Ratepayers wary of K2 Wind Power Project

 The Lucknow Sentinel has a letter to the editor detailing a presentation made to the Ashfield Colborne Wawanosh Township Council.

Ratepayers wary of K2 Wind Power Project | Letters | Opinion | Lucknow Sentinel:

On June 5th past a group of ratepayers made a presentation to ACW Council. The presentation went like this:

Good evening Reeve, Council members, Council staff, ladies and gentlemen. I’m speaking on behalf of a group of residents, ratepayers and landowners in Ashfield Colborne Wawanosh on the matter of industrial wind turbines. Our comments and requests are directed to the Council members who are in a position to speak to this issue. I would therefore respectfully request Council members to please leave the Council Chambers at this time if they have a pecuniary interest in this matter.

Many people in our municipality are becoming increasingly frustrated and angry with regards to the K2 Wind Power Project specifically, and wind power generally as it is being rolled out in our province. This frustration and anger is not directed at you - far from it. As a matter of fact, we would like to take this opportunity to extend a heartfelt thanks to you for everything you did prior to the passing of the Green Energy and Economy Act and everything you have done since. This would include the By-Law passed on December 21, 2010 and the resolution of January 4, 2011. You have made a consistent effort to listen to people and act accordingly and we thank you for that. It has also been duly noted that Capital Power and K2 have not respected Council’s request in the By-Law for a one thousand meter minimum setback.

Read the full letter at the Lucknow Sentinel:

Green tag new way to market Niagara

Green tag new way to market Niagara | Local | News | Welland Tribune:

What do you get when you combine the Honeymoon Capital of the World, the Rose City and the Garden City together?

The Green Energy Capital of Canada, of course.

On Thursday, in a 20-7 vote, regional council approved the Niagara region to be known as the Green Energy Capital of Canada, an idea proposed by Niagara Falls Mayor Jim Diodati.

The new title will come with signs being erected at key entry ways to Niagara in a new way to market the area, said Diodati.

“It’s not the only way, but one more way to market ourselves,” he said. “There’s a lot of green energy things happening here that just aren’t on the surface.”

The article can be read in the Welland Tribune:

Green energy crown won't fit: Larocque

Green energy crown won't fit: Larocque | Local | News | Welland Tribune:

Niagara’s decision to crown itself the Green Energy Capital of Canada is an example of this region’s own little Napoleon Complex.

One day in 1804, Napoleon Bonaparte decided to break with tradition and proclaim himself Emperor of France.

On Thursday, Niagara’s regional council voted 20-7 to crown itself the “Green Energy Capital of Canada,” a title that’s a bit of a stretch. It was a pitiful act of putting the cart before the horse.

The idea originated with Niagara Falls Mayor Jim Diodati and was backed by his St. Catharines, Fort Erie and Port Colborne counterparts Brian McMullan, Doug Martin and Vance Badawey. It was panned by Wainfleet Mayor April Jeffs, Welland Mayor Barry Sharpe and Welland Coun. Peter Kormos.

The Region will spend public money on highway signs announcing your arrival in the Green Energy Capital of Canada, then spend the next 10 years trying to convince people the label makes sense.

Read the article at the Welland Tribune:

Politicians call for turbine moratorium

NiagaraThisWeek Article: Politicians call for turbine moratorium:

Local politicians and residents are urging Ontario’s premier to put an immediate moratorium on industrial wind turbine development until a federal health study is complete.

“West Niagara residents have continued to express to me very strong concerns about the potential health effects of these massive industrial wind turbine projects that are slated for their communities,” said Niagara West-Glanbrook MPP and Ontario PC Leader Tim Hudak, who was joined by his federal counterpart, MP Dean Allison, in calling for an immediate moratorium until a federal health study, announced in July, is complete...

“Beyond the possible effects on health, the Liberal government’s entire FIT program is nothing more than an expensive mess,” added Hudak who, along with several members of the PC caucus, has more than once asked Dalton McGuinty for a moratorium. “It’s driven up our energy bills and stripped away local decision making. That’s why the Ontario PC Caucus and I have introduced motions and legislation to put in place a moratorium on these projects, restore local decision making and end the FIT program.”

Read the entire article at Niagara This Week:

New Maine wind farm spurs a dozen complaints around lakes

Experience with wind turbines is leading a Maine jurisdiction to consider lengthening setback requirements beyond 1 mile.

aeinews.org : Blog Archive: New Maine wind farm spurs a dozen complaints around lakes:

Ten wind turbines in Woodstock, Maine began operating last December, and now that summer camps are occupied on two local ponds, noise complaints are starting to roll in from up to a mile and a half away. The turbines are more than three-quarters of a mile from any homes; a few homes (perhaps 10) are within a mile, and another dozen or so are within a mile and a half (see location map). So far, Woodstock’s wind ordinance committee has received more than a dozen letters of concern about unexpected noise impacts, a number that would seem to represent a significant proportion of residents within that area. The Bethel Citizen recently published a very lengthy article detailing many of the neighbors’ experiences, as well as responses from the state Department of Environmental Protection and the wind farm owners.

Continue reading at the Acoustic Ecology Institute website: 

A mighty wind - Beyond The Commons, Capital Read - Macleans.ca

Aaron Wherry's 'Beyond the Commons' references the health study on the impacts on industrial wind turbines.

A mighty wind - Beyond The Commons, Capital Read - Macleans.ca:

Leona Aglukkaq’s request for a Health Canada study of wind turbines wins support from another Conservative MP, this one in Britain.

Andrew Percy says, “Many people living close to these giant wind farms report health impacts including depression, sleep disturbance and behaviour changes and it is important we have a proper study of these impacts. I live opposite a wind farm in Airmyn and whilst it hasn’t affected me, other people do report disturbances.


“I have long believed that we need to set strict limits on how close these farms can be built to properties and last year sponsored a Bill in Parliament to set minimum distances. For the past two years I have also been demanding a cut in the subsidy for on-shore wind.


“Given that the Canadian Government is listening to the concerns of residents living near to wind farms, it seems sensible to me that we should approach Health Canada to make this a joint study. I have written to Ministers asking them to do just that. ”

Previous coverage of the wind farm debate here, here, here, here and here.

Plympton-Wyoming sets up for a wind turbine fight | Local | News | Sarnia and Lambton County This Week

Plympton-Wyoming sets up for a wind turbine fight | Local | News | Sarnia and Lambton County This Week:

PLYMPTON-WYOMING - Plympton-Wyoming council says industrial wind turbines should be two kilometers away from homes and they’re prepared to go to court to make it happen.

In February, council passed tough new rules on setbacks (how close wind turbines can be to homes) saying it was concerned about the health effects on residents. It also imposed a $200,000 deposit for each turbine to be built in the municipality to cover any decommissioning costs.

But the rules fell under the Planning Act, an act which is superseded by the Green Energy Act. It took away all planning power from municipalities when it came to green projects. So recently, council passed the same setback rule, this time, under the Municipal Act which is not superseded by the Green Energy Act. It is a move several other Ontario municipalities have made, but one which has yet to be challenged in court.

Mayor Lonny Napper says Plympton-Wyoming expects that could happen soon since wind energy companies are entrenched in their position

Please read the full article at Sarnia and Lambton County This Week:

Preliminary hearing set for Haldimand-Samsung wind/solar appeal Make your voice heard!!

Haldimand-Norfolk MPP Toby Barret's website posted information on participating in the ERT appeal process regarding the "Haldimand-Samsung wind/solar project."

Preliminary hearing set for Haldimand-Samsung wind/solar appeal:
Port Dover – Ontario’s Environmental Review Tribunal (ERT) will begin consideration of six appeals for the Haldimand-Samsung wind/solar project August 9th.

The ERT has announced that “a Preliminary Hearing will be conducted by the Hearing Panel on Thursday, August 9, 2012 at 10am in the Council Chambers, Cayuga Administration Building. The purpose of the preliminary hearing will be to rule on requests from groups and individuals for party, participant or presenter status, to identify the issues to be considered at the main hearing….”

“The initiation of this appeal process is significant as it marks the final opportunity for local input before the green carpet is rolled out for industrial wind turbines across Haldimand and massive subsidies to Samsung,” Haldimand-Norfolk MPP Barrett stated. “I encourage all those who have been contacting my office with concerns to take advantage of this final opportunity to make their voices heard.”

The full press release is at Toby Barrett's site, including contact information for getting involved

The tide turns

Rick Conroy's article in the Wellington Times is the day's must read

The tide turns | Wellington Times:

When Premier Dalton McGuinty’s Liberal government could no longer ignore complaints ranging from sleep disorders, vertigo to ringing in the ears from ordinary folks living near industrial wind turbines, it directed Dr. King to examine the current medical literature.

In some areas of medical investigation a review of the published studies is a useful method of determining risk and uncovering potential problems. But current wind turbine techonology is barely two decades old, constantly evolving and rarely are these massive machines put as near to residences as they are in Ontario. There is scant literature to study.

In any event it wasn’t what physicians and advocates for these afflicted people were seeking. Folks like Dr. Robert McMurtry have long challenged the province to examine the effect wind turbines have on Ontario residents. There are now more than 600 turbines spinning over homes across the province. There are plenty of folks complaining that wind turbines are making them sick. They say the health of Ontarians living near turbines needs to be investigated— not the thin volume of evidence compiled to date.

Health Canada last week said it would do just that.

Please read the entire article at Wellington Times website:

Wind turbines - the untold story

Australian Senator Dr Chris Back posted his overview of issues surrounding industrial wind turbines a couple of weeks ago.  If you haven't read it, it's worth reviewing.

If you have, the comments following the article may be worth reviewing.

Wind turbines - the untold story > Dr Chris Back - Liberal Senator for Western Australia:

Harnessing wind for energy purposes is not new. Wind turbines have been in use for decades overseas and in Australia. This has largely been led by Scandinavia, the USA and Holland. The oldest continually operating wind farm in Australia, Crookwell, has been in operation for 14 years.
What is new in Australia is the burgeoning expansion of wind ‘farms’ in recent years in order to meet targets (Renewable Energy Targets—RET’s) for power generation from renewable sources. This coincides with generous grants from the commonwealth government through the agency of Renewable Energy certificates (REC’s) which are the economic drivers of most wind ‘farm’ projects.

Continue reading at the website of Dr Chris Back - Liberal Senator for Western Australia:

The big money of environmentalism

An article that isn't about wind - but about the business of appearing green, and big campaigns with no set goals aside from raising money for big green people.

A Sunday gift from the Christian Science Monitor

The big money of environmentalism - CSMonitor.com:

Environmentalism is big business, so there is a large incentive to spin misleading narratives that stir people’s emotions if that helps with the fundraising. Perhaps most of these organizations are started with the purest of intentions, but I suspect somewhere along the line the people in charge recognized a profitable opportunity. So if they can keep people angry enough about fossil fuel subsidies to companies like ExxonMobil, the donations come pouring in.

I am not suggesting that there is nothing at all to be done in the U.S., but I am suggesting that a disproportionate amount of money is being spent on an increasingly marginal part of the problem. So it should come as no surprise that while their misleading narratives are effective at raising money, these organizations have been wholly ineffective at impacting the real problem.

The big money of environmentalism - CSMonitor.com:

CBC's The Bridge talks to a Professor Studying IWT's impact on human beings

 An interesting interview on CBC's The Bridge discusses studying the impacts of infrasound, and low frequency noise, on people.  Interview lasts 8 minutes

A University of Windsor professor studying the impact of IWT sounds on People - The Bridge - CBC Player:

we continue our series on home grown research. I'll talk to a university of Windsor professor to find out what he's studying.

This summer on the Bridge, we're talking about some of the interesting research being done at the University of Windsor. This afternoon, Colin Novak joins me. Colin teaches Automotive and Material Engineering at the University of Windsor. And He's in the process of figuring out how Wind Turbines actually affect human beings.

Bruce Lourie: How he Set the Table for the Creation of the Ontario Power Authority

The most recent article penned about Bruce Lourie and his relationship with the Canadian Energy Efficiency Alliance (CEEA) failed to mention the latter's influence on both the outgoing PC Party and the incoming Ontario Liberal Party in 2003.

If one looks back to 2003 and CEEA's submission (undated) to the Ontario Energy Board under RP-2003-0144 (a Directive dated June 18, 2003 from Energy Minister, John Baird) you find that a “Vision for a Sustainable and Energy Efficient Ontario” was the thrust of their paper in response to the directive's instruction to look at demand-side management (DSM) and demand response (DR). A footnote on Page 6 of CEEA's 40 page “discussion paper” notes that ; “Some parts of this paper were developed by Bruce Lourie of Lourie and Love as a CEEA position paper which was provided to the Ontario government in 2001.”

The “Vision” portion of the paper looked forward to 2010 when among other visions they saw results that included:

• Planning is long-term and comprehensive.
• We've harnessed renewable resources and cleaned our environment.
• Consumers' purchasing decisions are significantly influenced by energy information.
• A level playing field exists for investment in demand and supply.
• Local energy networks increasingly replace reliance on provincial grid.
• Comprehensive pricing structure reflects true cost of energy.
• Smart metering and control systems are ubiquitous.
• Research and development keeps expanding the potential for more savings.

Ontario consumers pay millions to subsidize electricity exports

John Spears writes on a recent report taking a stab at solving what is finally a broadly recognized issue of exporting at a loss.

TheSpec - Ontario consumers pay millions to subsidize...:

The growth in power contracts has depressed market prices, Baden and Tomson note. Generators with contracts still bid into the market. But they can afford to enter very low bids, because they’re guaranteed to receive their contract price. The lower the price they bid, the higher the volume they’ll be able to sell.

The low market prices are good news for export customers, who pay even less for Ontario power.

But Ontario customers, who are stuck with paying the global adjustment, don’t benefit. They pay a much higher price, and effectively subsidize the lower export price.

“There is no reason that the GA should not be added to the cost of electricity being exported, because exporters have an impact on the GA charged Ontario customers,” Baden and Tomson write.

The article can be read at Torstar's sites: 

No plans to dump Wyoming's wind energy tax

Tax eh?

Hmmm...

Interesting that on top of the tax issue, the Wyoming wind lobby has two other problems potential Ontario generators would also be faced with if reality was a factor in decision making: transmission constraints, and a lack of demand.

No plans to dump Wyoming's wind energy tax:

The tax uncertainty comes amid a slowdown in wind farm development in Wyoming. State regulators approved permits for 353 wind turbines in 2010. They permitted only 62 turbines in 2011 and none so far this year, according to figures from the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality's Industrial Siting Division. The Power Co. of Wyoming, however, is expected to apply for a permit for its project in November.

The tax situation is only one factor that's slowing wind development, said Dave Picard, a lobbyist for the Wyoming Power Producers Coalition, which represents independent power producers in the state including many wind farm developers.

The lack of transmission lines and customers, along with the still struggling economy, are also factors, he says.

The entire article can be read at trib.com (Wyoming's News Source): 

Clearview Councillor Paterson motion will call for wind turbine moratorium

" STAYNER - Clearview Township councillor Thom Paterson says he plans to put a motion before council at its Aug. 13 meeting that if approved would result in Clearview calling on the province to implement a moratorium on wind turbine development."

Simcoe Article: Paterson motion will call for wind turbine moratorium:

Clearview council has followed the wind turbine issue closely as two companies want to erect turbines in the township.

WPD Canada wants to build eight turbines on land just west of Stayner.

Skyway 124 would like to erect three turbines on property between Singhampton and Dunedin.

“The significant thing about what Health Canada has done is acknowledge what the public has been saying for a long time,” Paterson said. “What Health Canada has now said is no one has studied on a scientific basis whether those claims are true. Health Canada is recognizing those self-reported cases and is going to study it and that’s good.”

Read the entire article at simcoe.com: 

Industrial Wind Turbines and Their Effect on Our Quality of Life

 London St. Thomas Association of Realtors (LSTAR) President Elect Doug Pedlar has posted a video to YouTube presenting his case for a moratorium on industrial wind turbines

Industrial Wind Turbines and Their Effect on Our Quality of Life - YouTube:

Industrial wind turbines are springing up all over Ontario and people living close to them are concerned about what impact they might have, both on their personal wellbeing and on the value and enjoyment of their property. So are Ontario's REALTORS®. Listen to LSTAR's President-Elect, Doug Pedlar, as he presents the case for a moratorium on wind turbines until all the facts are in.

DEP to begin sound testing in neighborhoods surrounding turbines | SouthCoastToday.com

Interesting information from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection inspector regarding testing equipment, standards, and her description of a DEP panel report earlier this year, which some are implying was a field study.

DEP to begin sound testing in neighborhoods surrounding turbines | SouthCoastToday.com:

Asked if the DEP would consider other factors like the irritations the turbines may cause some residents, Ms. Carlson said, "The study will not do human annoyance."

She agreed with residents that the DEP-funded study on health effects of wind turbines, released earlier this year, was a panel study of available literature, not an onsite field study.

In the meantime, she said, "This is just a sound study," to measure whether the increased noise from the turbines goes beyond the 10 decibel standard.

"We don't have a standard for infrasound," she said, adding that when the state develops one, they "can do a study of that."

As for infrasound, she said she has "not experienced it personally" while conducting her sound studies, but that the state Department of Public Health is studying it "very carefully."

She said the DEP "is looking at flicker." She said, "Some information we've received is interesting," and that they are "looking at future goals and standards."

Read the article at SouthCoastToday.com:

Green Energy Mandate Supporter Claims Individuals 'Do Not Have Rights to Quiet' [Michigan Capitol Confidential]

An article from Michigan appears to portray a wind lobbyist that understands some of the harm done in quiet rural areas by the introduction of industrial wind; one seeking a path to continue doing harm

Green Energy Mandate Supporter Claims Individuals 'Do Not Have Rights to Quiet' [Michigan Capitol Confidential]:

People who move to the country don't have a right to a quiet environment, according to the head of one of Michigan's major renewable energy advocacy groups.

John Sarver, executive director of the Great Lakes Renewable Energy Association, made the statement in an email to colleagues in February 2011. It was one of numerous emails obtained through a Freedom Of Information Act request pertaining to wind turbine noise level issues in Michigan....

"I guess I have a number of conceptual issues," Sarver said. "Relative rather than absolute standards seem to indicate that you can't change the status quo in a rural area. I understand that many people live or move to rural areas for the country views and quiet. But individuals do not have rights to quiet or nice views.

"Government decisions that effect [sic] how individuals can use their property have to be based on clear cut evidence," Sarver continued. "We know that a significant number of persons are annoyed by wind farms. Probably a significant number of people are annoyed by cell towers, Walmarts, prisons, etc. To me the question is how many folks wake up at night frequently so this effects [sic] their health. I haven't seen any numbers yet that are convincing. I still wonder about that 60 dB air conditioner sitting on the other side of the wall."

---

The entire article can be read at Michigan Capitol Confidential:

Wind Farms Drive Down House Prices

 The reduction of home valuations in the UK, due to issues around industrial wind turbine, has quickly found it's way onto the Motley Fool's site now that their Valuation Office has moved homes into lower tax bands.

Wind Farms Drive Down House Prices - 26/07/2012:

25% off thanks to wind turbines

Wind turbines generate power for the country, at least when the wind is blowing, but they've taken a lot of flak because they decimate local birdlife and the energy that they produce is very expensive. You can now add house prices to this list as the Valuation Office Agency recently moved several houses into lower council tax bands purely on the grounds that they were situated close to wind farms. The value of one house fell by 25%.

This is despite many years of official statements that wind turbines do not affect house prices. The same thing used to be said about National Grid's (LSE: NG) high-voltage overhead power lines, but property prices fall as you come close to them, and if there is any uncertainty about the route for a new power line, people stop buying houses there.

The entire article can be read at The Motley Fool UK site:

Ministry looking into wind meeting mixups | Local | News | Sarnia and Lambton County This Week

Ministry looking into wind meeting mixups | Local | News | Sarnia and Lambton County This Week:

...Marcelle Brooks of Middlesex Lambton Wind Concern says that may not be enough to satisfy the Ministry of the Environment. “We have written to the MOE saying ‘you are not getting optimal public coverage at this time of the year’” she says. The MOE has been talking with wind opponents about the meeting mix-up, but it is not clear how it might affect the project.

Brooks says the last two public meetings on the Adelaide project had only a handful of public attend “because we’re in the middle of the wheat harvest and because people are on vacation.”

Read the entire article at Sarnia and Lambton County This Week:

George Osborne cuts subsidies for wind farms and dismisses new carbon emission targets | Mail Online

The UK's coalition government has reportedly agreed on an immediate path forward on energy policy, with the industrial wind turbine subsidy cuts held to a minimum, but only assured for a short period during which a review of planning rules and regulations will occur.

George Osborne cuts subsidies for wind farms and dismisses new carbon emission targets | Mail Online:

George Osborne is refusing to sign up to new carbon emissions targets and insisting on a new ‘dash for gas’ as the Government prepares to unveil its latest energy plans.

The Chancellor, backed by David Cameron, is understood to be determined not to commit Britain to tough new climate targets beyond 2020, arguing they will put businesses at a significant disadvantage.

One Whitehall source said: ‘The official line is the Government is reserving its position, but George Osborne and David Cameron have made clear they object to post-2020 targets, which suggests the Government will never agree to any.’

Ministers will also announce today that Government subsidies for wind turbines are to be cut by ten per cent and planning rules that regulate their construction reviewed.

The Chancellor had been pushing for even steeper cuts - but agreed to accept Liberal Democrat Energy Secretary Ed Davey’s proposal for an initial ten per cent reduction, followed by a further review next year.

In exchange, the Lib Dems have agreed that gas-fired power stations will be a key part of Britain’s energy production well into the 2030s...

Read more: at the Daily Mail site

City of Toronto Electric charge stations; The Bruce Lourie connections

A National Post article of June 15, 2012 described how the City of Toronto was granted $65,000 by a City owned foundation; Toronto Atmospheric Fund (TAF) to set up five (5) charging stations for electric vehicles. Mike Layton, Toronto City Councillor who is a member of the “public works and infrastructure committee” stated;

“We all know that this is the direction that singular vehicle transport is going in,” and went on to say; “Why we wouldn't at least try out something at very limited cost to the city, to get ready for the revolution that is going to happen, is beyond me.” The latter remark is presumably because the article said; “Every boost will be free.”

On that latter point this once again appears to be a situation where a cost/benefit study is ignored. If you run some numbers you quickly discern that this could cost ratepayers $34,000 annually for electricity consumed and cost the province $30,000 in forgone taxes. The foregoing numbers are based on free consumption of 2,000 kWh (kilowatt hours) per year per vehicle (16 kWh required to recharge the Chevy Volt for every 100 km) and the loss of provincial taxes on the sale of 750 litres of gasoline (6 litres per 100 km) based on 100 electric vehicles. So the limited cost in Mr. Layton's assertion (aside from the $65,000 grant from TAF) will actually cost Ontarians over $60,000. Looking back TAF has provided close to $300,000 in additional grants to the city of Toronto that are all related to fleet conversion examinations or studies. TAF also provided a grant to York University for charging station research and other significant grants ($152,000) to something called the International Council for local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) for similar vehicle related fleet conversion studies.

Study health impacts before supporting wind: Poilievre

YourOttawaRegion Article: Study health impacts before supporting wind: Poilievre:

Picture from Source article

Nepean-Carleton MP Pierre Poilievre and his provincial counterpart Lisa MacLeod gathered with about 25 residents on Wallingford Way in North Gower on Thursday, July 12 to ask for a moratorium on its development.

Carrying signs that read “Health studies before wind farms” and “Turbines make bad neighbours,” the group gathered just a stone’s throw away from the farmer’s fields where about eight turbines as tall as 120 metres could potentially pop up.

As part of his support for Health Canada’s new study, Poilievre has sent an open letter to Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty asking him to put the North Gower project on hold until the study is complete and current regulations can be revisited.

Continue Reading the YourOttawaRegion Article: 

CTV Ottawa: Potential Health risks of Wolfe Island Turbines

CTV Ottawa | Video - Watch our Latest News Stories and Daily Newscasts

One of the largest wind farms in Canada is on Wolfe Island by Kingston, with some residents saying it's making them sick. Katie Griffin reports.

http://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=725941&playlistId=1.889717&binId=1.819039

MPPs say McGuinty thumbing nose at rural Ont.

MPPs say McGuinty thumbing nose at rural Ont. | Local | News | Owen Sound Sun Times:

Walker said McGuinty listened “and obeyed” the call of Mississauga residents.
“And yet the people of Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound and all over rural Ontario have been screaming about the wind turbines — it’s not a good thing, it’s not a good deal, it’s not where we need to be — and yet he blatantly ignores us,” Walker said in an interview.
Listening to Mississauga but not rural Ontario shows “hypocrisy. It’s all about him buying his votes.”
Walker said McGuinty should do the right thing and immediately “at the very least” put a moratorium on further wind turbine developments until Health Canada completes a planned study on the relationship between turbine noise and human health.
Results of the study are expected in 2014.
“It’s clear to us in Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound that the ending of the Slots at Racetrack partnership, the closure of the local jails and the forced industrialization of rural landscapes through wind turbines means rural Ontario has been officially abandoned by this government,” he said.

Continue reading at the Owen Sound Sun Times: 

Noisy wind turbines cause resident complaints: Nightly shut down

 Another city in the US, this time in New Jersey, has forced turbines off overnight after readings showed sound from the turbines to be beyond permissible levels.

Noisy wind turbines cause resident complaints | The Asbury Park Press NJ | APP.com:

OCEAN GATE — Several noise violations from the borough’s two power-generating wind turbines has led the Borough Council to shut the systems down between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. during the week.

The first turbine was put up in 2009 on West Arvene Avenue near Ocean Gate Avenue. The second was placed on East Arvene Avenue one block east in March.

...

“Onsite inspections of the two wind turbines were taken on March 27, April 8 and April 16. There were several readings above the maximum permissible decibel levels on each inspection,” Terjesen said.

Wind farms do bring down property values

Reports in both The Telegraph and the Sunday Times (paywalled) today show that in the UK there is acknowledgement of wind turbines impacting property values.

Wind farms do bring down property values - Telegraph:

The decisions by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) to move certain houses close to wind farms into lower council tax bands are the first official recognition that the turbines can lower the value of nearby homes.

Although property experts have long acknowledged the harmful effect of wind farms on property prices, the association has until now been dismissed by the wind industry as conjecture.

In one recent case a couple saw the value of their home 650 yards from the Fullabrook wind farm near Braunton, Devon, fall from £400,000 to £300,000 according to a local agent's estimate.

Continue reading at the Telegraph site:
National Wind Watch Report of The Sunday Times articles

IBERDROLA’S ANSWER TO WIND TURBINE NOISE? GIVE RESIDENTS NOISE GENERATING MACHINES

IBERDROLA’S ANSWER TO WIND TURBINE NOISE? GIVE RESIDENTS NOISE GENERATING MACHINES | East County Magazine:

"In Fairfield, New York, weary residents asked town officials to measure noise levels at Iberdrola’s Hardscrabble wind facility. The results found levels above the legal limit of 50 decibels. But instead of reducing the noise, Iberdrola gave noise generating machines to residents in hopes of drowning out the whooshing and whirling turbine sounds.
"It's torture. You cannot sleep with this frequency of noise,” resident James Salamone said of living just 1,500 feet from the nearest turbine.  The noise machine did not work, he told WKTV.
Another resident likened the noise to the sound of a plane that never stops.

Continue reading at East County Magazine:

Moratorium called for wind turbine farms

CTV Kitchener has a segment on both the Health Canada study and recent court decision regarding Dr. King's requirement to testify.  A column accompanies the video.

Moratorium called for wind turbine farms | Kitchener

Politicians and community advocates are calling for a moratorium on the development of wind turbine farms, at least until Health Canada finishes a study looking at the affects of turbines on human health. That study won’t be completed until 2014.
Lisa Thompson, the MPP for Huron Bruce, announced her support for the moratoriam at a press conference on Friday. “All facts point [to the fact] that we are going too fast, so let’s hit that pause button right now.”
Health Canada said last week that it would send 25 independent experts in acoustics and health assessment to 2,000 homes around wind turbine farms across the country.

Read more: CTV Kitchener

EXCLUSIVE: Fort Erie wind-tower manufacturer DMI Industries to close permanently | Bullet News Niagara | Niagara Falls, Welland, Thorold, St Catharines, Fort ErieBullet News Niagara | Niagara Falls, Welland, Thorold, St Catharines, Fort Erie

EXCLUSIVE: Fort Erie wind-tower manufacturer DMI Industries to close permanently | Bullet News Niagara :

Picture from linked article

FORT ERIE – In another heavy blow to Fort Erie, wind-turbine tower manufacturer DMI Industries -once the darling of Niagara’s fledgling green-energy industry – is closing permanetly.

The Fargo, North Dakota-based company is apparently no longer willing to keep the doors open at its Fort Erie location, which has been struggling for more than a year.

Continue Reading at Bullet News: 

Duncan on the defensive during questions from MPP Pettapiece

An MPP's press release adds significantly to stories in the mainstream media.  

On July 16th an article in the Toronto Star included, 

"...Duncan insisted Monday the government made the surprise Sept. 24 call to scrap the facility — not the Liberal campaign."

A current report from the Canadian Press has a contradictory message:

“This was a campaign undertaking at a time when I think we were still behind in the polls, so it required a government decision which occurred after the election,” Duncan told the estimates committee.

Duncan on the defensive during questions from MPP Pettapiece | Randy Pettapiece | MPP for Perth-Wellington:

Duncan appeared before the all-party Standing Committee on Estimates on July 19, when he faced tough questions from Perth-Wellington MPP Randy Pettapiece and other opposition members. Pettapiece wanted to know why the government would listen to the people of Mississauga on large-scale energy projects while ignoring similar concerns in rural and small-town Ontario.

Wind Power: A Case Study

The Seeking Alpha investment blog looks at industrial wind from an investment perspective - or more accurately,  from a not to be invested perspective

Wind Power: A Case Study - Seeking Alpha:

The United States government currently gives wind power a tax break for every megawatt produced in the range of $19 / megawatt hour of production. This means that even if prices are negative, wind turbines can produce at a potential profit.

Graph capture from ERCOT Wind Integration Report

Grid Integrity

Sustained negative pricing has massive ramifications for the electric grid. When prices are negative, it means that any plant exposed to the real-time price of electricity is rapidly losing money. For example, if prices are -$50 / megawatt hour and a plant is producing 500 megawatts per hour, it is losing $25,000 per hour before any expenses are accounted for. This type of environment leads to plants either closing or hedging their production for long periods of time.

Top Ontario official to testify about wind power health risks

Top Ontario official to testify about wind power health risks - Toronto - CBC News:

Opponents of industrial wind turbine developments in Ontario are celebrating a court ruling that will force the province’s chief medical officer of health to testify about the known noise and health risks of wind power developments.

Ontario Superior Court Justice Mary Sanderson issued an order Wednesday that requires Dr. Arlene King to testify in the case of Shawn and Trisha Drennan of Ashfield Township by Lake Huron in southwestern Ontario.

Based on reports of residents near other wind developments in Ontario who complain of vertigo, tinnitus, and sleep disorders stemming from the turbines, the Drennans have gone to court demanding that private gag orders on a number of landowners in neighbouring communities be lifted.

Those people complained of turbine noise and health issues, yet agreed to sell their properties back to power companies in exchange for agreeing to keep quiet. In their fight, the Drennans want to challenge King on her 2010 review of international literature on wind turbine science...

Continue Reading at CBC News
More details on the decision regarding Dr. King's testimony here

MPP wants stop to 'turbines popping up everywhere'

MPP wants stop to 'turbines popping up everywhere' - Windsor - CBC News:

Opponents of wind turbines cheered last week when Health Canada announced it would study the effects turbine noise may have on human health.

Turbines in Essex and Chatham-Kent counties in southwestern Ontario have become a fact of life.

In Chatham-Kent alone, for example, there could be more than 500 turbines turning by 2014.

But not if Chatham-Kent Progressive Conservative MPP Rick Nicholls has anything to say about it. He and his party want a moratorium on the development of wind farms while Ottawa completes its study.

"When I heard [Health Canda] decided to conduct a study, I was very, very pleased. It tells me there is more to local issues with regard to health,"

Continue reading at CBC News , all the way to the poll question:
"Should there be a moratorium on Wind turbines until Health Canada completes its study"

Living with turbines: Ontario woman speaks up

The Morrisburg Leader - Living with turbines: Ontario woman speaks up(News):

On July 16th, at the DC Community Centre in Dixon’s Corners, local residents had an opportunity to hear first hand what it’s like to live surrounded by industrial wind turbines.

The South Branch Wind Opposition Group welcomed Monica Elmes, leader of the Chatham-Kent Wind Action Group, who shared her story and experience living amongst more than 40 industrial wind turbines.

Despite the fact that Elmes’ home is 1.5 kilometers away from the nearest turbine, she and her family have reported experiencing ill effects like sleep deprivation...

... those that did attend were shocked to hear that Elmes had registered approximately 130 complaints to the Minstiry of the Environment to no avail.

Continue reading at The Morrisburg Leader : 

HWC Clarifies Reasons for Withdrawal on Nextera Appeal

Factual Clarification of HWC NextEra Appeal

Haldimand Wind Concerns would like to further explain our withdrawal from the appeal of NextEra's project in Haldimand at the ERT on Monday by clarifying the situations of the medical experts that had been planned for our case.

When HWC filed its appeal, three internationally highly qualified experts agreed to testify. Over the next few weeks:

Renewable Energy Approval Issued for Port Dover and Nanticoke Wind Project,

Once again the Haldimand County county is home to the project - this time joined by Norfolk.

Environmental Registry:

A Renewable Energy Approval has been issued to Capital Power GP Holdings Inc., to engage in a renewable energy project in respect of a Class 4 wind facility consisting of the construction, installation, operation, use and retiring of a wind facility with fifty-eight (58) 1.8 megawatt (MW) wind turbine generators with a total name plate capacity of 104.4MW. The facility will be connected to Hydro One’s distribution system.

This Class 4 wind facility facility, known as the Port Dover and Nanticoke Wind Project, is located in the Counties of Norfolk and Haldimand. The noise sources to be approved at the project location consist of wind turbine generators and transformers. Emissions discharged to the atmosphere include noise.

The Renewable Energy Approval requires the proponent to construct, install, operate, use and retire the facility in accordance with specific terms and conditions. The terms and conditions, as summarised below, require the proponent to:

construct and install the facility within 3 years of the date of the approval...

Important Wind Turbine Case: Drennan Appeal Successful

Falconer Charney LLP:

July 18, 2012- Important Wind Turbine Case: Drennan Appeal Successful

Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Arlene King, was ordered by a Superior Court judge to testify. Over the objections of Dr. King’s lawyer, the Chief Medical Officer of Health was ordered to testify on her knowledge of the health effects of wind turbines. Justice Sanderson rejected government arguments and quashed the lower court ruling of Master Haberman

From the decision : (please excuse transposition errors):

Councillor says Health Canada study on wind turbine noise is a significant victory

City of Kawartha Lakes councillor Heather Stauble: "The more people take part, the better designed the study will be. I'm very encouraged the federal government is taking this seriously."

MyKawartha Article: Councillor says Health Canada study on wind turbine noise is a significant victory:

(KAWARTHA LAKES) Heather Stauble said even 40-degree Celsius temperatures on Tuesday wouldn't tempt her to put a wind turbine on her property.

"Absolutely not. I'm sitting here in front of a fan," she laughed.

And, the City of Kawartha Lakes councillor, who represents Ward 16, says there's something else to smile about, now that Health Canada has announced it will do a study on the noise effects of wind turbines.

"It's really significant for us," she said. "It's not easy to get Health Canada to do a research study."

Her ward has been front and centre in the debate about wind turbines for at least two years, with the public taking an active part in protesting wind turbines coming to the area.

Coun. Stauble said while the Province has maintained its restrictions on wind turbines are exceptionally tough (especially concerning setbacks), "that is absolutely not true."

Continue reading at mykawartha.com: 
The period for submissions re: the health study, noted in the article, has been extended to September 7

Health Canada Lengthens Submission Period for Wind Turbine Noise and Health Study

Health Canada Announces Wind Turbine Noise and Health Study:

UPDATE - July 18, 2012: In recognition of the potential difficulty over the summer holiday period of certain interested Canadians in providing input before August 8, 2012, submissions will be accepted until September 7, 2012.

Details of the Study are available on the Health Canada website: 

Wind turbine noise impact assessment: Where ETSU is silent

This important document critiques the ETSU-R-97 environmental assessment of noise from wind turbines in the United Kingdom. The ETSU-R-97 was written by a Noise Working Group (NWG) set up in 1995 by the Department of Trade and Industry through ETSU (the Energy Technology Support Unit). The noise policy is still in effect today and followed by wind developers outside of the United Kingdom. -  Summary posted on The Industrial Wind Action Group site


Where ETSU is Silent: Cox, Unwind, Sherman (.pdf)

Sections 2 and 3 of this Report examine the de facto standard method, ETSU]R]97, used for assessing the likely noise nuisance from wind turbines that was produced in the mid]1990s and is usually referred to as eETSUf. The basis of the assessment is that background noise will mask the turbine noise and that both the background noise and turbine noise increase with increasing wind speed. To test whether or not the noise will be within acceptable limits, ETSU requires applicants to measure the background noise at sites at risk, correlate this with the simultaneous wind speeds measured at the proposed turbinesf site, make model predictions of the likely turbine noise and then compare these two sets of values with a series of derived noise limits. If the wind farm gains planning consent, the imposed planning conditions include the noise limits and complaints procedure that apply for the life of the wind farm. Although it might be assumed that the science on which the ETSU processes rests is sound and that the data and analyses presented can be relied upon, we demonstrate this is not true.

Continue reading 'Where ETSU is Silent: Cox, Unwind, Sherman' (.pdf)

August start for Chatham-Kent tribunal

August start for tribunal | Local | News | Chatham Daily News:

Appeals filed by two south Chatham-Kent groups opposed to a multi-million dollar wind turbine project will be heard in August.

Toronto lawyer Eric Gillespie told The Daily News Tuesday the first of two hearings by the Environmental Review Tribunal is scheduled for Aug. 10 in Chatham.

Gillespie and his associate, Rebekah Church, are representing Chatham-Kent Wind Action Group Inc.

Another group of landowners calling themselves the Eighth and Ninth Line /Bloomfield Road Community Group has also filed an appeal.

The preliminary hearing will take place at 10 a.m. in the council chambers at the Civic Centre.

Gillespie said the main hearing is scheduled for Aug. 28 at the same location. Two weeks have been set aside for the tribunal.

The Samsung Renewable Energy and Pattern Energy joint venture project would see the construction of 124 wind turbines with a total capacity of 270 megawatts.

Continue reading at the Chatham Daily News: 

Michael Trebilcock: Blown away

Professor Trebilcock has an excellent column in the Financial Post, detailing some deep faults in the mechanisms established by the Green Energy Act.

Blown away | FP Comment | Financial Post:

Many political economists argue that environmental assessments and other regulatory regimes often fail to serve the public interest because the regulatory process tends to be “captured” by the concentrated interests — the fox ends up in charge of the henhouse.

The history of Ontario’s Green Energy Act makes their case. The renewable energy industry, which has billions at stake, can afford to spend millions making their case, while the 35 million individual Ontarians — not knowing what would be hitting them in years to come and unable to compete even if they did — become hapless victims.

Continue Reading at the Financial Post site:

“This is just wrong” : Chatham-Kent group leader addresses South Branch residents

Exclusive to Wind Concerns Ontario

July 17

You could have heard a pin drop in the meeting room at the community centre in Dixon’s Corners as Monica Elmes, leader of the Chatham-Kent Wind Action Group spoke to residents from the Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry area about what the noise in her community, and what it’s been like to live near industrial wind turbines.

“I wasn’t expecting the noise,” said Elmes, whose family has been living with the turbines near Ridgetown for a year and a half. “One day, my husband said, ‘What is that sound? It’s like an airplane that never goes away.’ “

Then the family began noticing changes to their health: she developed an intermittent pain below her ears, while her husband who had always been a sound sleeper, had difficulty sleeping and became fatigued. On consulting their family physician, her husband was advised to move, that that was the only answer. The family’s house was 1.5 km away from the nearest turbine.

Power politics still problem in Ontario

Greg Van Moorsel's article reviews some of the outcomes from excessive political meddling in Ontario's electricity sector.

Power politics still problem in Ontario | Column | Opinion | Chatham Daily News:

You’d think the McGuinty government, busy carpeting rural Ontario with wind farms built by multinationals, would have got the memo about letting Ontario Power Generation do its thing and allowing the discipline of the market to decide what private players come in. After all, this is a government not only inviting the corporate world to plug into its grid, but also paying them hefty subsidies on the consumer’s back to do so. Think again.

The raging “seat-saver” debacle, over an unwanted private power plant the Liberals nixed in Mississauga, dumping it in Sarnia instead, shows the meddling is alive and well. Getting out of the gas-fired power plant deal — killed days before last fall’s election, a move widely seen as a bid to save Liberal seats — will cost a shocking $190 million.

Read the entire article at the Chatham Daily News site: 

Haldimand Wind Concerns Withdraws Appeal of Nextera's Project

HWC Announcement re Withdrawal 12-07-16

Haldimand Wind Concerns made the decision today to withdraw from the appeal of NextEra’s wind turbine project in Haldimand at the Environmental Review Tribunal Hearing as a result of three expert medical and noise engineering witnesses’ unavailability to testify due to unforeseen personal medical issues. These expert witnesses had planned to testify to substantiate the health conditions of people already suffering health effects from wind turbines. HWC will instead narrow the focus to the environmental issues as we continue to support Bill Monture’s case which will complete the Hearing. Please join HWC in support of Bill Monture on Thursday, July 19, 2012 at the Hagersville Community Centre, 62 Main Street South at 10:00 am. to hear final submissions.

The Tribunal will make a decision on Bill Monture’s appeal by October 1, 2012.

News Release: An Update on Preserve Mapleton Inc.

News Release: An Update on Preserve Mapleton Inc.

The last time information was shared about Preserve Mapleton Inc. was following a decision on April 24th. This information outlined the decision made at the Divisional Court level on the Judicial Review of Conestogo Wind Energy Centre's REA approval. During this review, PMI presented concerns that proper procedures, rules and regulations, as mandated by the Green Energy Act, were not adhered to during this application process. PMI was allowed to present its case. However, on April 24, 2012, after three weeks of deliberations, it was decided that PMI did not have standing and that's where the decision rested.

As a group, PMI then moved on to the Environmental Review Tribunal (ERT). Whereas the Judicial Review deals with the procedure, the ERT focuses on human health and environmental issues. In Chatam/Kent's ERT in July 2010, it was established that there is a correlation between industrial wind turbines and people getting sick. The degree of sickness has yet to be determined. This is where the "people" come in. PMI was granted the opportunity to be heard in the form of its own ERT, starting on July 12, 2012. This was to be an opportunity to share personal stories - pre-existing health conditions, and specific concerns about the turbines' possible affects on the witnesses, families and livelihoods in this community. To substantiate the conditions and concerns, expert medical witnesses and people already affected by turbines were scheduled to testify. Due to unexpected circumstances beyond the control of the key medical expert, this person is no longer able to testify at this time. Without this medical expert being present to substantiate the witness testimonies, PMI made a rational decision, through no fault of its own, to withdraw from the ERT.

Bruce Lourie's Spider Web Expands

Earlier articles have expounded on the Lourie reach via his conglomerate of charities, not-for-profits and for profit companies his biography claims he founded. This article will focus on two more of those.

View as .pdf

The first is the Clean Energy Efficiency Alliance (CEEA) headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario. While Lourie claims he founded CEEA a document (no longer available) that appeared on a City of Toronto's webpage dated March 25, 1999 when Lourie made a presentation to Toronto's City Council stated the Alliance was “Established in 1995 as a non-profit corporation by Ontario Hydro”. Efforts to confirm the latter were unsuccessful.

The first encounter the writer had with CEEA co-incidently was in respect to research on the Ontario Sustainable Energy Association (OSEA) and their claim to the Ontario Energy Board (OEB) for cost eligibility in respect to several applications where they had obtained “intervener” status. I discovered that CEEA were doing the same and determined that they too should not be eligible for costs. Pleadings to the OEB were received favourably and both CEEA & OSEA were denied costs. The principle reason for the denial was the list of CEEA members many of whom came from the public sector and included Hydro One, OPG, Toronto Hydro, Horizon Utilities, Milton Hydro, etc. While the submission to the OEB was made by a major Bay Street legal firm all correspondence from the OEB was requested to be sent to Marion Fraser, whose biography filed with the OEB reads like she has almost as many relationships as Bruce Lourie; even to serving several years in the Ministry of Energy where she claims she “Crafted the overall plan for smart metering in Ontario's energy sector.”

Idaho Utility Campaigns Against Requirements for more wind

Commercial can be viewed here

A campaign by Idaho Power (an investor-owned utility) is noteworthy as an early example of a utility publicly opposing increased wind .  The 'get plugged in' web site currently features the message "Dear Wind, We need to talk ..."

www.getpluggedin.com - Something is missing...from the conversation about energy.

GetPluggedIn was created to foster a better understanding of today’s energy issues, and to facilitate a community and a discussion around those issues. ...
Our stance is this: The current state of PURPA – and especially wind development – is simply not sustainable. We support generation resources that are reliable, responsible and fair-priced...

Wind turbine noise debate now one of degree

Wind turbine noise debate now one of degree | The Chronicle-Journal:

I applaud the announcement by Health Canada to conduct a study of health effects of industrial wind turbines (CJ, July 11). On July 18, 2011, after testimony from experts around the world, the Ontario Environmental Review Tribunal stated: “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.”

The Ontario Ministry of Environment’s website states, “Our setback of 550 m. for wind projects is the most stringent in North America and is based on the most up-to-date science.”
Section 47.3 (1) Ontario Environmental Protection Act states a very different set of setback distances. The act states 550 metres is considered the absolute minimum setback for a very small wind farm — five turbines or less and a noise output level of 102 decibels. This section also shows when a 107-decibel level is reached or the number of turbines in a wind farm increases, the setbacks must be increased quite dramatically to 950-1,500 metres to provide protection to the people living near the turbines. There are also many jurisdictions all over the world that consider a 1,500-metre setback inadequate. Setbacks of 2,000-3,000 metres or more are required in places such as Oregon, where a setback in various areas is 3,219 metres (two miles) to a rural home. Various areas of Maine see setbacks of 1,200-2,400 metres. Parts of Austria and Australia — 2,000 metres. France — 4,900 metres.

Continue reading Irene Bond's letter in the The Chronicle-Journal:

Two Appeals Filed Against the South Kent Wind Project

Statement from Chatham-Kent Wind Action Group

On June 15, 2012, the Ontario Ministry of Environment issued a Renewable Energy Approval (REA) for South Kent Wind LP (Samsung Renewable Energy and Pattern Energy Group). The South Kent Project is a massive 270 MW industrial wind project planned to blanket the land south of Highway 401 from Ridgetown to Tilbury in the Municipality of Chatham-Kent. In response, two appeals of the REA for the South Kent Wind Project were filed with the Environmental Review Tribunal, one by Chatham-Kent Wind Action Group Inc and one by the 8th and 9th Line/Bloomfield Road Community Group.

Results of South Marysburgh plebiscite on wind turbines: NO!

Results of South Marysburgh plebiscite on wind turbines « CCSAGE pec wind turbine news #1 source: 

South Marysburgh turned out in droves at Milford town hall on Saturday, July 14  to vote in a plebiscite on wind turbines, organized by the S.M. Mirror.  They delivered a clear message to be passed on  to Premier McGuinty: NO turbines wanted in South Marysburgh.
The question was straightfoward: Do you want industrial wind turbines installed in South Marysburgh like the ones proposed by wpd Canada and Gilead Power for their projects near Milford and on the south shore?
The results of 542 ballots cast: 489 = 90.2% said NO to wind turbines, while 51 = 9.4% said YES, with 2 spoiled ballots.

Continue reading at the County Coalition for Safe and Appropriate Green Energy Website:

Rex Murphy: Even by the low standard of politics, McGuinty's Mississauga stunt offends | Full Comment | National Post

Rex Murphy looks at the $180 million cost of moving a gas plant, due to an election promise.

Rex Murphy: Even by the low standard of politics, McGuinty's Mississauga stunt offends | Full Comment | National Post:

"Now if even a million of the amount had gone into some private pocket, or a bank account of someone close to the Ontario Liberals, the scandal would be nuclear. But because the money is merely wasted — because the whole $180-million just got thrown away, effectively doled out just for partisan advantage — people don’t quite reach white-hot anger.
But something else may be going on. People’s contempt for actions of this sort may be so deep that for a while it remains unspoken. Arrogance and self-interest on this level leaves most normal people speechless. They resign themselves to the sleaziness and corruption of the game. They learn to quietly despise politics. At that point, in a democracy, all are losers. And make no error: It was the Ontario Liberals this time, but once in power, every party, from the Tories to the Greens, is capable of acting in the same way."
For a ploy of this magnitude, Dalton McGuinty and his energy minister should resign. 

Read Rex Murphy's full column in the National Post:

GuelphMercury - Rising electricity prices shock plastics firm

Chris Howett's column in the Guelph Mercury illustrates the worry many businesses have with rising electricity costs - it doesn't do a good job in illustrating why the costs are rising.

GuelphMercury - Rising electricity prices shock plastics firm:

"Mechar estimates his hydro costs have risen by 50 per cent since 2009. Last month, his electricity bill came to $53,000 and if rates don’t go down soon, his annual bill will top $600,000.
The soaring hydro costs have Mechar pondering the unthinkable.
Already feeling pressure from a strong Canadian dollar, he is considering moving the company to an area with lower electricity rates or shutting down the facility entirely. Launched 15 years ago, Integrated employs 23 people at a plant on Waydom Drive and generates annual revenues of $10 million to $12 million.
“You take $250,000 out of your bottom line (for hydro increases). We don’t make enough profit to absorb that.”

Continue reading at the Guelph Mercury site:

Wind Turbines and People's Health - Mainstreet NS

Stephanie Domet, of the Mainstreet program on CBC Radio One in Nova Scotia, interviewed Dr. Bob McMurtry following the announcement of the Health Canada study.

Wind Turbines and People's Health - Mainstreet NS - CBC Player:

"Dr. Bob McMurtry is the founding chair and a current advisor for the Society For Wind Vigilance. He spoke to Stephanie about who makes up that group and what they're fighting for."

Italian wind farm seized in mafia probe

Just sayin'...

Italian wind farm seized in mafia probe | News.com.au

ITALIAN police have seized assets worth 350 million euros ($A424 million) including a giant wind farm in a crackdown on the 'Ndrangheta mafia in the southern region of Calabria, investigators say.

The main suspect in the investigation is 55-year-old Pasquale Arena, the nephew of a notorious local mob clan leader and head of urban planning for the town council in Isola Capo Rizzuto, Colonel Fabio Canziani told AFP.
Arena is suspected of having had a wind farm built on behalf of the clan through shell companies based in Germany, San Marino and Switzerland.

Sen. Lasee: Responds to attack by wind special interest groups

Wisconsin Senator Lasee has been very active, particularly in the past few weeks, advocating for his constituents harmed by industrial wind turbines.

He issued this press release yesterday.

Madison, WI – Recently, the Wisconsin Energy Business Association has felt it necessary to suggest that my office is engaged in ideological war against wind turbines. It’s not surprising that wind special interest groups would attack our position. Responsible wind siting would put their access to taxpayer subsidies and electric user’s pocketbooks in jeopardy. We pay higher taxes (or deficit spend) and electric users pay higher rates to pay for wind energy, the wind is free but the towers are not. More than half of the thirteen million dollars spent to build the Shirley Wind Farm was paid for by taxpayers, by you and me.

The Brown County Board of Health (BCBH) agrees that these Industrial Wind Turbines (IWT’s) are making people sick. In fact, the BCBH adopted a resolution asking for emergency State aid for those suffering around IWT’s. The Board’s resolution continues to state that they believe PSC128 has caused “undue hardship” and real health issues that were supposed to be protected against under state law.

Ontario's Green Energy & Economy Act Two years Later: Another day, Another lawsuit

The National Post's Scott Stinson on July 13, 2012 reported that yet another in a string of lawsuits has been launched against the Ontario Power Authority. This one by SkyPower Ltd, owned by CIM of Los Angeles. This suit seeks $100 million and closely follows the Province's very recent settlement of another lawsuit in respect to the Greenfield, Mississauga gas plant they cancelled just two weeks before the last Provincial election.

The Scott Stinson article triggered a memory recall of a presentation at the Empire Club that occurred April 8, 2011 when CanWEA's Chairperson, Adarsh Mehta spoke to a full house at the Royal York hotel. The room was full of Bay Street lawyers who acted for many of CanWEA's members and the Q & A session that followed was handled by Robert Hornung, CEO & President of CanWEA. The questions appeared to be selective and ignored those from our table. This raised the ire of a member of our table who demanded a chance to present the other side of the story. This event followed on June 2, 2011 and the anti-wind crowd turned out to support our chosen speaker; the then President of WCO, John Laforet. Needless to say there were only a few Bay Street lawyers present to hear the other side of the story that day. So what are those Bay Street lawyers now up to? Well it appears they have been engaged by many of those CanWEA members to sue the pants off of the OPA.

Wind turbines and the need for consultation and evidence

Most of  Aaron Wherry's post this morning is quoting an NDP member .... but it ends with some useful links to information.

Wind turbines and the need for consultation and evidence - Beyond The Commons, Capital Read - Macleans.ca:

Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq’s office explains that the minister requested the study after hearing from MPs—primarily from Ontario—that constituents had concerns about the health impacts of wind turbines. The department had apparently been working with the provinces and territories to establish voluntary guidelines for “set backs,” but that process concluded without firm decisions.

The official notice to stakeholders is here. Relevant questions and answers are posted here and the members of research design team are listed here.

Read the full column at Macleans.ca:

Opponents rally at K2 wind project open house

Coverage of opposition to the Pattern/Samsung/Capital Power project at their recent information session.  Capital Power is noted as receiving " challenges of the company’s involvement in oil sands projects"

Opponents rally at K2 wind project open house | Bullet News HuronBullet News Huron:

Anita Frayne, who grew up in ACW, is doing what she can to ensure the project never gets built.

She and her husband were approached numerous times by land agents from the wind energy developer, but they refused to rent any of their 300 acres of farmland. Her three brothers are leaseholders in the wind farms.

Among her long list of concerns is what she says are the poor economics of wind energy development that will be “subsidized” by Ontario taxpayers and the potential health effects of humans and livestock.

“I was born and raised here. I’ve lived most of my life here. This area really matters to me. What happens here really matters to me. I don’t know why but I’m deeply attached to it and I don’t like it when people mess what is here,” she said, noting she’s been researching wind energy since 2003.

“I don’t like it when people come in and take undue advantage of this area and we’re prepared to stand up and push back,” Frayne said.

Read the entire article at Bullet News Huron:

Health Canada to probe possible health effects of wind turbines

Don Butler's insightful coverage of the Health Canada announcement concludes with a paragraph on the impetus for Health Canada to move to a study, reminding all that they had been working on developing standards prior to the announcement

Health Canada to probe possible health effects of wind turbines:

Unlike some past studies, which have simply reviewed other literature, Health Canada's will be a field study, conducted at 2,000 dwellings ranging from 500 metres to more than five kilometres from wind power plants with eight to 12 turbines.

It will involve interviews with residents, automated blood pressure measurement, sleep evaluations and measurement of cortisol levels, a marker for stress. All the data will be correlated with calculations of wind turbine noise so any potential relationship to health symptoms can be reliably determined.

...

 The decision to proceed with the study follows the collapse of efforts by a working group from all levels of government to draft national guidelines to mitigate the potential health impacts of turbines on nearby residents. That project was cancelled earlier this year when working group participants were unable to reach a consensus.

Read the full Ottawa Citizen column at canada.com:

Ontario Today segment on Health Canada Study Announcement

CBC.ca | Ontario Today | Federal government to study health effects of wind turbines:

We took your calls and spoke with Warren Mabee, the director of the Queen's Institute for Energy and Environmental Policy, about the federal government's new plan to study the health effects of noise from wind turbines.

London Free Press Editorial Calls for a Moratorium

Jim Hendry has written an editorial on the London Free Press site calling for a moratorium on  projects pending the outcome of Health Canada's study.

Halt new wind turbines pending fed study findings | Editorial | Comment | London Free Press:

Now that Health Canada has announced the first comprehensive, made-in-Canada review of the health impacts of wind turbines, Ontario should halt construction of any new turbines.

Accusations the large electricity generators make people who live near them sick have been flying since the McGuinty government included wind turbines in its plan to encourage and subsidize "clean" electricity generation.

The Liberals' response has been that global studies show no concrete link between noise and vibration created by the giant revolving blades and illness among people who live near them.

Now the feds, through Health Canada, have decided to see for themselves.

A description on Health Canada's website indicates its study should be strong enough to be accepted as the final word. People living in 2,000 homes between 500 metres and five km from eight to 12 different wind farms will be studied.

Continue reading at the London Free Press:

Editorial is also now on the Chatham Daily news site

Poilievre, MacLeod call for a moratorium on North Gower industrial wind turbines

MP Pierre Poilievre has issued the following press release

 

Poilievre, MacLeod call for a moratorium on North Gower industrial wind turbines

Calling for Premier McGuinty to put project on hold until Health Canada Study completed

 

North Gower, ON – In a residential area that sits next to an open farmer’s field, Pierre Poilievre, MP for Nepean-Carleton, Lisa MacLeod, MPP for Nepean-Carleton, and Jane Wilson, President of Wind Concerns Ontario joined together to call for a moratorium on the wind farm project proposed for the village of North Gower. This call follows an announcement from the Federal Minister of Health, Leona Aglukkaq, that Health Canada, in collaboration with Statistics Canada, will be conducting a research study to determine the relationship between noise pollution from industrial wind turbines (IWTs) and the possible health implications for those living nearby.

 

“This research study will provide us with the information we need to keep our fellow citizens safe from harm,” said Poilievre. “Due to increasing reports of health problems, a lack of consensus on this issue, and the need for properly designed clinical research, I am calling for a moratorium on the Marlborough Wind Farm project in North Gower until conclusive evidence from Health Canada can definitively show that there are no adverse health risks associated with living in close proximity to industrial wind turbines.” Poilievre added that he has written an open letter to Premier McGuinty outlining his concerns and hopes that the Premier will act upon his request.

 

“By forcing industrial wind turbine developments on rural communities, the McGuinty Liberals have stripped away local decision making, driven up hydro costs, lowered private property values, and ignored possible health and environmental impacts,” added MacLeod. “I’m continuing my calls for a moratorium to be placed on further wind developments and I am pleased the federal government has announced a study to determine health effects”