenance.

To read more of this story and browse through others, view the spring issue of WindSight here.

Activities on, and around, 15 June are wide-ranging and include wind farm open days, exhibitions, information stands in cities, photographic and other competitions, seminars, educational activities for young people, receptions, film screenings etc. All activities are strictly non-profit.

Who organises it? It is coordinated by the Global Wind Energy Council and the European Wind Energy Association with partners in many countries – primarily national wind and renewable energy associations plus companies.

Why Global Wind Day? Wind energy offers a solution to the world’s climate and energy crisis. It is an inexhaustible, fuel-free, non-polluting energy source that is providing an ever more significant contribution to energy supply in an ever-increasing number of countries. Yet many people remain unfamiliar with wind energy: how it works; its impact on the environment and the economy.  Global Wind Day is an opportunity for citizens to find out for themselves.

What are the duties of a Global Wind Day Ambassador? There are no legal, financial or other responsibilities. There is no payment or cost. However, we would ask Global Wind Day Ambassadors to send us a message for Global Wind Day, and to communicate to others on 15 June the fact that it is Global Wind Day – highlighting the contribution that developing wind energy can make to the world. As a Global Wind Day Ambassador you may be invited to a GWD event but are not obliged to attend. Your name and photograph would appear on the Global Wind Day website as a GWD Ambassador.

To become a Global Wind Day Ambassador please click here to send us your picture and quote.

Canada’s wind energy industry enjoyed a record year in 2011 with approximately 1,267 MW of new wind energy capacity representing an investment of $3.1 billion and creating 13,000 person-years of employment. Canada was in 6th place globally in terms of new installed wind energy capacity in 2011 and currently has 5,403 MW of total installed capacity – enough to power more than 1.2 million homes. Canada’s wind energy industry is now on track to easily surpass 10,000 MW of total installed capacity by 2015 – providing new opportunities for Canadian manufacturers and bringing significant levels of new investment, jobs and economic benefits to rural communities and landowners across the country.

In North America, just over 50,000 MW is expected to be installed in 2012-2016, bringing its total to just over 100,000 MW of wind energy at the end of the period. GWEC expects a strong 2012 for North America as both Canada and Mexico project well over 1,000 MW of wind energy capacity to be installed – complementing another strong year for the US which began the year with more than 8,000 MW under construction.

The global wind energy industry will install more than 46,000 MW of new wind energy capacity in 2012. Overall, GWEC projects average annual market growth rates of about 8 per cent for the next five years. Total new installations for the 2012-2016 period are expected to reach 255,000 MW. A significant portion of this growth will be driven by China, India and Brazil, with important contributions also coming from new markets in Latin America, Africa and Asia.

The top 10 global leaders for new installed capacity in 2011:

• PR China (17,631 MW)
• USA (6,810 MW)
• India (3,019 MW)
• Germany (2,086 MW)
• UK (1,293 MW)
• Canada (1,267 MW)
• Spain (1,050 MW)
• Italy (950 MW)
• France (830 MW)
• Sweden (763 MW)

To learn more about Canada’s Installed Capacity visit CanWEA’s webpage by clicking here.

To read more about the global wind energy industry click here to download GWEC’s 2011 Annual Report.

The Green Living Show is North America’s largest green consumer show with over 30,000 participants and over 400 exhibitors. Network with the greenest companies in Canada and meet the most motivated green consumers. Tickets are only $15 for adults!

2012 Show Hours

Friday, April 13, 10am to 9pm

Saturday, April 14, 10am to 9pm

Sunday, April 15, 10am to 6pm

Volunteer Opportunities at the Green Living Show

Volunteering at the Green Living Show is a great opportunity to meet new people, have fun and learn about living green. Volunteers also receive free passes to attend the show. For more information on volunteer opportunities, please click here.

The power sector is the one of the world’s biggest consumers of water, but one source – wind power – uses very little water to produce electricity.  All fossil fuels and nuclear need significant quantities of water to pump crude oil out of the ground, remove pollutants from power plant exhausts, flush residues after fossil fuels are burned and cool power plants.

Coal uses up to 3.2 cubic metres of water per megawatt hour (MWh) of electricity produced, gas uses up to 1.7 m3 per MWh and nuclear around 2.7 m3 per MWh, but wind power uses only a fraction of these amounts.

In the US, the Department of Energy estimates that with a 20 per cent share of wind power in the power system by 2030, as much as 15 trillion litres of water could be saved. That’s the equivalent to the annual consumption of more than 9 million US citizens.
(http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy08osti/41869.pdf)

“Water scarcity is becoming a global challenge exacerbated by population growth and climate change. Wind energy is key to preserving our water resources and fighting climate change,” Rémi Gruet, EWEA Senior Regulatory Affairs Advisor for Environment and Climate Change, said on World Water Day (22 March). “Governments should therefore take a much more holistic approach to energy policy and promote investments in wind energy with ambitious targets for renewable energy”.

Global water demand is expected to outstrip supply by 2030 as world population grows and demand for power rises, according to the 2030 water resources group: (http://www.2030waterresourcesgroup.com/water_full/Charting_Our_Water_Future_Final.pdf).

The David Suzuki Foundation’s longtime slogan has been “Solutions are in our nature.” This is not only a mantra for the organization; it’s also encouragement for our society to pursue strategies that reduce our impact on the planet. A recent example of solutions being identified and implemented is Ontario’s commitment to clean up its energy sector.

Ontario’s decision to phase out coal-fired power by 2014 has resulted in a dramatic decline in the province’s greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution. In just two years, the GHG emissions from Ontario’s electricity production fell by more than half. To put this in perspective, the reduction in this one sector is larger than the combined total carbon footprints of Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, and all three territories.

This aggressive purging of coal has been coupled with a push to install more renewable energies such as wind and solar. The passage of the Green Energy Act has allowed Ontario to lead Canadian provinces in installed wind capacity and to become second in the entire continent for installed solar capacity. Ontario’s vision of rapidly shifting the province away from fossil fuel-based electricity has resulted in billions of dollars in investment.

Unfortunately, the deployment of renewable energy has come under attack from a small but vocal group that is calling for a moratorium on wind power in the province. It is critical that government continue to pursue the long-term sustainability of its energy supply and not move backwards on this issue. Please send a letter, put together by our friends at Environmental Defence, and let your elected officials know what a clean energy present and future means for Ontario’s environment and the health of its communities. Help Ontario continue to be a provincial leader in finding solutions to climate change and air pollution.

Returning to Canada after witnessing scenes like these regularly repeated across Europe while living in Brussels for several years has been a jarring experience.

Europe, which has increasingly turned to wind energy in the past 25 years, is light years ahead of Canada in harnessing renewable energies. Europe embraces change with its preservation mentality. Canada’s frontier mentality stops it from seeing the future.

There are reasons for this glaring dichotomy. Ravaged by two World Wars last century, Europe has struggled to co-operate by building a 27-state union for its nearly 500 million citizens. Except for some coal deposits in eastern Europe, much of the region lacks fossil fuels. Europeans have known for years that they must avoid becoming economic hostages to Russia, with its vast supply of much-needed natural gas.

Europe, more than any other region in the world, has taken up the challenge of reducing toxic greenhouse gas emissions that are already changing our environment. As a result, Europe has mandated by law that wind energy and other renewables should supply at least 20 per cent of its energy portfolio by 2020.

Canada has been slow to comprehend the transformative change that is already taking place in Europe. The second largest country in the world with a population of just 34 million, Canada remains stuck in an energy-environment time warp. Part of the reason for this ‘business-as-usual’ way of thinking is that Canada is still blessed with large reserves of oil, natural gas and coal, while our many rivers offer cheap hydro power. So far, Canada has done little to change its wasteful ways. Canada, a country that used to be known for its pristine environment, is now the object of international scorn over our almost non-existent climate change mitigation strategy. Denial reigns supreme.

Research by the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) shows that in 2010 Europe was the world’s regional leader — ahead of both Asia and North America — with cumulative installed wind capacity of 86 GW. GWEC also noted that China was the world’s national leader with cumulative installed capacity of 42 GW, the U.S. was in second place at 40 GW and Germany was third with 27 GW.

By comparison, figures from the Canadian Wind Energy Association show that our nation had a cumulative installed wind energy capacity of merely 5 GW by the end of last year. And yet, the wild Canadian landscape offers huge potential for greatly increased growth in wind energy.

People in Europe are proud of renewable energies. In Canada, we proudly practise NIMBYism. In Europe, people know change is inevitable if the region is to prosper financially and environmentally. People in Canada hate change even if polar bears are starving due to global warming.

Still, it is not too late for Canada to be a positive force in the energy-environment conundrum that will define the 21st century. After all, Europe has already shown the way. But time is running out.

A Vancouver-based journalist and communications consultant, Chris Rose believes that the wind energy sector can generate massive amounts of green electricity for a growing world while helping mitigate environmental degradation caused by toxic fossil fuels.

The above column appears in the winter 2012 issue of WindSight magazine. Please click here for more stories.

Electricity is soon going to hit the headlines again. And before it does, let’s pause, think and decide that this time, we are going to discuss this important public policy properly.

The government is poised to reset the province’s Feed-in Tariff (FIT), the schedule of prices that are paid for electricity generated from renewable resources. Based on the consultation, it seems prices may well be lowered, at least for technologies like solar power where equipment costs have declined.  Before the bloggers, tweeters and editorial writers gear up to comment in high dudgeon, I’d like to suggest that we also reset the communications approach, and agree to promote a literacy on power prices that provides a more balanced analysis without selective presentation of the facts.  To start the effort, I am posting a three-part blog that explores this issue in more detail and suggests how we might give consumers better and more accurate information about electricity prices.

…continue reading here

Referring to the Feb 8 article in the Listowel Banner, it was discouraging to read of the events at the North Perth council meeting last week where a wind energy person was invited to speak to local council, yet was met with verbal and physical abuse, resulting in him being hurried out the door. How ridiculous and narrow-minded it was not to have heard the speaker out on his point. Agree or disagree, it was an opportunity missed not to have set the stage for an important community debate on wind energy facts, rather than the same old fear, uncertainty and rhetorical doubt pandered by those opposed to this form of renewable energy.

It should be recognized that Ontario is in the midst of updating its ancient electricity system and will need a variety of robust power sources. This will include clean wind energy, which can be planned, built, managed and serviced by local talent, a net-new source of income for the local economy, not to mention tax revenue.  The debt retirement charge we pay on our power bill – an unfunded liability currently at $13.4 billion which does nothing to build new electricity capacity – is not the result of solar and wind, but cost overruns in big ticket projects dating back a few decades.

My group, Friends of Wind Ontario understands that wind energy is relatively new to most Canadians. The subject matter and resulting community impact can be complex and that questions and concerns must be addressed with verifiable facts. We are like all Canadians who abide by the rules of democratic government and believe in the fundamental right of citizens to be informed and to have the opportunity to express their opinions with respect to any local developments, regardless of their views. We recognize that dialogue around the important issue of our local and regional energy future must be based on respect for all opinions and no one should be fearful of others when addressing this important topic.

Thousands of farmers and rural landowners and dozens of municipalities in Ontario are actively participating in wind energy and other renewable energy projects. The resulting jobs will be a boon to the local economy, especially for my area, hit hard by a downturn in manufacturing and having one of the highest levels of unemployment in Canada. I live just west of London and within a few years, the family house where my family has lived for over a century will be mere minutes from a planned wind farm. I am consulting regularly with the local councils and the developer on this project and can confidently say I have little concern if any, on these plans as the project moves forward.

Canada’s wind energy industry enjoyed a record year in 2011 with approximately 1,267 MW of new wind energy capacity added to provincial grids, representing an investment of $3.1 billion and creating 13,000 person-years of employment. Canada ended 2011 with a total of 5,265 MW of wind energy installed capacity – placing Canada 9th globally for cumulative capacity. In 2011, new wind energy projects were built and commissioned in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia.

“Wind energy in Canada enjoyed a record year in 2011, surpassing the 5, 000 MW milestone. Canada, and in particular Ontario, is emerging as a very competitive destination for wind energy investment globally. Maintaining that position will require continued commitments to aggressive targets for wind energy development and a stable policy framework. As Canada continues to renew its electricity generation resources, wind energy will play an ever-increasing part in delivering reliable, economic and clean electricity”, said Robert Hornung, President of the Canadian Wind Energy Association.

Canada’s wind energy industry is on pace to easily surpass 10,000 MW of total installed capacity by 2015

2012 is expected to be another record year for wind development in Canada with approximately 1,500 MW of new developments expected to come online in Quebec, Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia. With similar or higher levels of growth expected over the next four years, Canada’s wind energy industry is on pace to easily surpass 10,000 MW of total installed capacity by 2015 – keeping the country on track to meet CanWEA’s national WindVision target of supplying 20 per cent of Canada’s electricity needs by 2025.

Wind by the numbers

• Canada is the 9th largest producer of wind energy in the world with current installed capacity at 5,265 MW – producing enough power to meet about 2.3 per cent of Canada’s total electricity demand.
• Canada enjoyed a record year in 2011 with the addition of 1,267 MW of new wind energy capacity to provincial grids, representing an investment of $3.1 billion and creating 13,000 person-years of employment.
• 2011 was also a record year for new wind energy installations in Ontario with more than 500 MW installed by the end of year.
• More than 5,000 MW of wind energy projects are already contracted to be built in Canada over the next five years.

For Canada’s current installed capacity, click here.

For global wind energy statistics, click here.

The six winners, who will receive a €1,000 Amazon voucher or one of five €250 vouchers, will be chosen by an expert jury and announced shortly after Global Wind Day. All the winning pictures will be displayed in public in the EU area of Brussels.

The overall winning photo will also become part of an online professional photography collection, www.hardrainproject.com, and be published in renewable energy newspaper ‘Recharge’ and in the European wind energy industry magazine Wind Directions.

“I can’t think of a better subject for a contemporary photo competition than wind energy,” said Julian Scola, Communication Director of the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA), organizers of Global Wind Day alongside the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC). “Wind turbines are an icon: symbols of the fight against climate change, of sustainability, of our modern age. While some people noisily oppose wind turbines there are many others who love them and find them a graceful addition to our landscape”.

Lauha Fried, Communications Director at GWEC, highlighted the global nature of the competition:  “Wind power is an essential source of clean energy in over 80 countries today – we’d like to see photos taken from all around the world and encourage everyone to participate by sending us your best shots. A new feature for this year’s edition is the continental subcategory where a winner will be chosen for each continent”.

For more information and to enter the competition please visit http://www.globalwindday.org/wind-in-mind/

The Canadian Wind Energy Association (CanWEA) is extremely disappointed that the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) last week called for a suspension of wind energy development at a time when thousands of farmers across the province are actively participating in, and seeking to participate in, wind energy developments. In fact, many of the issues that the OFA has identified as areas of concern are already being reviewed and examined through the Ontario Government’s Feed-in-Tariff (FIT) Review process.

2011 was a record year for wind energy development in Ontario with the installation of 522 MW across the province. Farmers have always looked for new ways to use their land and resources productively, and wind energy provides a new economic opportunity to landowners in the form of stable revenue from land lease agreements. According to a report from ClearSky Advisors, The Economic Impacts of the Wind Energy Sector in Ontario 2011-2018, a typical lease agreement can provide a farmer with up to $20,000 per year per turbine. If Ontario fully implements the government’s Long-Term Energy Plan, it is expected that over $313 million will be paid to landowners in lease payments from the wind energy sector in Ontario from 2011 to 2018 alone.

The OFA statement blames wind energy for impacting consumer rates in Ontario, ignoring the fact that the addition of any new generation (all more expensive than existing generation) and badly needed investments in electricity infrastructure guarantee significantly increased rates for consumers going forward. A Pembina Institute report, Behind the Switch: Pricing Ontario Electricity Options, finds that Ontario consumers would see virtually no relief from high electricity prices if the province cancelled its support for renewable energy under the Green Energy Act.

‘Stray voltage’ is a complex and often poorly understood electrical issue but is not one that is directly related to wind energy. In fact, stray voltage occurs due to the general nature, design and age of the electricity distribution system, both on and off homes and farms, and occurs everywhere from downtown Vancouver to Ontario milk parlours. If a resident or business in Ontario suspects a stray voltage issue they should contact Hydro One, which has both the expertise and capacity to investigate the issue, and identify the cause. 

With respect to wind integration, although some challenges exist with managing a variable energy source such as wind, utilities all around the world continue to recognize the value wind energy can play within a larger interconnected electrical transmission system.  In Ontario, the sustainable and economic integration of wind energy is being addressed by organizations such as the IESO, OPA and Ministry of Energy, who continue to review and consider options such as: new and reinforced transmission, energy forecasting, modernized energy markets and the future role of energy storage. 

The wind energy industry has a long history of working with the agricultural community and sees farmers as a key partner in wind energy development. CanWEA continues to work with leaders within the OFA and other agricultural associations to inform our best practices in stakeholder engagement and to ensure the industry continues to be a good partner as thousands of Ontario farmers participate in Ontario’s clean energy economy through FIT and microFIT programs.

Wind energy is broadly recognized as a preferred method of electricity generation from a human health perspective. The scientific and medical evidence to date clearly concludes that sound from wind turbines does not adversely impact human health and this was reaffirmed again last week by an expert panel report to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (www.mass.gov/dep/energy/wind/panel.htm). The current 550m setback for wind turbines in Ontario is among the most stringent guidelines in place in North America. We will continue to encourage an open dialogue and provide fact-based information to ensure Ontarians have the information they need to make informed choices as Ontario moves towards a cleaner, stronger and affordable energy system.

For more information on wind energy, please visit CanWEA’s website at: www.canwea.ca

Every time I go back to Germany I see a lot of change, even in just a short time-frame of two to four years. Coming from the airport in Duesseldorf I saw in 2009 a lot of solar panels installed on residential houses. I admired the large 100kw solar installation across the road on the dairy farmer’s new hay and straw storage. 65 per cent of all the investment from German farmers goes into renewable energy. The renewable energy projects have guaranteed grid access and are prioritized. This month my brother in law will install 38 panels on his house in Georgetown. When we got together for Christmas he thanked me for sharing all my knowledge with him about the Micro-fit program and that I pushed him to apply for it. Tom pointed out that Canadian citizens aren’t informed enough about the existing opportunities. How everybody can make a real difference to help to “turn that corner” on greenhouse gases, toxic waste and other forms of pollution and be part of the energy revolution is very positive and powerful. Compared to other sources, wind-energy is an environmental winner.  Wind energy is emission-free, consumes no water, produces no waste, has no hidden health cost and is 100 per cent renewable.

As a teenager the odd wind turbine went up in our region but the first larger wind parks where erected in Northern Germany. My dad keeps me up to date on any new development. He is and always was open-minded toward new technology and energy options. For him things have to make economic sense and in the case of renewable energy it does. More Germans are employed in the renewable sector than in the auto industry. Dr. Hermann Scheer understood very early that by investing into renewable energy we help the environment and the whole economy at no extra cost. Since the German government decided on a new energy strategy there will be more wind turbines built all over the country. My parents are very ordinary citizen with a lot of common sense that are welcoming the wind turbines into their backyard. They know of the study from the University of Kassel that combined solar, bio gas and wind-energy and proved that it is possible to go with 100 per cent renewable energy in the future.

“Any energy-planning conversations must begin with a commitment to robust engagement and education, so that all those involved are well equipped to do so, and so that the final products can be presented to-and ultimately supported by-an informed Canadian public.”1

When I read the CFFO Commentary I asked myself when will people stop repeating widely discredited oil industry-backed reports attacking the value of  “green jobs”?

Who is taking the time and continues the educational process that Friends of Wind Ontario started in 2011?

When do the Canadian farm organizations start a partnership and dialog with the farmers who have the experience, knowledge and confidence in developing citizen owned wind parks?

Jutta Splettstoesser
Full-time farmer, CFFO member and Co-founder of Friends of Wind Ontario

The 26th edition of the Canadian International Farm Show returns to the International Centre in Mississauga and will be showcasing all of the leaders of Canada’s thriving AG market. A session on wind energy will be offered through the Canadian Wind Energy Association. Representatives from both the agricultural community and the wind energy industry will share their perspectives on wind energy development in Ontario.

Wind Energy Session
February 7th, 2012
1:30 pm to 3:00 pm
Aviation ‘B’ Ballroom – Hall 5
International Centre, Mississauga, Ontario

Registration is only $15.00 per person and is good for all three show days so you can be sure to take in everything the Canadian International Farm Show has to offer.

For more information on the Canadian International Farm Show, please visit the event website at: 
http://www.masterpromotions.ca/Previous-Events/canadian-international-farm-show-2012/

When Ontario’s feed-in-tariff (FIT) program was launched as part of the Green Energy Act in 2009, it was mandated that a review of the program occur two years after its commencement.

On Oct. 31, 2011, the FIT program review was announced by the government of Ontario. The review focuses on a broad range of issues, including the following:

•FIT price review to maintain balance with ratepayer interest,
•Long-term sustainability of clean energy procurement,
•Continuation of the success of clean energy job creation and Ontario-based manufacturing,
•Consideration of new emerging technologies, and
•Local consultation and the renewable energy approval (REA) process.

To read more please visit North American Windpower at http://www.nawindpower.com/e107_plugins/content/content.php?content.9151

Marnie Dawson is a senior project manager at Stantec’s Guelph, Ontario, office.

Une nouvelle étude du Mouvement Desjardins révèle que la Gaspésie s’est démarquée sur le plan économique depuis deux ans notamment grâce à l’industrie éolienne.

Veuillez cliquer ici pour visionner l’étude.

By the end of 2011 we will have 5,177 MW of wind energy capacity in place, enough to supply more than 1.5 million homes. Looking forward, more than 6,000 MW of wind energy projects are already contracted to be built in Canada over the next five years and several provincial governments are launching new procurement process to obtain even more wind energy.

Ontario is the current provincial leader in installed wind energy capacity accounting for 1,969.5 MW of wind energy installations. Alberta and Quebec follow at 803 MW and 918 MW respectively. Nova Scotia and British Columbia are also seeing new developments with a total of 285.6 MW and 247.5 MW respectively now in place.

Canada’s demand for electricity will grow significantly by 2025; at the same time, we will retire 15 per cent of our current generation fleet. This is a clear indication that Canada will need new sources of power to fill the gap, while also reducing impacts to our environment. Wind energy doesn’t emit smog or greenhouse gas emissions, has no toxic air or water emissions, consumes no water, and leaves no waste products.

The cost of developing wind energy is very competitive with the more traditional forms of electricity generation. Going forward, wind is likely to become one of the lowest cost options available to us. Installation costs have been declining as wind turbine supply has caught up to demand, and wind energy technology continues to improve. Moreover, since wind is free and abundant, the cost of generating power stays relatively constant over the life of the turbine.

Wind energy is also an important opportunity for rural economic development – a new natural resource to support such communities just as farming, fisheries, forestry and other natural resource industries have historically. Wind energy projects bring direct investment, land lease payments, new high-value jobs, and economic growth to rural areas as well as a new source of taxes for municipalities.

To be successful, any wind project must have broad community support and this support cannot be taken for granted – it must be earned. Consistent with its mandate to support the responsible and sustainable development of wind energy in Canada, CanWEA has developed Best Practices in Community Engagement and Public Consultation for its members. The guidelines are designed to support wind energy project developers in continuously improving their work with local communities while ensuring that they meet and strive to exceed provincial requirements for public consultation.

CanWEA believes that wind energy can satisfy 20 per cent of Canada’s electricity demand by 2025. The document Wind Vision 2025 – Powering Canada’s Future is available at www.canwea.ca.

Robert Hornung, President
Canadian Wind Energy Association
Ottawa, Ontario

Link to Adam’s original post here.

We are not in the habit of criticizing the hard-working Ontario Auditor General (AG), but were disturbed today to see his apparent reliance on a series of widely discredited oil industry-backed reports attacking the value of “green jobs”. 

Page 118 of the Ontario AG’s 2011 Annual Report, released today, states that:

“A 2009 study conducted in Spain found that for each job created through renewable energy programs, about two jobs were lost in other sectors of the economy.” 

While not properly referenced, it would appear the AG’s report is referring to the infamous ”Spanish Jobs Study” from 2009.  The study was created by a libertarian think tank tied to the American Enterprise Institute (AEI). The AEI is partly funded by oil companies Exxon Mobil and the Koch Industries Inc – major funders of climate change denial campaigns worldwide.

The “Spanish Jobs Study” report didn’t actually show that any jobs were lost, but simply implied this through a highly discredited methodology. The U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory explains the false methodology here. The study has also been called into question by the Spanish Government itself, and the Wall Street Journal. The study’s author, Gabriel Calzada, was a keynote speaker at the Heartland Institute’s climate change denial conference in 2009.  

The Auditor General also makes reference to two other nearly identical ‘zombie studies’ using the same flawed methodology for Denmark, and the UK. Not one of these reports actually shows any evidence of real job loss. 

These are reports mostly used by right-wing republicans and Fox news in the U.S. to discredit renewable energy policies and confuse the public. Their unfortunate inclusion in the Ontario AG’s report accords them a credibility that is manifestly undeserved.

The report determines the potential GHG reductions that would result from fully electrifying new industrial developments in the province with clean and renewable grid-based electricity.

The new Pembina report builds upon findings in a September 2011 report Additional Industrial Electrical Load Growth in BC to 2025 which identified a huge new demand for energy in BC from six new industrial projects. The Pembina report further calculates the reduction in GHG emissions that can be achieved if the full potential for additional electrification as identified is achieved using clean and renewable electricity generation.

In addition, according to WindVision 2025: A Strategy for British Columbia, British Columbia can satisfy 17 per cent of its projected electricity demand with clean, affordable wind energy by the year 2025, The strategy suggests that the share of wind energy as a percentage of total generation in the province can increase from the current 250 MW (megawatts) – or 1 per cent of electricity demand – to 5,250 MW, or 17 per cent, by the year 2025.

When I became the acting medical officer of health for Chatham-Kent, little did I know that I would be swept headlong into controversy about harnessing the wind right here in our backyard. Three years ago, I was asked to help make sense of the conflicting information the local council was receiving about the effects of wind turbines on human health.

I researched the topic extensively and found no scientifically credible evidence that wind turbines eroded human health. I was then asked to produce a more extensive report that was issued by the Chatham-Kent Health Unit. Since then I have been asked to speak on a number of occasions about wind turbines and health, and I have collaborated on an international panel review on the topic with some of the biggest names in audiology and occupational health.

It is admittedly a complicated topic that has been made more complicated by
the huge amount of misinformation that has been circulated. Wind turbines do not produce unique sounds in terms of intensity or characteristics. The sound intensity is virtually the same as what is found in normal urban environments. There is also no convincing scientific evidence of an epidemiologic link between wind turbine sound exposure and health problems.  However, a very small number of people believe otherwise; they’ve attributed illnesses of all kinds to wind turbines. There is no doubt that some people find the low level swishswish sound of wind turbines annoying. And these people claim that annoyance itself is a health effect, since annoyance can lead to stress and too much stress is bad. However, by such criteria, living anywhere in a town or city is a threat to health.

Wind power opponents continue to make claims about sickness caused by turbines, which they call “industrial” wind turbines, as that sounds more threatening. However, 10 reviews, including reviews by Ontario’s chief medical health officer, the Australian government, the Sierra Club and McMaster University have confirmed that there is no evidence of direct adverse health effects from wind turbines when sited to comply with Ontario’s noise regulations.  Furthermore, all the power generation alternatives except solar energy are clearly worse than wind turbines in terms of health and environmental effects. That’s especially true of coal-fired generating stations. According to a study prepared for the Ontario government, coal plants cause nearly 250 deaths and more than 120,000 illnesses (such as asthma attacks) each year in the province.

So while I am sympathetic to concerns raised by local residents and agree that any projects must be sited in a way that minimizes impact on local residents, when it comes to energy choices for healthy communities, I am confident that we shouldn’t be tilting at windmills.

Dr. W David Colby is acting medical
officer of health in Chatham-Kent, and associate
professor at the University of Western Ontario’s
Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry.

Thousands of people around the world held events to celebrate wind energy and its environmental, social and economic benefits during the third annual Global Wind Day on June 15, 2011. Global Wind Day 2011 was a huge success. With over 230 events in over 40 countries around the world, it was bigger than ever before.

See details of what happened on Global Wind Day 2011 in the Global Wind Day Special Report prepared by the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) and the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA).

Make sure to read about Canada’s Global Wind Day activities on page six and seven of the report.

The OSEA 2011 Community Power Awards were presented last night during the Green Connection banquet and awards ceremony. The award winners are individuals who have made significant contributions to the Community Power movement in Ontario and globally.

The 2011 awards were presented by Kristopher Stevens, the Executive Director of OSEA to

• Mike Brigham, President of  TREC Solar Share, Community Power Leader Award winner
• Stefan Gsänger, World Wind Energy Association, Secretary General, since WWEA’s foundation in 2001, International Community Power Leader Award winner
• Farrah Khan, Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, Urban Community Power Leader Award winner
• Byron LeClair, Director of Community Development, Pic River First Nation, Aboriginal Community Power Leader Award winner
• Don McCabe, Vice-President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture, Rural Community Power Leader Award Winner

Congratulations to all Community Power Award winners! To learn more about the event, winners and their awards please visit OSEA’s Community Power Awards Page.

This house believes that subsidising renewable energy is a good way to wean the world off fossil fuels. http://www.economist.com/debate/debates/overview/217

Representing the sides are

Defending the motion – Matthias Fripp 

Research fellow, Environmental Change Institute and Exeter College, Oxford University

For the foreseeable future, fossil fuels will be priced inefficiently low, and renewables will need a subsidy simply to make the competition fair.

Against the motion – Robert L. Bradley Jr

Founder and chief executive officer, Institute for Energy Research

Recent observations of the earth’s climate system suggest that we are on a path towards less, rather than more, global warming.

Do you agree with the motion?Join the live debate!

“Wind development and community can work together,” commented Mrs. Splettstoesser, president of Friends of Wind Ontario (FoWO). “With smart planning and open communications, wind energy development in rural Ontario can be a win-win. Renewable energy is the way of the future and rather than push back against it, we need to help communities be a part of the new energy conversation.”

Mrs. Splettstoesser will be in Ailsa Craig, Ontario on Thursday November 10, meeting with community groups and leaders.

For more information, media inquires and bookings for November 10 please contact:

Jutta Splettstoesser President, Friends of Wind Ontario

519 395 5309 | rjsplett@hurontel.on.ca

“Wind development and community can work together,” commented Mrs. Splettstoesser, president of Friends of Wind Ontario (FoWO). “With smart planning and open communications, wind energy development in rural Ontario can be a win-win. Renewable energy is the way of the future and rather than push back against it, we need to help communities be a part of the new energy conversation.”

Since June, FoWO has organized a series of events across southern Ontario. Over 500 people have attended meetings in Clinton, Chatham, London and Port Albert to hear speakers from the science, business, utility and government sectors. These events have been organized to help communities learn the facts about renewable energy and wind development.

“The bridge-building that Friends of Wind Ontario is doing is making a difference in how communities talk about energy,” commented Adrienne Downey, Operations and Business Development Manager from Enercon Canada Inc. “We need to hear from everyone in a community about their opinions of wind energy. In many communities that hasn’t been able to happen. The open and respectful approach to engagement that Friends of Wind uses is good for communities and the wind sector.”

Jutta will be in the Guelph and Wellington area on Friday November 4th meeting with community groups and leaders.   

Interested in learning more? Please click here for contact information.

To read Jutta’s letter to the editor in the Goderich Signal Star on how communities and wind development can work together please click here.

 “In advanced education and technology southern Alberta is shining. I have had the pleasure of visiting Lethbridge College a number of times, a centre of excellence in wind turbine technician training. Talking to students and seeing the incredible capacity the college is developing in this unique field provides a glimpse of what we can become.

Southern Alberta has the fastest winds in the province and 20 wind farms amounting to 800 megawatts of generating capacity, with more on the way. We can and must grow this field and make it world-class, adding more jobs to Medicine Hat and giving the region a larger tax base, allowing this region to grow and thrive.”

——————

A week prior, Kris Hodgson of Lethbridge College spoke to 73 people at the Southern Alberta Council on Public Affairs in Lethbridge demystifying people about the wind energy sector. He was encouraged by the question and answer discussions following his presentation where people sought further details about how the wind sector is positively impacting rural southern Alberta.

To read more about this event in the Lethbridge Herald please click here.

The Friend of Wind Award is awarded in recognition of outstanding contributions made by individuals or groups in advancing awareness of the benefits of wind energy at the community level. This year’s friends of wind award was proudly presented to Jutta Splettstoesser, Kincardine farmer, mother, and tireless supporter of wind energy in Ontario communities through Friends of Wind Ontario.

Since April 2011, Jutta has been dedicated to raising awareness and speaking up for the development of wind energy in her community. Jutta organized a petition for the Municipalities of Kincardine and Huron-Kinloss and has received over 220 signatures of support. As a truly organic grassroots supporter of wind energy, Jutta is able to communicate her beliefs free of direct industry involvement.

She works tirelessly to promote the merits of wind because she believes that wind turbines are a symbol for change and hope. From Jutta’s local awareness efforts, to her outreach to media and her daily hard work and dedication in her community, Jutta is in every way a great and true friend of wind.

As Jutta says, “with wind, we all win!”  Congratulations Jutta!

The Individual Leadership Award was first awarded in 2003, to the individual who has, through their own efforts, significantly advanced the wind energy industry in Canada. This year’s award winner was Richard Legault, President of Windev Corporation, for his dedication to the industry through his unsurpassed experience in assessing the certainty of energy yields from wind for Canadian projects.

Congratulations Richard!

The Group Leadership Award was first awarded in 2001 to recognize the government, corporation or non-profit organization that has contributed significantly to the advancement of wind energy in Canada. This year the award was presented to Peace Energy Cooperative (PEC) and its Directors for their ability to recognize the tremendous opportunities that exist for British Columbians in renewable energy sources. PEC is passionately committed to providing their members and community the opportunity to participate in, and profit from, investment in renewable energy developments.

Congratulations PEC!

The R.J. Templin Award was first awarded in 1985, in recognition of an individual or organization who has undertaken scientific, technical, engineering or policy work that has significantly advanced the wind energy industry in Canada. This year’s award winner was the Wind Energy Institute of Canada (WEICan), for advances made in the development of wind energy across Canada through research, testing, training and collaboration.

Congratulations WEICan!

Next year, CanWEA will be introducing a new Community Connection Award. The award will be presented annually to a member organization or individual member employee who embodies the mandate of responsible development through a commitment to understand the community and by forming meaningful relationships built on mutual respect and trust.

Congratulations to all 2011 award winners!

• about creating green jobs
• about healthy kids and cleaner air
• about a sustainable energy future
• let’s have an energy conversation rather than an energy fight

Renewables are not the cause of increased hydro rates   

• rate increases are from grid upgrades
• hydro costs will go up regardless of renewable investment
• in fact investing in green energy makes sense

 Ontarians need to think long-term about energy

• The Pembina report “Behind the Switch” shows how investment in renewables now will save money in the long-term. In particular, please consider reading pages VI and VII.
• Renewable energy and communities can grow together: I am hopeful that our leaders will help citizens be an active part in energy use and conservation.

- Jutta Splettstoesser, President of Friends of Wind Ontario

A concern that always seems to arise upon the installation of a wind farm is the economy. Many fear that wind farms will take money away from the economy because of their expensive cost to install and maintain. However, this belief is false, as the costs are borne fully by the developers and the province only pays for the power delivered into the grid. Wind farms actually help local economies prosper. They provide new jobs in the form of maintenance and operation, as well as attracting tourists who are eager to view the vast turbines. The Wolfe Island EcoPower Centre is a prime example of the economic benefits of wind energy. A year after the wind farm was installed, a writer for a Kingston website stated, “[The] reaction to the wind turbines…has been largely positive…The island has seen a large boost in the tax base. Plus, landowners who have leased property are loving the benefits of a steady income (Rees).” Like Prince Edward County, Wolfe Island is a small, rural community that thrives on tourism and agriculture.

Another concern that has been seen amongst the public regarding the Ostrander Point Wind Project is the supposed, “destruction of the natural landscape” that its installation will cause. I have always found this concern somewhat humorous, for in a way, it is contradictory. Without implementing the usage of renewable energy sources, the environment will continue to be victim to the carelessness that we show towards it. With this carelessness comes a steady rise in temperatures. Rising temperatures lead to forest fires, rising sea levels, and an increase in the annual number of tornadoes, hurricanes, and floods. Each of these events then leads to an increased number of species becoming extinct and global water and food shortages. Now I ask you: would you rather look at a skyline of dead trees or a skyline of wind turbines? I choose the latter.

Since commercial scale wind turbines are still a rather new invention in North America, some fear that there probably are health issues that exist due to these massive objects. However, like anything else, the manufacturing of wind turbines will improve over the years. And there are worse things out there that we are exposed to on a daily basis. Take UV rays, for example. Every time we step outdoors, we are exposed to the deadly rays of the sun. But how many of us wear sunscreen every time we go outside? Cell phones are another example. In this day and age, almost everyone carries a cell phone on them. But no one thinks about the dangerous radio waves they are exposing themselves to each time they turn on their precious mobile device. All they want is to ensure that so-and-so just got the text they sent them. Like all of those people with their cell phones, all I want is to do my part in saving the planet.

The Ostrander Point Wind Project is Prince Edward County’s opportunity to make a difference. With the installation of this wind farm, around 5000 homes will no longer rely on non-renewable energy sources. I ask those who have the power to make this wind farm a reality to think of the future generations—those who will be left with our fossil fuel mess to clean up—when deciding to either support or oppose wind energy. This is our chance. Let’s make the County a greener community for everyone.

- Written by the 2011 County Sustainability Group Bursary Award Winner Brittany Tuttle

There are two well-established communities who love the wind: The Green Energy sector, and kite fliers! WindFest is the first major event that brings these two themes together in a combined celebration of wind power. Whether we’re using wind to spin turbines or to lift beautiful kites off the ground, we’re reminded of the enormous potential of wind energy and the powerful forces of nature that surround us.

Join us on September 17th for WIndFest 2011! • Woodbine Beach

Join hundreds of kite flyers, expert kite-flying demonstrations, workshops on kite-making and activities for kids! 

 Bring your own kite, buy one on the beach, or make your own!

WindFest is a chance to celebrate autumn, wind power and the breathtaking art of kite flying, on Toronto’s largest beach! 

Visit our website at http://www.windfest.to

Facebook event:  http://on.fb.me/j54iYk
Twitter: http://twitter.com/torontowindfest

Click here to see videos and pictures from last year’s event.

On the morning of August 18 I had the pleasure of meeting Jutta Splettstoesser and her husband at their farm near Kincardine.  To catch the busy lady I arrived at 8 am to chat with her before their 10 am departure to a meeting at Chatham where she was guest speaker at a pro-wind energy event.  Jutta has become the awakening voice of the silent majority of Ontarians who support wind energy in their community.  She bases her confidence in the “silent majority” on an Oraclepoll Research poll in July indicating over 70% of Ontario voters favour of wind energy development in their community.

She gave me a copy of the speech she would make in Chatham later in the day.  One of the points she stressed was about the dire need for both the general public and elected councillors to educate themselves about energy issues in order have facts necessary to sort the wheat-from-the-chaff, due to the increasing flow of for-and-against wind claims and ads that Ontario voters are now exposed to as the critical provincial election nears.  She applauds the municipality of Chatham-Kent for having the wisdom and courage to embrace wind energy as part of their community and the hope they will set a high standard for the rest of Ontario. 

Jutta’s talk makes reference to the words of Quirks and Quarks host Bob McDonald who pointed out that, “We Canadians are among the worst energy hogs and highest emitters of greenhouse gasses on the planet.  When a clean alternative comes along, arguing against it because it looks ugly is like standing on the tilted deck of the Titanic complaining about the colour of the lifeboats. Let’s get on with it.”    

At a conference at the University of Guelph, “Harvesting Clean Energy on Ontario Farms”, Jutta recalls a speaker from Germany. He was a farmer who founded the first wind cooperative with 160 citizens living in a German community bordering the North Sea.  Collectively the co-operative owned thirty, 2 megawatt turbines.  Some in the community live about 300 meters from the turbines;  yet there have been no negative health effects reported in 19 years!

In her Chatham talk, Jutta speaks of her first pro-wind conference: “Where there was a positive atmosphere at Clinton.  What touched me most was the action of a good neighbour that usually claims not to be able to speak in public. She has been very supportive but rather shy.  Lynda stood up in the middle of the room and demanded: ‘Listen to me, if I can stand up and speak to you, then so can you.  Spread the facts you learned about wind energy tonight in YOUR community!”.

With the blessings of her husband and four children, Jutta works full time without pay at Friends of Wind Ontario.  A few unexpected rewards have been anonymous envelopes with a few dollars to encourage her to continue the great effort.

However, there has been anxiety and legal costs to Jutta and family.  Like John Bennett, president of the Sierra Club Of Canada when he came to speak to PEC council, the cost of communicating scientific facts about the benefits of wind energy comes with threat of a lawsuit from Wind Concerns Ontario, hub of Ontario’s anti-wind campaign.

Since we have entered the era of twin dilemmas, Peak Oil and Global Warming, it is essential that voters realize that they can no longer take for granted cheap energy, the main economic engine of prosperity during the past century.  Our common future is on a significantly different pathway from past years of population and economic growth.  Do yourself and family a favour:  Take Jutta’s advice to learn about how changes in energy flows will affect our common future. 

For example read Richard Heinberg’s new book, The End of Growth or view a quick source of facts on global energy: see, The Oil Age Poster, at the Picton Public Library.

Don Chisholm

This letter with web links can be seen at the CSG web page

http://www.countysustainability.ca/

Jutta Splettstoesser of Friends of Wind Ontario was asked about the challenges. “Friends of Wind Ontario” is a grassroots, volunteer group supporting wind power generation in Ontario. The first thing that struck me about Jutta was her “Calm Passion”. She is a mother of four, runs a farm and an immigrant to Canada. Although, she lacks resources and formal training, Jutta has become one of the most effective pro-wind advocates in Ontario.  Here are some of the comments she made about the challenges she has faced.

How did you get involved?

“I am from Germany originally and a lot what is going on in Ontario has been happening in Germany for 20 years. I was at a local council meeting and noticed that the councilors were leaning towards an anti-wind position. I did not know that much about the topic so I educated myself on the various aspects of wind turbine farms.  I thought the councilors were misinformed and needed to be more educated on the issue. I discussed a petition with other farmers in the area and we drafted a document with language around collaboration and opening dialogue with all participants. After that it just snowballed from there. Any grassroots organization needs just one person with the strength and courage to speak out. I ended up being that person!”

Why are you doing this?

“I feel it’s my responsibility to do this for my community, in Germany it’s common for people to speak out and defend their democratic rights. It’s scary but just feels natural to me.”

What were your biggest challenges? 

“People need to fight for their democracy but I fear they are scared to speak out because of the potential negative responses they get in return.  The Anti-wind groups are very intimidating, well organized and well-financed.  Other challenges: Getting people to sign the petition, finding the time and money to commit to this, learning to be interviewed by the press.  I had no training, no resources and very little money, most people would just walk away, it is very daunting.”

What else needs to be done?

“I think Ontario communities need to be more educated on the positive aspects of wind energy and renewables in general.  I would like the developers to take this on.  When done right, it only helps the developer and builds community support.”

What has been your best Interaction to date?

“When Friends of Wind Ontario had their first event in Clinton and were able to speak about the benefits of wind energy in a peaceful manner. The energy in the room was so positive. People were inspired and hopeful that we live in a free society and our opinions will be heard.”

- By Michael Tingle, ORTECH PowerPoint: September 2011

A number of key speakers and topics will be presented:

Open Minded toward Wind Energy – Jutta Splettstoesser, President, Friends of Wind Ontario

Why Doctors Support Wind Power! – Gideon Forman, Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment

Ontario is looking for a Green, Prosperous Future – Paul Seccaspina, CEO of Oraclepoll Research Limited

Impact of the WindEEE Institute at UWO for the Southwestern Ontario Region - Horia Hangan, Director of UWO Wind Tunnel & Project Lead, WindEEE

Potential of Renewable Energy in London – Vinay Sharma, CEO, London Hydro

We expect the event to be informative, thought-provoking and well-attended.

As seen in the below ad appearing in regional papers, our speakers have impressive personal, regulatory and technical credentials. Interest in these educational events will only increase as we head into the fall provincial election and beyond.

Please click here for further information.

Click here to read an article in the September 1^st issue of the Londoner describing our upcoming event.

We hope that you can get behind our efforts. Invite who you can to participate in London on September 8th. You can help us make a difference!

- Jutta Splettstoesser, Friends of Wind Ontario

Now imagine we could take advantage of this new opportunity without creating the usual side effects of industrial development, such as long-term environmental degradation or toxic air pollution — you might expect that policy makers, corporate leaders and communities would be lining up in support.

The industry featured in the above scenario isn’t fictional. A number of reports released recently show that green energy has begun to produce such benefits throughout Ontario.

Ontario has taken the lead in creating the right conditions for renewable energy to flourish — along with the jobs, technological expertise and pollution-free power supply that accompany growth in this sector. Yet, despite becoming a North American leader in this expanding global market, some people continue to call for Ontario to take a step backwards.

As with any new initiative, the programs initiated by the Green Energy Act have not been without growing pains, but more than 30 manufacturers and hundreds of other companies have already set up shop in Ontario because of Act.

A recent report by ClearSky Advisors estimates that wind energy developments in Ontario will create more than 80,000 person years of employment and attract more than $16 billion in new private sector investments in the next eight years. In the report, The Economic Impacts of the Wind Energy Sector in Ontario 2011 – 2018, ClearSky estimates that the number of jobs created by the wind industry in Ontario on an annual basis varies from a low of 5,700 person years of employment in 2011 to over 14,200 in 2014. The report also estimates that more than $1 billion in revenues will flow to local municipalities and landowners in the form of taxes and lease payments over the lifespan of the wind projects studied.

And it’s a similar story when it comes to solar power — another ClearSky report found that Ontario’s solar industry would create 74,000 person years of employment and roughly $13 billion of new private sector investments by 2018.

But nothing in the world is free — so the logical question is, just how much more would all of these benefits cost Ontarians?

It’s a complicated question with a surprising answer.

The Pembina Institute, a national sustainable energy think-tank, recently contracted a team of energy modelers to see how prices would be affected if the Green Energy Act were cancelled, and the energy that is currently planned to come from renewable sources were replaced with other electricity sources.

The Institute published the results of that study in a recent report, Behind the Switch: Pricing Ontario electricity options, which found that Ontario consumers would actually see very little change in rising electricity prices if the province completely cancelled its support for renewable energy. That’s because cancelling renewable energy means relying on some other form of power in its place — and that ‘something else’ is likely more fossil fuels, which are not free.

The modeling found that cancelling the Act might result in a slightly slower increase in electricity costs in the short term, but clean energy investments today will save homeowners money within about 15 years, as natural gas prices are forecast to start to rise. There is a fair bit of uncertainty about how quickly natural gas prices will rise in the future, but it is clear that the wind and sunshine are going to continue to be free and the cost of building new clean energy plants continues to decrease, as it has for decades.

So cancelling the Green Energy Act and relying more on natural gas for electricity would not only increase the uncertainty and volatility of electricity prices — there would be other costs for Ontario ratepayers, as more fossil fuels means increased costs related to negative health impacts, air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.

That’s the part of Ontario’s energy dilemma that we really need to be talking about.

Ontarian ratepayers deserve to know what the full costs and consequences of cancelling the green energy act would be — and what other energy sources would be used to replace renewable power in this province. If cancelling the Act means less clean energy, green jobs and more power from fossil fuels at a similar or higher price in the near future, it’s a bad deal for Ontarians in the long run.

-30-

Tim Wohlgemut is co-founder of ClearSky Advisors, a research firm focused on the renewable energy sector. Their reports are available online at http://www.clearskyadvisors.com

Tim Weis is director of renewable energy and efficiency policy for the Pembina Institute, a national, non-partisan sustainable energy think tank. The Institute’s reports Ontario electricity options are available online at http://www.pembina.org/re

We encourage you to join the conversation and leave your comments on the Sunday Toronto Star online.

Our proposed Ostrander Point Wind Energy Park, located on the south shore of Prince Edward County, has been in development since 2004. Gilead Power submitted its application for a Renewable Energy Approval to the Ministry of Environment on May 16, 2011 and is awaiting the Ministry’s posting on the Environmental Registry.

Gilead Power has always looked for new and effective ways to communicate with stakeholders in the community. Our goal is to ensure citizens have all the factual information they need to understand the project and the significant benefits it will bring to the community.

In order to communicate the benefits of the project, we designed a communications plan that includes social media and the ability for people to express their support for the project directly to decision makers. We set out to clearly articulate the ‘Top 10 Reasons to Support Ostrander Point Wind Energy Park’, and hope that you will share these with your friends and colleagues to help spread the message that wind delivers major benefits beyond clean enery:

Top Ten Reasons to Support Ostrander Point Wind Energy Park …..

• The Municipality of Prince Edward County will directly benefit from taxes paid by Gilead of approximately $1,000,000 over the life of the power purchase agreement.

 

• From the construction period alone, local residents and businesses can expect to benefit from approximately $2.3 million in new revenue generation to the local area.

 

• Our Ostrander Point Wind Energy Park will contribute significantly to the local workforce by ensuring that up to 50% of project employees are hired locally or in neighbouring communities.

 

• Once operational, the Ostrander Point Wind Energy Park will produce 22.5MW of clean energy- enough to power 5,600 homes each year.

 

• Wind is the ultimate low-cost, effective alternative to fossil fuels with an infinite supply of clean energy into the future. Furthermore, fuel cost for wind is free and therefore, not subject to market price escalation as is the case with coal and nuclear.

 

• The ease and speed of construction for the Ostrander Point Wind Energy Park relative to other forms of energy generation means that you will not be inconvenienced by lengthy construction periods.

 

• Because the generation of electricity from the wind does not result in any air emissions or waste, the Ostrander Point Wind Energy Park will be offsetting high- polluting forms of energy generation.

 

• The Ostrander Point Wind Energy Park was designed to be sensitive to the wildlife of the area. That means that we will construct at times least disruptive to existing wildlife. Once operational, the Ostrander Point Facility will employ some of the most aggressive mitigation measures in North America to protect local and migratory species.

 

• The Ostrander Point Wind Energy Park will provide a safer environment for wildlife and recreational users by ensuring that explosive material remaining from the site’s former World War II use are safely removed from the site.

 

• The Ostrander Point Wind Energy Park is a step in the right direction to ensuring that our environment can support our society, economy and way of life now and in the future.

 

Michael J Lord,
Vice President, Project Development
Gilead Power Corporation

The Friends of Wind Ontario are organizing community meetings to provide information about wind power generation and engage communities in supporting wind power generation.

There were about almost 100 people at the meeting.

In her opening remarks, Jutta said the following. “I am a full-time farmer from the Kincardine area who supports wind energy development. I am not paid or supported by the wind industry, but I volunteer my time and efforts in supporting the diversification of our energy supply. This is important to me and my family. I believe that it is important to stand up for our beliefs and set aside emotions.”

Jutta said she receives phone calls and e-mails from people telling her they are either too busy or are afraid to contribute their views in support of wind turbines. She hopes Friends of Wind Ontario public events will positively influence public perceptions of wind power through fact-based material provided in a non-confrontational manner with plenty of opportunity for questions.

Another speaker, Kate Dietrich from Teeswater, described her family’s experience with people who are opposed to wind. She said her family often feels intimidated by their treatment and their unwillingness to listen to other views supported by facts.

Kate believes that public meetings where people can hear and discuss information about wind power are essential. As Jutta does, she believes that farmers and wind turbines can live in harmony close to each other. Wind power is a free and unlimited resource that is emission neutral and doesn’t require large amounts of water resources.

As Jutta said, “If Ontario communities want to keep the agriculture industry enticing for the next generation, we need to be innovative and sustainable in terms of energy sources, uses, and applications.”

Another speaker was Tim Weis. He is director of renewable energy and efficiency policy at the Pembina Institute. He and his colleagues at Pembina recently completed a study of the future of Ontario energy prices (http://www.pembina.org/pub/2238), Behind the switch: pricing Ontario electricity options.

The study finds that Ontario consumers would see virtually no relief from high electricity prices if the province cancelled its support for renewable energy under the Green Energy Act.

In fact, the study indicates that investing in renewable energy today is likely to save Ontario ratepayers money within the next 15 years, as natural gas becomes more expensive and as the cost of renewable energy technology continues to decrease.

Dr. Weis says: “Whether Ontarians choose to keep or kill the Green Energy Act, electricity prices will continue to rise in this province because of the serious – and costly – refurbishments, repairs and replacements required to fix Ontario’s energy system.”

Ontario needs to replace the majority of electricity generation within the next 10 to 20 years, Dr. Weis said. “You simply cannot replace assets that were bought and paid for in the 1970s with new facilities today, and expect to pay prices on par with those four decades ago.

“Cancelling the Green Energy Act would make very little or no difference to Ontario ratepayers, because to meet electricity demand, the amount of energy that’s currently planned from renewable sources would have to be replaced with other options – which would likely work out to be more polluting, and less sustainable, and in the long-run more expensive.”

Ultimately, Dr. Weis’s research shows that Ontario’s ratepayers stand to lose more than they would gain in the short term by cancelling the Green Energy Act, because doing so would lead to higher costs and more risk in the long run.

The final speaker was Toronto environmental lawyer Diane Saxe. She is one of the world’s top 25 environmental lawyers, a Certified Specialist in Environmental Law and has a Ph.D. in Law.

Dr. Saxe discussed the recent decision by Ontario’s Environmental Review Tribunal concerning Suncor’s Kent Breeze Wind Farm Project (Erickson v. Ministry of the Environment).

This is an important decision since it was the first challenge of a project approved under Ontario’s Green Energy Act (http://envirolaw.com/erickson-appeal-decision/).

The Tribunal found that wind turbines can be built in Ontario despite opponents’ claims of adverse health effects.

Specifically, Dr. Saxe said that the Tribunal found that there is no evidence that wind turbines sited according to the rules established by the Green Energy Act directly cause health effects.

The Tribunal found that there is some evidence that wind turbines might have some “indirect” health effects but these are not sufficient to harm human health.

An “indirect” health effect is one that is not directly produced by an operating wind turbine such as noise, shadow flicker or ice. For example, some people might find wind turbines or even the idea of wind turbines so annoying that they experience stress symptoms such as loss of sleep and headaches but there is no evidence that these indirect effects cause serious harm to human health.

The Tribunal bases their findings on detailed consideration of the studies that wind opponents say prove that wind turbines harm human health. Effectively the Tribunal’s findings establish that there is no basis for wind opponents claims of health impacts.

The Friends of Wind next public meeting is planned for Chatham Kent on August 18 at 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM in Chatham Banquet & Conference Centre, 280 Merritt Ave . The speakers will be Jutta Splettstoesser, President, Friends of Wind Ontario, Dr. W. David Colby, MSc, MD, FRC PC, Acting Medical Officer of Health-Chatham/Kent, Rudy Zubler, Ridgetown, dairy farmer and John Kourtoff, President & CEO of Trillium Power Wind Corporation.

- Robert Knox, Collingwood, Ontario

I am very proud of what my husband is doing. It makes me sad that when people ask him what he does for a living he starts off by saying I don’t really like to tell people what I do because of all the negativity over the windmills. I think he should be proud of what he does, he is part of something great, that as a community we are moving forward in our quest for green energy and sustainable living. I was very excited for him when he got the job six years ago. As a single income family we were able to stay in the area that we grew up in and we could raise our children here. We feel that we are raising them in a wholesome atmosphere trying to make less of a footprint on the earth, with him as a windsmith and I as a stay at home mother.

I grew up on a farm in Southern Bruce County. As someone raised in this community I feel a sense of responsibility to maintain the quality of life and the values that were bestowed upon me. My ancestors have lived solely off of agriculture in Southern Bruce County for five generations. To me, the windmills are an added bonus to the farming operation. They hardly take up any space on the land and do not interfere with other operations and they help finance the farm. As you probably already know farming can really have its ups and downs financially. As the generations before us, farmers are always having to adapt to new ways to stay afloat, with wind farming this could be just another adaption for the farmers.

My mother and her husband currently have some windmills on their farm and are surrounded by them up near Tiverton ,Ontario they have had them for about five years now and they love them.   They do not interfere with their farm operation in fact they love the road ways built up to the windmills because they make use of them while they are taking the crops off. The bigger vehicles and machinery can get into the fields much easier. My mother likes to look out her window and see them because she thinks they are like sculptures, beautiful and sleek looking, she is always taking pictures of them with the different weather behind them and also they tell her which way the wind is blowing. She also talks of the sound that’s created by the windmills, which I have experienced as well, it is a soft rhythmic sound that is actually quite meditative and not nearly as noisy as a car or truck driving by.

When I had heard that Jutta was starting a friends of the wind campaign I was really happy because I have always thought there needs to be a voice on the positive side because there are a lot of people benefiting from them, they are green energy, and the way of the future and why would we let such a wonderful money making industry leave our community. It is exciting to have this new industry on our land. St. Lawrence College in Kingston, Ontario has a new program at their school Wind Turbine Technology where students learn to become a windsmith. It makes me feel better to know that when my kids get older that there is one more option for them in post secondary education that they will be able to bring back home and not have to move away to start their career. 

“Our generation has inherited an incredible beautiful world from our parents and they from their parents. It is in our hands whether our children and their children inherit the same world” Richard Branson.

- Katie Dietrich, Teeswater, Ontario

A number of key speakers & topics will be presented at the event:

Pricing Ontario Electricity Options: Dr. Tim Weis, P.Eng., Ph.D. Director, Renewable Energy and Efficiency Pembina Institute

Wind for My Community: Kate Dietrich, Teeswater, resident

Community Power: Our own Dianne Saxe, Ph.D. Law, DSA President, WindShare

Open Minded Toward Wind Energy: Jutta Splettstoesser, Kincardine Farmer, President, Friends of Wind Ontario

We expect the event to be informative, thought-provoking and well-attended. Depending on who attends, it might also be contentious, however we have taken a number of precautions to minimize potential incidents. As seen in the below ad appearing in regional papers, our speakers have impressive personal, regulatory and technical credentials in wind energy. Interest in these educational events will only increase as we head into the fall provincial election and beyond.

Please click here for further information.

Additional Event Info:

On Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Friends-of-Wind/153027334755197?sk=wall
OSEA website listing: http://www.ontario-sea.org/Page.asp?PageID=1209&ContentID=3161&SiteNodeID=218&BL_ExpandID=
Map of the Clinton event location: http://maps.yahoo.com/#mvt=m&lat=43.612384&lon=-81.536847&zoom=16&q1=95%20Kirk%20St%2C%20Clinton%2C%20Ontario%20N0M%201L0%20
 (from London take Richmond St. N; when entering Clinton, take Kirk St, turning east (right) off Hwy 4; if you see the radar and Hwy 8, you’ve gone too far)

- Jutta Splettstoesser, Friends of Wind Ontario

Wind is 13.5 cents locked in for a 20 year contract. It is not responsible to try and convince the public that wind costs 80 cents.

The Pembina report: Behind the switch is available on the CanWEA website but its conclusion is below:

I believe wind is very competitive long term if environmental issues are also considered in the equation including the 20 year lock in agreement. We certainly have no idea what fossil fuel costs will be in 20 years time.

The PEMBINA conclusion is, and I quote:

“Within the next 15 years, as natural gas prices begin to rise and increased action (including some form of price on carbon emissions) is likely to be taken to combat climate change, the simulation found that investing in renewable generation today will keep consumer prices slightly lower in the long term.”

If we had more resources like Niagara Falls, the fuel debate for electricity generation would, of course, not be necessary.

In my opinion, we will be penalized both financially and environmentally if we do not have a significant portion of renewable wind power in our future electricity mix in Ontario.

Roger Yates, P.Eng

Newcastle Ontario

-It means taking time to attend council meetings, open houses and other public events when you might have other things you’d rather be doing.

-It means signing that petition or writing that letter of support or talking with that person who helps make decisions about wind farm proposals.

-It means caring about the family farmers who help put that food on your plate each day. By supporting the wind turbines they hope to have on their land to provide a dependable cash crop, they can pay their bills and keep farming without having to hold down multiple jobs just to make ends meet.

-It means finding a way to cope with the conflicts and feuds fanned in communities by much of our media. It’s helpful to realize that it’s been said the job of an editor is to separate the wheat from the chaff and then ensure that the chaff gets published.

-It means bringing forward accurate information to your friends and neighbours to help overcomes their fears and misunderstanding.

-It means inspiring hope and motivating people to get involved in creating positive change.

-It means being prepared to hang in there for as many years as it takes to get those wind energy projects approved and commissioned in your region.

-It means seeing an operational wind farm and realizing that there is in fact, some signs of intelligent life on planet earth after all, when human ingenuity meets natures gift of endless clean fuel.

-It means not accepting the status quo for electricity generation when renewable energy is readily able to replace so much of our outdated and harmful methods.

-It means taking actions that place the future welfare of your children and grandchildren at the very top of your priority list.

-It means understanding that all great truths have to pass through 3 stages: 1st it is ridiculed, 2nd it is violently opposed, and 3rd it is accepted as self-evident, even though you went straight to the 3rd stage 12 years ago.

-It means coming to the realization that you may have thought you had entered into a 10 K race, only to find that it was actually a marathon…..no, wait a minute…they just moved the finish line again and now you’re in an ultra-marathon with no markers guiding you to the tape.

-It means never quitting, and working step by step toward that all important tipping point whereby the goal of 20% wind energy by 2025 in Canada becomes inevitable.

-It means seeing climate change as the defining challenge of our generation, with wind energy being one of the many ways of minimizing the worst effects, by reducing the amounts of CO2 we pour into the atmosphere.

- Don Ross, Prince Edward County, friend of wind

*****

Want to learn more about Don Ross? Link to the summer edition of Bullfrog Buzz where Don is featured as a green energy hero. Congratulations Don!  

High quality, dependable renewable energy projects, owned and administered by reliable and financially solid investors is what this Province and this Country needs now and going forward into the future.

The climate of our world is rapidly changing for the worse, to help abate this situation green, renewable energy projects in the form of wind generation are urgently needed; there is no time to waste.  High quality projects like the one being proposed by Capital Power must be allowed to be developed as quickly as possible.

In addition to the huge environmental benefits of this project, there is also the great economic stimulus Capital Power’s project will mean for Haldimand and Norfolk Counties.

I have been a resident of Haldimand County for thirty plus years and know very well the great need the County has for economic development. The project proposed by Capital Power will provide a much needed benefit to Haldimand County residents, through potential employment opportunities, businesses through providing supplies etc. during development and in service opportunities once the project is complete, to landowners through land lease payments and to the County in general through a new form of tax revenue.

The project will also bring to Haldimand and Norfolk Counties the latest in modem technology by some of the most technologically advanced companies; this will provide a direct benefit to our newly trained College and University graduates as well as to our skilled workers all of whom may be able to find stimulating employment in an “industry of the future” close to home.

Finally, in my opinion the Green Energy Act/Environmental Protection Act ( O. Reg 359/09) provides a very suitable template for the development of this project, Capital Power has worked to comply with the requirements of the regulation. Much thought, research and public consultation went in to development of the act and the regulation by the Government of Ontario.

The time for second guessing should be over. This project should be allowed to go forward for the good of all concerned.

I am certain, in the future this project will be viewed as a very positive and forward thinking decision “back in 2011″

Thank you for the opportunity to provide my comments on this very worthwhile project.

- Perry Barnhart, Haldimand County

But in spite of the increased focus on Ontario’s electricity system, and in particular the Green Energy Act, there has been little information about how replacing the Act would affect electricity prices in the future.

The Pembina Institute set out to answer that question in our latest report, Behind the switch: pricing Ontario electricity options.

I sat down with Tim Weis , lead author of the report, to discuss the results of this research — and why Ontario prices are likely to continue rising sharply over the coming decade, regardless of whether the province keeps the Green Energy Act or builds something else in its place.

To read the Q&A with Tim Weis, Director, Renewable Energy and Efficiency Policy, Pembina Institute please click here.  

—————-

Have some time to read Pembina’s news release? Just click here.

- Julia Kilpatrick, Pembina

These new wind projects mean that Ontario’s Feed-in Tariff (FIT) program is now facilitating development of more than 3,175 MW of new wind energy projects to provide clean electricity to power Ontario families and businesses. 

Jutta Splettstoesser was there to welcome the announcement.

——-

I speak to you as a mother, a farmer, an agriculture engineer and a citizen of the Municipality of Kincardine.

The government of Ontario has made some bold and exciting decisions to encourage the development of renewable emission free energy and we applaud them for this. That is why friends of wind are here to celebrate this announcement. 

Landowners are proud to host wind projects in our community. We hope that our society learns to be more open minded toward clean energy and will be supportive of local renewable and progressive energy development. The community power model for LakeWind and other future projects may be the key to shifting the attitudes of residents.

With wind we all win!

- Jutta Splettstoesser, Kincardine, Friend of Wind

Autre lien à un communiqué de presse du gouvernement du Québec annonçant du financement de 1,7 million de dollars pour aider à la formation des nouveaux employés.

Wind energy is now the fastest growing source of electricity worldwide. However, in some places where new windmills are being proposed, people are worried that they might be bothered by the sounds they make. In Ontario especially, folks are increasingly uneasy about how loud new windmills might be.

For better or for worse, we have adapted to a life of auditory extremes. Whether you live in the country or in the city, chances are you have adapted to some kind of noise every day. Tires on a road, two-stroke whines from snowmobiles, motorcycles and jet-skis, diesel trucks, barking dogs, neighbours, airplanes, trains, music, construction, air conditioners, refrigerators, dishwashers, power tools — the list of human created sounds is endless.

It’s a bit confusing then that one of quieter things we build — windmills — are said to be the subject of great handwringing and upset.

When you step back and think about it, renewable energy is actually one of the more benign things in our society. It doesn’t pollute our air, it doesn’t poison our water, and compared to pretty much everything else, let’s be honest — it’s not very loud either.

New designs of windmill blades are getting quieter all the time, and will continue to improve. Plus, there are minimum setbacks in place which set the distance that windmills must be built from the nearest home or workplace to ensure that noise isn’t an issue.

In the difficult task of protecting the environment and our health for current and future generations, windmills are an important tool. Sited appropriately while ensuring real involvement for local communities, they will help protect both.

Put in perspective, windmills aren’t one of our problems, but are in fact an important solution. And, as you’ll see in this video we made, life is loud… windmills, not so much.

Adam Scott
Environmental Defence

A new report released today concludes that there are multiple and significant opportunities for Ontario farmers to benefit from investments in renewable energy on their farms. The report, written in collaboration with the Pembina Institute, the Heinrich Boell Foundation, the United Church of Canada and Climate Action Network Canada, uses a trans-Atlantic comparison between Germany and Ontario to examine ways in which Ontario farmers could benefit from Ontario clean energy policies and incentives.

“Farmers and community groups now have the opportunity to participate in the electricity market as owners. Not only does this provide farmers with additional revenues but it can also lead to increased local economic development” says Kristi Anderson of the Pembina Institute.

In conjunction with the report launch, the authors are currently hosting German farmer and renewable energy expert Hans-Detlef Feddersen on a speaking tour throughout Southwestern Ontario. Mr. Feddersen is sharing his experiences in the development of highly successful renewable energy projects on farms throughout Germany.

“Ontario is on the brink of a huge breakthrough in clean energy, clean air, diversifying its rural economy and fighting climate change,” says Graham Saul of Climate Action Network Canada. “It is now time to share success stories and ensure that people who care about our shared future are taking advantage of the incredible opportunities that this energy revolution has in store and standing up for clean energy.”

Read PEMBINA Institute’s full news release.

The full report is available here.

The tour schedule is available here.

It is not easy being a farmer in Ontario these days.

First of all, farmers are the overloaded backbone of Ontario’s food chain.  They’re over-worked by frequently having to hold down two jobs to maintain the family farm. Every year they bet that farm as they plant their crops. If they lose the crop, they’re in danger of losing the farm. In contrast, consumers go to their grocery stores and ignore where their food comes from or how fragile their local farm economies are.

These farmers are typically an extension of many generations on their family’s land. In Ontario, many farms are now in their fourth or fifth generation. Unfortunately, they’ve been required to sever off an acre or two of their forefathers’ land to weekenders. Ironically, those weekenders are now dictating what they can do with their land.

Many farmers live in areas where the wind resource is plentiful and where wind energy revenue has real economic benefit compared to traditional suppliers of electricity. When they lease their lands for wind energy harvesting, they provide a benefit to all of us and a sorely needed source of cash to support their farming operation. The lease income can literally save the family farm by covering occasional crop losses. The income also allows one of the parents to stay home to care for the children.

Turbines are perfect partners for traditional farming. They don’t reduce any of the farm’s agricultural output. The turbine infrastructure (access roads, the turbine foundation and distribution lines) require less than 1 or 2 per cent of acreage. Frequently, the land for the turbines and access roads was not even used for farming and sometimes, with proper planning, the infrastructure for turbines can make parts of farms more accessible than they were before.

Farms with turbines are good partners in Ontario’s rural agricultural communities.

Farmers who lease their land for turbines are providing additional tax revenue at no cost to the community. This revenue improves roads and supports amenities like libraries. And, because they are farmers, if they have turbines they tend to spend what they earn from the turbines in their own community and that makes the local economy stronger.

We could go on about the benefits that farmers who lease their land for turbines bring to their community: it makes them “green”, it improves the local electrical system which, in turn, provides new opportunities for economic development, etcetera, etcetera.

If this is so, why are some municipal councils in rural Ontario opposing wind turbines. Who can say but don’t blame the farmers. They are farmers! They know a good deal when they see one. So far over 1000 of them in Ontario are voting with their property, their businesses and their families.

We should all listen to them and we should all thank them for using their land to make our lives better.

- Malcolm Hamilton, Roger Short and Robert Knox – Ontario Highlands Friends of Wind

The context was Global Wind Day – 15 June – when all around the world events took place in honour of the power that resides in wind – power that creates electricity and can bring us a greener future free from dependence on polluting and expensive fossil fuels.

Crowds gathered to watch the performance and receive a ‘seeded leaflet’ explaining the benefits of wind energy for our climate, our job market, for energy independence from imported fossil fuels and for the amount of water for cooling wind energy needs: zero.

Anyone who received a leaflet can now plant it, water it, wait a while, and watch seedlings emerge and grow into an array of brightly coloured flowers – symbolic of the greener future wind energy promises.

Read the European Wind Energy Association’s blog for many more reports on Global Wind Day events: http://blog.ewea.org

- Zoë Casey, Belgium

This is just one example of the 80,328 expected job years over the course of 2011 through 2018.
The Minister of Energy, Brad Duguid, listened to my concerns. I was able to inform him about our petition for Wind, Solar and Biomass to start a real conversation with our Municipalities of Kincardine and Huron-Kinloss. There are a lot of opportunities out there. We just have to start educating and thinking with an open mind and be creative. It is a joy to see how many friends of wind I was able to meet.

I started to speak publically pro- wind since the beginning of April. Last week I spoke in person with our MPP Carol Mitchell and received a lot of respect from her for my fearless and passionate courage to give people a voice.

The Mohawk Point wind farm was another highlight of the day. The amount of power it produces is more than predicted and services the local community.

More than 80 countries are using wind energy on a commercial basis today.”Wind energy has become the locomotive of the change of the energy system worldwide. … Wind is one of the fastest growing energy sources, and today one of the most economical solutions for electricity.”, declared WWEA President Dr. Anil Kane in Bonn (Germany).

Jutta Splettstoesser
Kincardine, Ontario
June 15, 2011

Albert Einstein is quoted as having said “We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.” If we resist change and cling to what we all know is contributing to the destruction of our planetary eco-system, how intelligent can we call our species? Wind energy is one of the finest examples of solving problems by thinking differently about them. For the past decade it has been leading the charge into the future, at a growth rate above 30%. In some countries, the USA being our closest example, it has become the leading source of all newly built electrical generation.

Another quote which has relevance to the development of wind energy comes from Arthur Schopenhauer, who said, “All great truths have to pass through 3 stages: 1st it is ridiculed, 2nd it is violently opposed, and 3rd it is accepted as self-evident. “Canada finds itself about 20 years behind many European countries that have long ago come to consider wind energy as a self-evident truth. In some parts of the country we find ourselves now in the 2nd stage. And in other parts, we are even making plodding steps towards the 3rd stage. Together with a vision to adopt new thinking, Canadians are making the choice to combine conservation and lifestyle changes with a shifted focus to renewable energy. The sooner we get on board, the more readily we can adapt to inevitable global changes.

Here is a small sampling of some of the positive news to share with you on this annual Global Wind Day:

• In addition to 2,125 MW of signed contracts in place today, applications have already been made for an additional 6,672 MW of wind energy development in Ontario. Ontario is Canada’s wind energy leader with 1,636 MW of current installed capacity. Each 100 MW of wind energy development represents a minimum of 100 jobs, $250 million in private investment, and $300,000 in revenue to municipal governments in the form of taxes and an equal amount to rural landowners in the form of lease payments. Each 100 MW of wind energy also provides Ontarians with enough clean, affordable electricity to power about 30,000 homes. 

• From an April 2011 report by The Union of Concerned Scientists, entitled “Renewables: Energy You Can Count On -Tapping Into Wind Power”,  experts project that well-situated wind will continue to compete with natural gas as the low­est-cost power option (Wiser and Bolinger 2010).  This same report goes on to list some of the many benefits of wind energy to regions that are able to access this natural resource, which include: More Stable Power Costs, Job Creation, Stronger Local Economies, Greater Economic Security, Cleaner Air, Less Global Warming Emissions, Reduced Water Use, No Water Pollution or Waste.

             We owe it to ourselves and our descendants to look beyond the media negativity focussed on a small number of naysayers, to discover what most wind energy supporters (over 80% in most polls) already know or are discovering daily: Wind energy is here to stay. It will continue to become more vital to our electrical grid, will become more widely understood, accepted and self-evident as a sustainable option, and will lead us all into a truly renewable energy future in this 21st Century. Wind energy stands for change and stands for hope.

Don Ross- Director with the County Sustainability Group

[It has been implied] that the wind turbine installation would be a great affront to the ‘natural’ environment that exists in [Prince Edward County].  Since the coming of the Europeans the south shore has been used by man for various enterprises including forestry, shipbuilding, farming, fishing, military operations, off-roading, cottaging, and abandonment.  Nature has adapted to each activity.

The small picture: relates to the area specifically occupied by the proposed site for the wind turbines.  This area contains 2 threatened species, the Blanding’s Turtle and the Whip-poor-will.  Neither was here 10,000 years ago when the area was covered by glaciers.  The Blanding’s Turtle was probably here when Europeans arrived but the Whip-poor-will probably arrived after significant man-made openings in the forest occurred.  The Blanding’s Turtle is threatened because of nest predation by skunks, fox and coyote, as well as being the victim of road kills.  It prefers gravel as a nest site which makes gravel roads a boon and a danger.  The Whip-poor-will is threatened by succession (land returning to its natural state as before man) as well as being the victim of road kill.  It likes to sit on gravel roads at night.  The road way is often the opening in the forest it needs to hunt the insects it eats.  Turbines require a restricted access road for their construction and maintenance.  They also require the area around them be kept clear of trees to prevent turbulence.  It is quite reasonable to conclude both species will adapt and even benefit from the restricted access gravel road and the bird from the cessation of succession.

What of the wetlands and existing forest?  The turbine proposal calls for the maintenance of the wetland, as it should.  Even though Blanding’s Turtle will range up to 5-6 km per year from pond to pond, the wetland ecosystem should be maintained.  We know how to build roads without compromising wetlands and that can be ensured during construction.  The turbines themselves will not be in a wetland area.  Virtually 100% of the area where the turbines are to be located is land once cleared by man and that has since been left for nature to take its course.  It is called succession because over time species after species become established and are succeeded by other species.  The earlier flora and fauna become insignificant or disappear.  What is there today is just a brief snapshot in time as to what has been and what will be there.  It is not a pristine wilderness.

A bigger picture involves Ostrander Point being part of the Important Bird Area.  There are international criteria established for the creation of important bird areas.  Prince Edward Point meets criteria A4i and A4iii.  These criteria relate to waterfowl, specifically the large numbers of Scaup, Long-tailed Ducks, Mergansers and Scoters that winter in the waters around the south shore.  It does not meet any internationally recognized standards for land birds.  Regardless, the Prince Edward Point Observatory counts 750,000 birds migrating through in a year.  Bird kills from 9 turbines, even using the inflated rate of 10 birds per turbine, would make no difference in the number of birds passing through the area.  In fact even 200 turbines in the south of the county would make no difference.  There is also the question no anti-turbine person chooses to answer – what difference will the turbines make to bird populations?  The reason is the answer is zero.  Not one bit.  To understand why there will be no impact is rather simple and relates to reproductive success.  To be successful at reproducing, birds need favourable nest sites and food.  If fewer birds reach their nesting grounds they will be able to occupy the very best nest sites.  With less competition for food the birds that nest will produce larger broods.  They may also produce more than one brood per year.  Birds maximize the resources available to maximize their populations.  In good years most species can more than double their populations.  In poor years the opposite can happen.

The US Wildlife Service has actually attempted to put numbers to this ability of birds to reproduce.  They estimate 22 billion birds migrate south each year.  Of those 22 billion birds only about 10 billion birds return to their nesting grounds in the spring.  More than half the birds die along the way. That number equates to over 1000 bird kills per square mile in the migration areas of Central and North America.  It gives one pause to think when 600 bird kills are attributed to all the turbines on Wolfe Island.

The biggest picture involves the impact of climate change.  There are 16 different aspects of climate that have been tied to CO2 levels in the atmosphere of which temperature rise is but one.  The impact of climate change includes the extirpation of the Boreal Forest from Ontario.  Many of the birds that migrate through Prince Edward County do so to reproduce in the Boreal Forest.  Where will those birds go to nest?  Then there is the northern Tundra.  What will happen to the Tundra when there is no permafrost?  The Tundra is the nesting site of all those ducks that legitimize the Important Bird Area designation for Prince Edward Point.  Shorelines in the Arctic are being rapidly eroded by the longer ice-free days, and shores no longer protected from waves.  What of the birds that nest there?

Persons truly concerned about birds and other species recognize that we are in a crisis situation that could impact the very existence of many of the species that now call Canada and Prince Edward County home.  We have run out of time and need to act urgently.  Prince Edward County can and should be part of the solution.  To date we have done nothing but prevaricate and delay.

Try as the anti-turbine faction might to make their stance an issue about birds and turtles, it is not.  The nature and wildlife will adapt as they always have.  Their stance should be about is the state of the global environment we leave to our grandchildren.

Written by John Legate of the County Sustainability Group

I’ve watched the wind power debate unfold over the past 11 years, and feel I’ve grasped a reasonable understanding of the issue’s complexity. I also recognize the differing personal opinions and feelings involved. Yet within myself, I come back to the same conclusions.

No, I don’t love development; I love wildlife and natural spaces. But while I think that living by candlelight might be cool, I’m living in a society that really likes having energy. I see that 60 per cent of our energy comes from coal and nuclear. And I am very afraid of coal and nuclear. I know we have a lot of wind here, I feel it when I’m biking. I can acknowledge harnessing the wind’s renewable energy will affect some wildlife (10 birds/turbine/year-ish), as most our human activity does. Of course all life is important, which is why the life that’s affected by nuclear waste and coal disturbs me to no end. Should Darlington Nuclear become Japan or Chernobyl, far more than some blandings turtles and the whip-poor-wills will be disturbed. I needn’t to go into how much coal has harmed the environment and the ecosystems wildlife depend on. In my reality these are the options.

I agree the County is our special beautiful home. I know, I grew up here. But I also know that if I use electricity, I should have to see it and know exactly where it comes from, or else I don’t deserve to have it. I think there is a massive disconnect between we who consume power, and its production. We should know firsthand the impact our choices have- from the food we eat, to the products we buy, and to the energy that’s powering our homes right now.

This is why I choose to have wind turbines in my back yard.

Jenna Ross, Milford

Jenna’s piece was published in The Picton Gazette as well as The County Weekly News.

            The number of jobs being discussed by ECO Canada, whose mandate is research, training and certification of environmental careers, is impressive. In 2006 there were an estimated 500,000 environmental sector jobs across the country, and this number is expected to reach 570,000 by next year. Inevitably the Ontario Green Energy and Economy Act, implemented in 2009, will add to these totals once it begins to kick into high gear. All of this is a good news story. However, the down side is that the rising demand is surpassing the ability of schools and industry to train workers to fill these crucial roles.

            Fortunately, as with almost every problem, solutions exist. It’s useful to remember that problems are merely solutions waiting to be discovered. Some recommendations include early stimulation of environmental interests for children by integrating sustainability studies into the curriculum of elementary and middle-school programs. We are seeing this happening more frequently in Ontario schools, including right here in Prince Edward County where we live. I’ve had the pleasure of taking part in annual Earth Day celebrations at Kente School for the past several years, with speakers, presentations, hands-on experiences and field trips related to sustainability, conservation, renewable energy, nature and more. Moira High School in nearby Belleville has a geo-adventure program where students learn about nature, environmental issues and renewable energy.

            Just an hour’s drive east of the County, St. Lawrence College in Kingston has been graduating Renewable Energy technicians for the past few years, fulfilling the dream of the visionary Volker Thompson who helped create this program while chancellor of the school. They’re also now graduating their first classes of Wind Energy technicians, who have had hands-on experience thanks to the nearby Wolfe Island TransAlta Eco-Centre. Queens University continues to produce talented environmental engineers and scientists; together with organizations such as Switch Kingston, this has helped make that city into one of the provincial hubs for alternative energy.

            The County Sustainability Group is making an effort to support and encourage our local County students who choose to enter into anything related to environmental studies after they complete High School in Picton. An annual bursary of $350 has been created (this # representing atmospheric CO2 reduction targets -see http://www.350.org/). It was awarded for the first time last June to a deserving PECI graduate who was going on to pursue further education in sustainable development. Some possible areas of study would include renewable energy, conservation, energy efficiency, sustainable agriculture or food production. It is hoped that this bursary will continue to grow and expand over the coming years, and this June it will be offered to two deserving students.

Anyone wishing to get involved in this endeavour by offering financial support to this bursary fund can contact Don Ross at 613-476-8016 or ecodonross@hotmail.com, or other CSG members in the PEC community.

Don Ross- Friend of Wind in Prince Edward County, Ontario

http://ontario-sea.org/Page.asp?PageID=924&ContentID=3065&AA_SiteLanguageID=1

Don Ross- Friend of Wind in Prince Edward County, Ontario

Make sure to take a look at Canada’s Power Supply Map which shows the types of power plants used across Canada and how these are expected to evolve over the coming years. Use the slider below the map to move from 2010 to 2020 and watch our power supply change.

The map displays power plants across Canada that generated 50 megawatts or more.

You can highlight Wind to see how wind power is expected to evolve over the coming years. 

Have fun!

Lydia – Student and Friend of Wind

Wind power is also an excellent way to prevent further global warming by reducing the amount of carbon dioxide emissions we produce when making electricity.  Windmills are allowing us to shut down our massively polluting coal-fired power plants, the largest sources of CO2, air pollution and toxins in the province.    

Renewable Energy isn’t responsible for rising electricity rates.  The independent Environmental Commissioner of Ontario, Gord Miller, recently showed that all renewable energy and conservation combined represent only a measly 3 per cent of electricity bills. Ontario has to replace an aging electricity system, we have no choice about that, but we do have a choice to build clean, safe and local generation this time around.  

Under the FIT program, wind producers only get paid a maximum of 13.5 cent per kWh – period.  That’s likely less than the all-in cost of nuclear when all the tax subsidized stranded debt, nuclear waste disposal and safety concerns are considered.      

Under the Green Energy Act, wind and solar producers only get paid for actual electricity they generate – so ratepayers are never on the hook for the huge construction, maintenance, fuel costs, and downtime associated with dirty old electricity plants.  If the windmill doesn’t generate – we don’t pay.

Renewable energy is also a huge boost to jobs in Ontario. The Green Energy Act requires that 50 per cent of windmill projects and 60 per cent of solar projects must be Ontario content. This has sparked a whole new green energy industry that is creating new jobs across the province. For example windmill blades will be built in Tillsonburg, solar panels are being made in Guelph, and in small communities everywhere local trades and businesses are finding new work.  

When we take a breath, learn the facts and think it through, the future looks cleaner, safer and more prosperous with renewable energy.

Adam Scott

The whole process of producing this documentary began for me two years ago when I pitched it for a second year magazine show that my college course produced. It wasn’t long after the Green Energy Act had been announced and I had a week to put together a six and a half minute segment that would tell the story. Normally the crew would consist of a director, which was my job, a camera operator, an editor and a segment producer from the broadcast journalism program across the hallway. Through a scheduling conflict, I ended up only using the segment producer for a voice over and produced the production, on top of directing, interviewing and editing. We covered a lot of ground and spoke with a lot of people, from various positions and backgrounds and really focused on what was happening and not why. Since that production, I’d had a taste in my mouth that I just couldn’t shake: I wanted to look at wind turbines more in depth, and expand the project to include some investigation, as well as an entertainment aspect. I got the chance in my third and final year and haven’t looked back. The year was a roller coaster and we had moments of triumph and moments of pure dread and disheartenment. I have to thank my crew: Matty, Brad and Ducky, my instructors, my friends and family, everyone who participated in the documentary and gave their voice for us to use, and anyone who contributed advice, knowledge, observation, and experience – without each and every one of you, this documentary wouldn’t be the same. I thank you. We thank you. Please enjoy our documentary and I hope it provides moments of shock, awe, and clarity.

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to email them to me at mitchhaigh@gmail.com.

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There has been much effort made in the media to lead the public to believe that their electricity bills have been spiraling due to the cost of subsidies to wind and solar initiatives of our energy conservation programs.  The 80 cents/kilowatt hour (kWh) for solar is frequently cited as the greatest offender, even though that rate only applies to rooftop solar with a capacity of 10 kW or less. In total, such installations currently amount to just 34 MW out of the 37,000 MW of installed generation in the province.   Not mentioned are the subsidies paid to our private natural gas generators, or those paid to Bruce Power, when the market price doesn’t meet their guaranteed price (which is almost all the time).  The latter subsidies involve 70% of the global adjustment monies paid out, simply because they pay for the delivery of much more power.  In fact, the Ontario Power Authority paid out $1.35 billion in 2010 to meet gas and nuclear power purchase agreements.

So how significant are the subsidies to renewable energy and the monies paid for conservation in a typical residential electricity bill anyway?  To answer that we had better clarify what a typical electricity rate is per kilowatt hour delivered to your home.  There has been much confusion about that as well….

…continue reading here

The report goes on to note many other positive findings and predictions which can all be viewed at www.gwec.net.

Some of these trends are as follows:

• More than 600,000 “ green collar “ jobs are currently being provided worldwide in direct and indirect employment, creating economic development in areas that have embraced wind resources
• By the year 2030, this figure is projected to increase to over 3 million jobs
• In the year 2010, these 600,000 workers erected a new wind turbine every 30 minutes
• 1 of every 3 of these newly installed turbines last year was in China
• China is expected to triple its market for wind energy by 2030
• That country is now the largest wind power market in the world and boasts the largest wind turbine manufacturing industry on the planet
• They are expecting to increase their installed wind power capacity by the year 2020 by 10 times the 2009 total of 25 GW

What is there to be learned by any of this information? Why should any of us care about what happens with renewable energy developments in China, India, the USA, Europe or anywhere outside of the borders of our county, province and country? Why are we in Canada, the envy of the world with our wind resources, not moving faster to develop this clean technology to its’ fullest extent? We are now 9th in the world in total installed capacity and also 9th in new installations in 2010, but we can do so much better. Our goal must be to achieve 20 per cent wind integration into our national grid by the year 2025.

Those who fail to learn from the mistakes of the past will be fated to repeat them, as history has often shown. The future is going to belong to those countries actively de-carbonizing their power sectors and creating new manufacturing jobs in clean technologies. It is inevitable that carbon emissions will become fully priced into the cost of everything we do and diminishing fossil fuels will become even more expensive. Those countries which are reducing their pollution and dependence on fossil and nuclear fuels will stand the most to gain and fare the best in the new world order.

Those forces battling progress by treating the climate change crisis like it is a right wing vs left wing political football, are playing a no-win game. If we permit the status quo to prevail there will be no winners and the greatest losers will be all our children and grand children. They won’t care to hear about conflicting opinions on aesthetics or perceived fears created to justify positions about renewable energy. They will only want honest answers as to how their world was allowed by us to become so inhospitable, and why we permitted our irrational fear of change to deprive them of a bright future.

Fortunately, in the next 30 minutes, another wind turbine has been installed and operating somewhere in the world. Likely in some other location, another solar farm has gone online, or many more solar panels have been added to rooftops to create hot water and electricity. Geothermal heating from the ground, air and water has gradually replaced fossil fuels. Methane from garbage dumps is being captured to create electricity, as are waves and tides from the everlasting forces of the oceans. There is abundant good news out there for anyone who takes time to overlook the negativity of the vocal minority to discover the real story.

Don Ross – A Friend of Wind in Prince Edward County

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Ontario’s family physicians and nurses are launching an advertising campaign to defend wind and solar power.

The ads, to run in western Ontario and Niagara newspapers, will be sponsored by the Ontario College of Family Physicians and the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario, and by the Asthma Society of Canada and Ontario Lung Association.

Ontario’s Liberal government has pledged to shut the coal plants by 2014.

But an election is looming in this fall, campaign spokesman Gideon Forman said in an interview.

“We don’t know who’s going to be in government in October 2011,” said Forman, who is executive director of the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment.

“It’s quite possible that we could have another government that would not embrace the coal phase-out and we’re quite concerned about that.”

“We want whoever’s in power to know that doctors and nurses support this.”

Continue reading…