A controversial proposed wind farm in Colchester County has gotten the thumbs up from the provincial Division of Surroundings and Local weather Change.
On Thursday, Minister Timothy Halman authorized the Kmtnuk Wind Energy Undertaking’s environmental evaluation with circumstances.
Kmtnuk, collectively owned by Membertou First Nation and EverWind Fuels, plans to start out development this coming yr on its 16-turbine wind farm on Nuttby Mountain between the communities of Earltown, McCallum Settlement and North River. The challenge could have a capability of 98 megawatts, which will likely be fed by the Nova Scotia Energy grid to feed EverWind’s proposed inexperienced hydrogen/ammonia manufacturing and export facility at Level Tupper in Cape Breton.
The challenge confronted important native opposition from teams reminiscent of Sustainable Northern Nova Scotia and Shield Wentworth Valley.
Of their written submissions to the environmental evaluation course of, the teams argued that land clearing for the wind farm would displace weak species and require the clearing of forest.
In addition they argued that as a result of energy generated by the wind farms will in the end go to create inexperienced power that’s exported to Europe (EverWind has an offtake settlement with German Utility E.On), it gained’t assist Nova Scotia inexperienced its personal grid.
“There are a number of tasks proposed for the world,” reads the submission from Shield Wentworth Valley. “How do we all know what the impact will likely be on each biodiversity, water high quality, and human well being?
“Many consultants acknowledge the most cost effective and best solution to fight local weather change is to guard extra land, such because the exceptional forests and wetlands situated all through this challenge space. All sequester massive quantities of carbon. EverWind might want to clear big quantities of carbon-sequestering forests, a lot of that are previous progress or mature forests.”
In response to opposition to the proposed challenge, the Municipality of the County of Colchester thought-about an modification to its wind bylaw which might have paused large-scale wind developments.
On the November council assembly the place Colchester County Council voted down the modification, deputy mayor Geoff Stewart reported having acquired threatening telephone calls from individuals against the tasks. A glass door on the entrance of the Municipal constructing was smashed through the night of the vote.
There have been additionally letters in assist of the challenge, which argued that it could contribute to the native financial system and assist combat local weather change by producing inexperienced power destined for the world financial system.
EverWind has teamed up with Potlotek and Paq’tnkek First Nations as fairness companions in a a lot bigger 340-megawatt wind farm it proposes to construct close to the Kmtnuk farm.
The 58-turbine, billion-dollar Windy Ridge challenge would, in keeping with the proponent, “be primarily situated on an industrially logged personal land” and would feed EverWind’s proposed Level Tupper plant by way of the Nova Scotia Energy grid.
In response to the proponent, the challenge would pay $300,000 per yr in “proximity funds” to neighbouring owners, $3.6 million in municipal taxes, $100,000 yearly to a neighborhood vibrancy fund and $50,000 yearly in bursaries.
In response to the proponent, the challenge will likely be registered for an environmental evaluation early in 2024.
