OTTAWA - A city councillor's push to have the provincial government halt any new wind farms for 18 months until potential health problems caused by the renewable energy projects can be studied is expected to die next month at city council.

Rideau-Goulbourn Councillor Glenn Brooks is pushing for the moratorium because Prowind Canada is working on getting a wind farm approved in his ward, near North Gower. Some residents of the area aren't happy with it, and there are those who claim turbines make people sick.

Brooks says he thinks the application and approval process for wind farms should continue, but none should be allowed to be built until the study is done.

He brought a motion to city councillors on city council's rural-affairs committee Thursday asking city council to petition the provincial government to conduct the study and to impose the moratorium.

The first part passed unanimously, but the second part squeaked by on a 3-2 vote amongst councillors sympathetic to rural concerns.

At full council, the moratorium is expected to be defeated by councillors who believe green energy is necessary for future electrical needs and for environmental reasons.