Electricity and the Liberals Hansard History Chapter 3

This is the third chapter in a series by Parker Gallant:  Chapter 1;  Chapter 2; Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8

This chapter will deal with the birth of the Ontario Power Authority (OPA), a reputedly “temporary “ authority, which took place in April 2004. Before we go too deep into April however, on April 8th Howard Hampton, MPP Kenora Rainy river, kicked things off after the second reading of Bill 15, An Act to amend the Public Sector Salary Disclosure Act. Mr. Hampton had lots to say but his recital of some history about the Ontario Liberals when they sat in Opposition caught my attention. Here is what Mr. Hampton said in the Legislature that day;

“Then, in October 2001, Mr McGuinty said, "Throughout Ontario's electricity restructuring process, Dalton and the Ontario Liberals have been consistent supporters of the move to an open electricity market in Ontario."
“In December 2001, when someone named Mike Harris announced that he was going to privatize not only Ontario Power Generation but Hydro One, Mr McGuinty said, "I think that it's important that we move ahead with competition, both in terms of generation and in terms of transmission." In May 2002, when the deregulated market opened, Mr McGuinty said, "My party supports competition in the generation of electricity."

While it was indeed timely of MPP Howard Hampton to remind Mr. McGuinty of his prior remarks we must assume that either Premier McGuinty was not sincere when he uttered those remarks or he simply forgot what he said. The OPA was to be a temporary agency that was given the responsibility for developing a long term energy plan or as it was subsequently named an “Integrated Power System Plan” (IPSP). Ontarians are still waiting for that “plan”.

WCO Members Write To Correct Misleading Article

Two WCO members had a letter published in the Registered Nurses of Ontario journal on the subject of wind power. Debbie Shubat of St. Joseph's Island and Jane Wilson of North Gower wrote to correct comments made by a nurse practitioner that wind power was to be endorsed by Ontario's nurses for health reasons.

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Re: Out with coal, in with renewable energy, Nursing in the News, September/October 2011

We were disappointed to read of nurse practitioner Lel Morrison’s wholehearted endorsement of wind power when the fact is, wind power projects are causing problems due to the environmental noise they produce. Morrison references a report that is quite out of date. We refer readers instead to the findings of the Environmental Review Tribunal (July 2011) which, after hearing evidence from more than 20 experts, determined: 

“This case has successfully shown that the debate should not be simplified to one about whether wind turbines can cause harm to humans. The evidence presented to the Tribunal demonstrates that they can, if facilities are placed too close to residents. The debate has now evolved to one of degree.” 

Last year, a report prepared for the corporate wind industry suggested it recruit health professions and environmental groups to serve as “third party validators” for the industrial wind industry. We implore nurses to look deeper into this issue. There is much the wind industry is not telling you.

Debbie Shubat,

St. Joseph’s Island, Ontario

Jane Wilson,

North Gower, Ottawa

The Infrasound Smoking Gun

The McPherson Study

The Infrasound Smoking Gun

by Wayne Gulden

windfarmrealities.org

December 28, 2011

Abstract

McPherson is the first (and so far only) study to specifically look for the presence of excessive infrasound due to nearby wind turbines in a home that was identified by the owners as having a problem.  Two professional acousticians, Robert Rand and Steven Ambrose lived in the home for 3 days during which they took detailed measurements of the infrasound and noted its effects upon themselves.  They discovered that the infrasound often crossed the threshold of detection by the ear’s low-frequency detection mechanisms, and did so in a manner that could be very disturbing to individuals, causing potentially significant health problems.  This study calls into question all the existing but unsupported claims by the wind energy industry and its supportive governments that infrasound is not a health issue.

[This article can also be downloaded in .pdf format]

Korean Media Showing Samsung Citations in MESA's NAFTA Challenge

Samsung and KEPCO caught in an ISD between NAFTA and Canada : Business : Home:

"It has been confirmed that a renewable energy development project Samsung C&T and KEPCO inked with the provincial government of Ontario in Canada is caught up in an investor-state dispute (ISD). "

Texas billionaire, and natural gas booster, Boone Pickens' MESA Power Group is reported to be seeking $775 million in damages.  The filing appears to note the Ontario government discriminated against Canadian companies in bestowing preferential status to the Korean syndicate:

In its mediation notice, MESA argued, “On January 21, 2010, a Korean-based company, Samsung C&T signed a $7 billion green energy investment agreement with Ontario’s Premier and Ontario’s Minister of Energy. While the existence of an agreement was public, the terms of the agreement were secret. This secret agreement granted Samsung significantly better access to supply renewable energy to the provincial energy grid than to other enenrgy providers in the province.” The notice also said, “Canada failed to meet its obligations to provide Natioanl Treatment(in accordance with NAFTA Article 1102) by providing more favorable transmission treatment to a Canadian company in like circumstances, Boulevard Associates Canada, Inc and local subsidiaries of Korea-based Samsung, which was also in like circumstances. 

Study: Falmouth turbines hurt abutters' health

Study: Falmouth turbines hurt abutters' health | CapeCodOnline.com:

"A study released last week concludes wind turbines in Falmouth negatively affect abutters' health. 

The analysis was partially funded by a grant from Bruce McPherson, who opposes the Falmouth wind project and other turbine projects on Cape Cod. Its results assert that wind turbines cause "visceral" physical reactions and that sound waves from turbines are felt more intensely indoors than outside.
"We did not expect it," said Stephen E. Ambrose, a Maine environmental sound consultant who co-authored The Bruce McPherson Infrasound and Low Frequency Noise Study.
Ambrose declined to release the amount he was paid but said he and a partner each spent about 800 hours on the study.
Ambrose and Robert W. Rand, who also specializes in sound studies, conducted their research over three days in April, Ambrose said.
The two former employees of Stone & Webster Inc., a Stoughton engineering firm that designs and builds power plants, have conducted peer reviews on acoustics from turbines for several towns in Massachusetts, Maine and Wyoming.
For this study, Ambrose and Rand lived in a house near Blacksmith Shop Road for three days while measuring pressure originating from infrasound. They documented the intensity of sound frequencies from a privately owned turbine in the Falmouth Technology Park and how their bodies responded to it. The turbine studied is roughly the size of Falmouth's two municipal turbines.
When the two arrived at the house — located 1,700 feet from the turbine — on April 17, they began feeling effects within 20 minutes, according to the study. Both felt nausea, dizziness and anxiety, among other side effects.
They also reported having difficulty performing "normal activities" associated with the investigation, which included setting up instruments and observing measurements, the report states.
According to a chart included in the study, the discomfort and sick feelings intensified as wind speeds increased and the blades spun faster.
Previous sound studies that showed no negative health effects were done outdoors, Ambrose said. The recent study, which used low-frequency microphones to measure sound waves, showed sounds are more intense indoors than out. Data from this study showed a 10 dbG (a measurement for infrasound) increase outdoors and a 20 dbG increase indoors. The effect is similar to "living in a drum," he said."
An independent review of the acoustics data indicates it is scientifically valid, Nancy S. Timmerman, chairwoman of the Acoustical Society of America's Technical Committee on Noise, said in an email.  She added that she can speak only to data on acoustics, not physiological effects reported in the study.

Read entire article at:

Study: Falmouth turbines hurt abutters' health | CapeCodOnline.com:

DOWNLOAD THE STUDY: "Bruce McPherson Infrasound and Low Frequency Noise Study"

£10m cost of turning off wind farms - Telegraph

£10m cost of turning off wind farms - Telegraph:

It is being reported that payment to wind generators to curtail production will rise about 50 times in 2011 (over 2010)

"The scale of the payments triggered a review of the rules on so-called constraint payments. The payments are made when too much electricity floods the grid, with the network unable to absorb any excess power generated. The money is ultimately added on to household bills and paid for by consumers.
Last year, only £176,788 of such payments were made, but changes in the way the National Grid, which supplies energy to retail companies, “balances” the electricity network have meant a huge expansion in their use."

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Group targets wind farms | The Argus Leader | argusleader.com

Group targets wind farms | The Argus Leader | argusleader.com:

"The American Bird Conservancy has formally petitioned the Department of the Interior to develop mandatory siting rules for wind projects, claiming that existing guidelines, which are voluntary, constitute a “counterproductive and almost certainly unlawful approach” to enforcing the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

“Most wind energy projects that are already in operation are in ongoing violation” of the act, since most birds killed at wind farms are protected, the petition says. The conservancy group alleges a “systemic failure” by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to enforce the law."

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Wind Turbines and Proximity to Homes: The Impact of Wind Turbine Noise on Health

The authors, Barbara J Frey and Peter J Hadden,. provide a review, and discussion, of literature on Industrial Wind Turbines' impact in terms of noise, health, and rights.

This paper addresses not only the issues of wind energy policy where it violates the basic living environment of families and the adverse health effects of wind turbine noise, but also assesses the considerable number of anecdotal reports from people living with wind turbine noise. As noted in the authors' 2007 paper, although there are many who dismiss anecdotal reports as inconsequential or meaningless, these reports are from real people, living with real problems, often with no recourse: they put 'the human face on science'. 

The paper concentrates on UK information, but the conclusions are universally applicable, including:

Despite evidence-based research studies that demonstrate a relationship between the adverse impacts of environmental noise on health, some governments - including that of the UK - have instead opted to follow the advice of acoustic engineers from the wind energy industry.  This approach favours industrial development, constructing wind turbines in proximity to homes and other sensitive facilities, to the detriment of the pubic health. 

Wind Turbines and Proximity to Homes:  The Impact of Wind Turbine Noise on Health

Council decision draws criticism - The Whig Standard - Ontario, CA

Council decision draws criticism - The Whig Standard - Ontario, CA:

"I'm quite disappointed," Wolfe Island resident Barrie Gilbert said of Kingston's support for the consortium, which would make, assemble, stage and install the turbines for the project, located approximately 5 km off the island.
"It's near an open lake and Main Duck Island, a national park, one of the last wilderness areas we have in the east."
Gilbert, a wildlife scientist, is concerned about what effects the turbines would have on birds and fish."

Full article at The Whig-Standard

Liberal Shell Game-Smart Meters and Conservation | Energy Probe

Liberal Shell Game-Smart Meters and Conservation | Energy Probe:
By; Parker Gallant and Scott Luft

"... graphing unadjusted data demonstrate that the drop in peak and average consumption by wholesale users (5,000 kWh per month) represents about 60% of the claimed conservation drop, despite wholesale customers comprising under 12% of the total market.

The drop in overall consumption is a reflection of the 300,000 manufacturing jobs that the Province has lost since 2003. Many of these jobs were lost due to Ontario having one of the highest wholesale electricity prices in North America according to the Association of Major Power Consumers of Ontario (AMPCO)."

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Pilot puts wind energy company on notice - Collingwood Enterprise Bulletin - Ontario, CA

Pilot puts wind energy company on notice - Collingwood Enterprise Bulletin - Ontario, CA:

"The owner of a private airstrip west of Stayner has put a wind farm company on notice, should they erect any turbines that could potentially interfere with his runway.

In a letter to WPD Canada, and obtained by the Enterprise-Bulletin, Stayner Aerodrome owner Kevin Elwood said the company would be "held personally liable for any aeronautical loss, damage or injury" that could occur should WPD go ahead with its plans to erect turbines in the area around County Road 91.

WPD is already under fire from the Collingwood Regional Airport Board, which sent a letter to WPD last week critical of the seeming lack of consultation in siting a turbine within the runway's approach area."

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Australia's NSW gets world's toughest wind farm rules

NSW gets world's toughest wind farm rules:

"PEOPLE living within two kilometres of proposed wind farms will have the right to veto them, under a NSW government proposal.

Planning and Infrastructure Minister Brad Hazzard says NSW remains committed to being part of the Federal Government's 20 per cent renewable energy target by 2020, despite proposing what he has described as the world's toughest wind-farm guidelines.

Under the proposal, a company wanting to set up a wind farm in an area where landowner consent has not been given will have to go to an independent regional planning panel if there is community opposition.

''That means 100 per cent of neighbours have to be happy within that two-kilometre zone,'' Mr Hazzard told reporters in Sydney."

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In Germany, Bavaria, while taking actions for other purposes (about half their generation has been from nuclear), is also implement new regulations;

"...provide incentives to build turbines with as much distance to residential housing as possible, expert opinions with regard to noise (protection) shall not be necessary if plants keep a distance of 1,000m or more ..."

source

Electricity and the Liberals' Hansard History: Chapter 1

This is the first article in a series by Parker Gallant: Chapter 2; Chapter 3; Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8

That the Liberals blamed the Harris-Eves government for the 2003 electricity blackout in Ontario is history as is their constant claim that they have fixed what they perceived as a broken and neglected electricity sector. After 8 years in power however, it may be time to review the Liberal track record to determine if they have changed it for the better. To examine their success or failure we should travel back to early 2004 shortly after they came to power and visit Hansard Ontario where the Liberal visions are eloquently spelled out. This is the first chapter of that history and the legacy they will leave our children.

Simcoe Article: Locals not keen on turbine proposal

Simcoe Article: Locals not keen on turbine proposal:

"Burkett said the McGuinty government has run roughshod over Ontarians in its attempt to get green energy projects up and running.
She noted it's not right that the province's Green Energy Act stripped Ontario municipalities from having a role as an approval body on wind turbine applications.
Others at the meeting shared similar concerns."

More at Simcoe.com

Electricity and the Liberals' Hansard History: Chapter 2

This is the second chapter in a series by Parker Gallant:  Chapter 1;  Chapter 3; Chapter 4, Chapter 5. Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8

The failure of the Harris-Eves government to include certain crown corporations in the commonly referred to; “Sunshine Act” caught the attention of the Liberal's shortly after they attained power in Ontario and particularly because of the Clitheroe scandal that had occured in 2002 while she was the CEO of Hydro One. That led them to seek to amend the act to capture those institutions and grant the public the right to see what the salaries and perks were at those crown corporations. The following deals to some extent with the efforts to amend that Act along with the rhetoric that accompanies any amendments to an act or the introduction of a new act and is but one day when the Legislature sat in March of 2004.

Hansard from March 31, 2004 was a day filled with lots of chatter about OPG and Hydro One and the extension of Bill 15, the Public Sector Salary Disclosure Act. The Bill would require the same salary disclosure for OPG and Hydro One as was required for all other public servants as well as making them subject to the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

A Wealth Stealth Transfer: from OPG & Hydro One to the Private Sector | Parker Gallant | Energy Probe

A Wealth Stealth Transfer: from OPG & Hydro One to the Private Sector | Energy Probe:

"Devaluing our public electricity companies in order to transfer ratepayer and taxpayer funds to foreign wind and solar developers/manufacturers is nothing more then a stealth wealth transfer. It is time for real competition-let’s make wind and solar generators compete with the unregulated generation from OPG, pay Hydro One to hook up to the grid and bring back shareholder values for these two publicy owned institutions!"

Read More on Energy Probe

Stop government meddling in power

Stop government meddling in power: National Post
Jan Carr And Guy Holburn, Financial Post · Dec. 20, 2011 | Last
Updated: Dec. 20, 2011 3:08 AM ET

The Ontario Auditor-General's 2011 report identified billions of
dollars that electricity customers will pay beyond what is necessary
for meeting environmental and other policy objectives in the provision
of reliable electricity service. The report painted a picture of
inefficiencies and missed opportunities caused by the government
ignoring advice from independent expert agencies such as the Ontario
Energy Board (OEB) and the Ontario Power Authority (OPA). Clear in the
report is the increasingly frequent use of "directives" by the
government that effectively bypass the objective, transparent analysis
that these agencies provide.

As is appropriate, the AG's report covers only the most recent few
years, but a brief review of history shows that intervention by
previous governments and the general politicization of electricity
over the years have cost customers dearly too.

You’re dead wrong, Bill Clinton

TVO’s The Agenda host and respected broadcaster Steve Paikin wrote an account of his recent interview with former U.S. president Bill Clinton, which was published last week. The account was of an event that took place in Toronto some weeks ago, hosted by the Ontario Chamber of Commerce.

The conversation was apparently wide ranging but at one point, Clinton started to talk about Ontario. “I think you’ve got the right agenda here,” he said, referring to Ontario’s programs on renewable energy. “I love driving in from the airport and passing that giant windmill. You’re in the ‘future business’ here.”

No, we’re not. You’re dead wrong, Mr. President, and here’s why.

Financial Concerns at China's Sinovel

Sinovel in cash flow difficulty Home > News

The net cash flow of Sinovel in the first half of 2011 was RMB-4.086 billion. The Chinese wind power tycoon has been pressured out of breath. In August, the company announced a plan to issue corporate bond of RMB5.5 billion with interest rate maybe over 7%. The financing will be used to meet the financial demand by production.
The once RMB90 IPO price is now only RMB44.8 per share, a decrease of over 50%. Its net profit decreased significantly by 48.3% over the same period of last year.
With the tight cash flow, Sinovel has rejected the goods from Superconductor Technologies, Inc. Though it does not want to admit the fact of tight cash, some reports say the delayed payment is resulted from its cash flow deterioration."

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Response to “Low Frequency Noise and Infrasound Associated with Wind Turbine Generator Systems – A Literature Review” John Harrison

Response to “Low Frequency Noise and Infrasound Associated with Wind Turbine Generator Systems – A Literature Review”
By John Harrison

Introduction 

The low frequency report, prepared by Howe Gastmeier Chapnik Ltd. was commissioned by the Ministry of the Environment (MOE), released in draft form in August 2010, released in final form to MOE in December 2010 and to the public in August 2011. Why MOE is issuing it now as a press release is a mystery. This response will address the report itself and the news release from the Ministry of the Environment.

A glaring omission from the report and the news release is the motivation for the commission to HGC. The motivation of course is that a large number of residents living in proximity to wind turbines are suffering from annoyance, sleep deprivation and resulting adverse health effects. The root cause of the annoyance is the noise generated by wind turbines. The commission focussed on low frequency audible sound and infrasound because at a distance of several hundred metres from a turbine much of the high frequency sound has been absorbed by the atmosphere.

Government Announces Results Of CanWEA Member's Literature Review

The Ontario Government put out a press release today stating "Expert Report Confirms No Direct Health Effects From Wind Turbines"

The News Release omits the name of the "expert" - which is CanWEA member Howe Gastmeier Chapnik Limited (HGC Engineering).
The news Release also omits the title of the report, which is, "Low Frequency Noise and Infrasound Associated With Wind Turbine Generator Systems: A Literature Review"


Can we confirm taxpayers paid a wind lobby group member to pick out literature to support the government's position on Industrial Wind Turbines?

Liberal interference in power cost billions | FP Comment | Financial Post

Liberal interference in power cost billions | FP Comment | Financial Post:

"The AG’s report provides many other examples where the Minister ignored the legislated mandates of the OPA and the OEB, thereby denying the public the benefit of their expertise. The AG recommends that in future the Ministry and agencies should work together more “collaboratively.” Much better instead would be for the Minister to cede his directive authority and let the experts get on with their jobs, free from political intervention. The result would be better value for money, greater public confidence and smaller reports from the Auditor-General."

read the full article

Simcoe Article: Demand for hydro help spikes

Simcoe Article: Demand for hydro help spikes:

"ORILLIA - A United Way-administered program that provides emergency relief to low-income families facing utility cutoffs is experiencing a surge in requests across Simcoe County.
“We have so many more calling this year than I have ever seen any other year before Christmas,” said Nancy Smith, senior financial coordinator with the United Way of Greater Simcoe County. "

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Nixed Mississauga, Ontario gas plant carries big bill – Daily Commercial News

Nixed Mississauga, Ontario gas plant carries big bill – Daily Commercial News:

"The recent cancellation of a gas-generated electrical power station construction project west of Toronto did not have a “termination-for-convenience” clause and cancellation could cost upwards of $1 billion, sources tell the Daily Commercial News."

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Will 2012 Be The End Of The World For Renewable Energy? - Forbes

Will 2012 Be The End Of The World For Renewable Energy? - Forbes:

"It’s looking a lot like a white-knuckle Christmas for renewable energy companies.

As the year comes to a close so do two federal tax incentives the solar and wind energy industries have relied on to power their breakneck growth of recent years."

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Chilly reception at Kincardine council to wind plan in Armow - Lucknow Sentinel - Ontario, CA

Chilly reception at Kincardine council to wind plan in Armow - Lucknow Sentinel - Ontario, CA:

"Proponents of the Samsung-Pattern Armow Wind Power Project got a mostly chilly reception from the public and some municipal councillors at a meeting in Kincardine Wednesday night (Dec. 7).

Jody Law, project developer for Pattern Energy, insisted the company has every intention of working with the community on a compromise on the municipality's wind generation system development policy.

"What's it going to take to get you to leave?" demanded Coun. Jacqueline Faubert to a round of applause. Her speech was interrupted by Mayor Larry Kraemer, who called on council to maintain a polite air during session.

The proposed wind farm is 15-30 per cent less dense than surrounding projects, according to Law, and the partnership is aiming for 90 turbines. However, if Samsung-Pattern Armow adheres to the setbacks outlined in the municipality's policy, there will only be enough space for five."

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NiagaraThisWeek Article: Residents demand more for turbines

NiagaraThisWeek Article: Residents demand more for turbines:

"When it comes to wind turbines, West Lincoln residents want more. Distance that is, between their homes and the massive, storeys-tall industrial wind turbines which are being proposed for their community.
John Dykstra and his wife Catherine Mitchell appeared before council Monday to talk about setbacks. Under provincial regulations, the minimum setback required for industrial wind turbines is 550 metres plus a maximum noise level of 40 decibels, a distance they argue is nowhere near enough.
“The computer used to establish Ontario’s wind turbine noise limits and safe setback distances was found to be flawed and inadequate,” Dykstra said during his presentation Monday. “Property owners who complained about noise and health issues and threatened legal action had the industrial wind turbine companies buy them out. These properties were then sold at a loss with a long list of disclaimers acknowledging that the wind turbine facilities may affect the buyer’s living environment.”

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Group opposes wind farms - The Cornwall Standard Freeholder - Ontario, CA

Group opposes wind farms - The Cornwall Standard Freeholder - Ontario, CA:

"SOUTH DUNDAS — Concerns over a proposed industrial-sized wind farm are ramping up.

Leading the charge is a grass-roots organization called the South Branch Wind Opposition Group (WOG).

"Reported cases of negative health effects on humans and livestock, and land depreciation are the primary concerns of our membership," said a letter to South Dundas Township council, which heard from WOG representative Leslie Disheau last week.

ProWind Canada Inc. wants to erect 10 turbines near Brinston, about 45 kilometres northwest of Cornwall, and four others several kilometres further west near the borders of Leeds-Grenville."

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BPA Balancing Authority Load and Total Wind Generation:

Over the past 7 days (December 7-13), the BPA (US Pacific Northwest) is reporting a combined capacity factor of about 1.37% for it's 3,522 MW of wind capacity.  The high over that time is 328MW (7.31% CF, the low is 0).

Look carefully for the wind trend line, or you'll miss it altogether:


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