Wind power remains a volatile issue
Editor: the Ghiz government is on media and damage control on wind energy issues. Private meetings, fancy press-releases…hold onto your wallets they want to steal the wind energy for their rich friends. Why don’t Islanders own the wind energy? That was the original plan.
ERIC MCCARTHY
The Journal Pioneer
O’LEARY CORNER – Donald Harper says his property in Norway used to be peaceful. That changed after a V-90 wind turbine was erected near his home.
“I’m not very happy about it. It’s not a nice thing to have around your home,” he told energy minister George Webster last night.
Harper was among about 140 West Prince residents who attended a meeting at O’Leary Corner to express their opposition to wind energy development in their communities.
“It’s noisy,” he said. “I got up, I don’t know how many times, in the last two years thinking somebody was in my yard.”
The noise, the flicker effect of the turbine blades crossing the sun’s rays and the distraction from scenic vistas were some of the concerns expressed.
And the provincial government’s 10-point plan for wind energy development, announced just 10 days ago, was clearly the target of many.
The answers Webster provided failed to satisfy Cora Shea.
“I still think we do have a lot of concerns that have to be addressed,” said the Seacow Pond resident. “They have to put some meat on the 10-point plan, because there are a lot of issues as far as what is a community. That definition is still not answered.”
She’s part of a group that has raised opposition to a large-scale wind development project which could stretch from Anglo to West Point.
The invitation-only crowd was unanimous, in that they don’t want wind farms in their communities. But Webster was told that if wind farms go ahead against their wishes, then at least they want his commitment to a two-kilometre buffer zone between the turbines and the nearest unsigned property line.
He wouldn’t make the commitment but said he would give the request his consideration.
Others suggested West Prince already has more than enough turbines, that future developments should go elsewhere in P.E.I.
Webster said his department plans to call for requests for proposals from wind energy developers by mid November. Opponents suggested some of the definitions should be strengthened first.
Shea suggested progress is being made, though. “They heard us loud and clear. We are not in favour of wind development around home areas.”
The plan might not have convinced the crowd at last night’s meetingmeeting, but Webster told reporters it met with approval from developers attending last week’s Wind Energy Institute of Canada Conference in British Columbia.
“There were a lot of people supporting it. People said, ‘Well, wow. This is a model that we all need to go with and have an appreciation for this if, in fact, we are going to develop wind energy in areas.’”
Webster argues the plan is a giant step forward from the “kind of haphazard ground rules,” that were in place previously. “That’s not the way to do business, so we are going to do it differently, and I think it’s right. I think it’s good and I think the people will, hopefully, understand it after a while, and hopefully get the result we need. If the Community is not there with it, then the project is likely not going to happen.”
