Seems the people want the wind farms but not in their neighbourhood.
Interesting to note that the firm that was given the OK had recently filed for credit protection. Now that they have approval it can be safely assumed that they will go after a substantial government grant - which will be given.
Digby wind project approved
Province OKs 17 of 20 proposed turbines
Environment Minister Sterling Belliveau has approved a wind turbine project for Digby Neck, saying he’s confident any problems can be overcome.
Scotian WindFields Inc., a Dartmouth company, and its partner, SkyPower Corp. of Toronto, will build and operate the Digby Wind Park.
"I am convinced that any adverse effects or significant environmental effects of the undertaking can be adequately mitigated through compliance with the attached terms and conditions," Mr. Belliveau said in a one-page letter to Charmaine Thompson, SkyPower’s vice-president of project management.
The letter of approval, dated Monday, was sent to SkyPower’s headquarters in Ontario.
The accompanying terms and conditions deal with items including noise monitoring and regular inspections of the turbines and the sites they occupy.
The proponents must also develop a complaint resolution plan, according to a three-page document outlining terms and conditions.
Nova Scotia Power will buy all the electricity from the facility. The provincial power utility gave the wind producers a 20-year contract last year.
The 1,100-hectare wind park will be located on leased, private land, and is designed to produce enough clean energy to power about 10,000 homes annually.
The Digby Wind Park will install new General Electric wind turbines and be running in less than a year, said Scotian WindFields president Barry Zwicker.
Each machine will produce 1.5 megawatts and be installed in the Rossway-Gullivers Cove area of Digby Neck, about 12 kilometres west of Digby.
Government is allowing 17 of the 20 proposed turbines to be built. Three units were not allowed in their proposed locations, presumably because of their proximity to houses. Relocating those turbines will require more government consultation.
"We’re looking at a plan to relocate those," Mr. Zwicker said Tuesday.
The company will soon resubmit a bid to place those three turbines elsewhere. He said the three turbines that must be repositioned were within 600 to 700 metres of homes. The next closest turbine will be about 750 metres from a dwelling, Mr. Zwicker said.
When the project was announced last year, SkyPower president Kerry Adler said the Digby Neck wind park would be worth about $80 million in construction and related costs.
Earlier this month, SkyPower announced it was filing for protection from its creditors to allow it to restructure under the Companies" Creditors Arrangement Act.
Mr. Zwicker said the Digby project is definitely going ahead and, with government approval, financing the project will now be easier to conclude.
Road development may begin soon, he said.
"We just couldn’t do anything on the site until we received this approval," said Mr. Zwicker.
Waterford resident Nora Peach said at least one of the turbines will be as close as 750 metres to a home, and some are within 1,000 metres.
"Down at the end of Gullivers Cove Road, some of those houses would be 800 or . . . 975"" metres from a turbine, she said.
"They don’t have room really . . . on such a narrow strip of land to go back any further."
Some residents had asked that the turbines be kept at least two kilometres away.
Ms. Peach said the new provincial government has joined the proponent in ignoring concerns about possible effects on property values, ecotourism and migratory birds.
"It’s quite a wall of turbines,"" she said. ""It’s probably not good for birds."
The company must monitor and report all bird deaths resulting from collisions with turbine blades or towers for a period of two years.
