Debate about the development of wind power within the town of Sackville has been widespread in the last two months, as the introduction of bylaws by the planning commission were tabled before the town council. The by-laws cover both turbines for individual use, and wind farms, with a generation capacity exceeding three megawatts. At the council meeting on November 9, the by-laws passed by a vote of 4-3.

Despite contentious debate last week over whether the town should open itself up to wind energy proposals at all, council decided in the end it was best to put the needed regulations in place instead of leaving the town without a strategy to guide a sector that is fast developing around the world. Coun. Margaret Tusz-King said the new wind power regulations, which were approved as part of Sackville's new zoning bylaw last Monday night, include "stringent limitations on how and where turbines will be erected."

Arran-Elderslie is likely to impose a one-year moratorium, with a possible one-year extension, on construction of large wind turbines. Council is expected to pass an interim control bylaw Oct. 26 despite being told by the provincial government such bylaws are not allowed. "There are a lot of people with some real concerns about these turbines," Elderslie ward Coun. Mark Davis told council.

Standardized setbacks, domestic manufacturing content and a reworked approval process are among the province’s new wind turbine regulations. As part of the Green Energy Act, there will also be a feed-in tariff program, which allows everyone from homeowners to large developers to sell power to the grid. ... This distance would increase with the number of turbines and sound level ratings. The province also integrated various approvals — including environmental and municipal — into the Renewable Energy Approval process.

It's not so much about what is on the agenda for Monday's Chatham-Kent planning meeting, but what is not. Two wind power applications for a total of 98 new wind turbines to be built in Chatham-Kent have been deferred again. ...[municipal planning consultant Tom Storey of Storey] speculated this is because new regulations are expected to come down soon under the new Green Energy Act.

Municipal District of Pincher Creek held a meeting to decide on whether or not to re-zone parcels of land North of the Oldman River so that more wind farm development could occur in the area. Presently some of the land around the existing wind farms is zoned for agriculture and has to be re-zoned as Wind Farm Industrial in order for the proposed project to proceed.

Opponents of a wind farm project in the Charlevoix region have struck gold - the presence of a nesting pair of golden eagles means no windmill can be built within 20 kilometres of a their nest, they say.

A citizens group opposing development of a wind farm in Alnwick/Haldimand Township has asked the environment ministry for an extension of the public consultation period on proposed provincial regulations on wind turbines, and has been granted the chance to comment. That's important to the group because proposed distances to residences are not sufficient, nor are the maximum noise levels, spokesperson Tova White contends.

Kingsville council has approved the sites for 19 wind turbines east of Cottam but delayed a decision on three others because of concerns over two nearby air strips. Council agreed Monday to 19 site-specific bylaws for turbines as the public got to see Brookfield Power Corporation's location for 22 wind turbines. ..."Flying by these would be dangerous," Ronald Bell said Tuesday. Turbulence is the concern.

A majority of "construction ready" wind projects in Ontario won't go forward if the province passes regulations that keep wind turbines a minimum distance from residences, roads and railway lines, warns Canada's wind energy association.

A global wind energy company with a subsidiary in Burlington is conducting two wind studies in Arran-Elderslie and council does not think either location is good or the 120-metre towers. "We should let them know we don't want them," said Coun. Mark Davis. NextEra Energy Resources is proposing to erect six windmills at each location.

The federation's directors discussed the current debate around wind turbine developments at their June meeting and passed two resolutions. One was to request lower-tier municipalities in Huron to enact a moratorium on commercial wind energy projects pending results of an epidemiological study conducted into the health impacts of the specific infrastructure on residents living near such developments. The other was to support the study.

His neighbours, however, testified at the OMB hearings that they felt the turbine would be invasive and could be dangerous if the tall pole with a turbine on top fell over. Even though the turbine has been designed specifically for residential areas, the OMB said in its June ruling that it supported Findlay's neighbour's concerns.

The wind turbine bylaw has been in the works since last year. ...Corey Basel, vice-president of SkyPower Corp., said his company did not support passing the draft bylaw, which he said was ambiguous. ...One interesting aspect of the draft bylaw is the tight control the municipality would have over backyard wind turbines.

Members of Grey Highlands council did their best to clear up some confusion about a wind tower planning application the is currently before the municipality. The public galleries at Monday morning's meeting were once again full of opponents of the AIM Power Generation planning proposal to install a number of wind towers in the southern part of Grey Highlands.

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.

The debate got heated Monday as opponents of wind turbine projects urged the Town of Essex council to delay any more zoning approvals until the regulations from Ontario's new Green Energy Act kick in. Coun. Paul Innes got into a shouting match with one resident -- farmer Colette McLean -- and asked that she be thrown out. However, tempers calmed and McLean finished her pitch for a municipal delay.

Town council has given administration the go-ahead to proceed with the Official Plan Amendment (OPA) and Zoning Bylaw Amendment (ZBA) in relation to the wind farm proposed by genGrowth. However, they noted it is merely a starting point for discussion with more input and details to come. ...Councillor Bob Pillon, who has been vocal at previous meetings about health risks, was at least willing to explore the matter further. "Now they are in a position where council needs answers," said Pillon. "I have many questions, trust me."

Action on two wind farm proposals was deferred Monday by Chatham-Kent council because of new provincial legislation. The deferral action was recommended by consultant Tom Storey as a result of changes being considered by the province under the Green Energy and Green Economy Act. The council chambers was packed for the council planning session by supporters and opponents of wind farms.

By 2015, new wind-power developments will double the amount of wind energy produced in Canada. But as government investment in wind power has increased, opposition has risen in tandem. Local and provincial legislators are finally acknowledging opponents' growing concerns, but they certainly aren't putting the brakes on development.