Council won't be supporting a moratorium on all industrial wind turbine projects. A resolution by Killaloe-Hagarty-Richards Township calling for a 10-year freeze on wind farms was declined by councillors this week. While no turbines have been planned for the township, companies have been looking at projects in the Madawaska and Bonnechere Valley area.

Borough Commission delayed passing two ordinances Feb. 11, one to regulate wind turbines and solar energy panels and another to set fees for applications to install the alternative energy devices. Mayor Pamela Kaithern said there had been discussion of the ordinances at the Planning Board meeting on the previous night. One item discussed was allowing more than one wind turbine on farms. As written, the ordinance would allow only one wind turbine per property.

Oxford intends to put a freeze on all wind farm developments until the province provides more information on the health impacts of the developments on neighbouring residents and livestock. In a unanimous vote Wednesday, council directed community and strategic planning staff to bring an interim control bylaw before council on Feb. 25 that would place a freeze on any applications for wind energy developments within the county until it passes the related official plan amendments.

The likelihood of Ontario agreeing to a moratorium on new wind generation projects until the potential health impacts are studied appeared to dim this week. Bill Bilton, the mayor of Dawn-Euphemia, said council members still hope to meet with Energy Minister George Smitherman to talk about the township’s call for the moratorium and study, even after hearing the strong comments Premier Dalton McGuinty made this week in favour of green energy projects.

A $30-million wind turbine project that threatens an airstrip owned by legendary Spitfire fighter pilot Jerry Billing got zoning approval Monday from town council in a 6-2 vote. ...Erik Billing told council that area pilots would be at risk trying to thread their way through some of the 120-metre high turbines just west of the airstrip. ...Essex County's official plan amendment dealing with alternative energy calls for a four-kilometer buffer around airstrips registered with Transport Canada.

The Ontario Municipal Board has ruled that proposals for 15 wind turbines in East Luther Grand Valley conform to all applicable legislation and the township's Official Plan. But while OMB member J. R. Aker released his decision last week, he withheld his order for up to 180 days pending the resolution of all outstanding issues. "In order to address public health and safety issues the following protocols and operating procedures are to be prepared to the satisfaction of the Township and will be implemented for the project ..."

City councillors are already getting cold feet about allowing wind turbines in Barrie neighbourhoods. While they gave initial approval Monday to schedule a public meeting on a planning framework for wind turbines, city staff have been asked to revise the policy as it applies to residential areas. "We could see a landscape dotted with these wind turbines," said Coun. John Brassard. "This is not the type of landscape I want to see."

A small wind turbine will soon be set up next to a fire station in Grande Prairie to gauge the public's reaction to residential-scale renewable energy production. If the reaction is positive, the city could be one of the first in Alberta to change its land use bylaws to accommodate wind energy production in its neighbourhoods. ...This type of turbine spins like a merry-go-round instead of a propeller and covers a two-metre-by-31/2-metre area.

Barrie's welcome mat could be tossed out for wind turbines. City councillors will consider a motion tonight that asks for a public meeting on an expansive wind turbine policy. It increases their size and where they could be located in Barrie.

In Tuesday's blockbuster budget, Federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty quietly cancelled the green energy subsidy that helps wind farms -- including the new one planned for St. Joseph -- stay viable. "That's a problem," acknowledged Manitoba Finance Minister Greg Selinger, who is also in charge of Manitoba Hydro. "It makes it harder, no question."

Phyllis Hartwig is not happy with the resolution, passed by the municipality of Killaloe, Hagarty and Richards on Jan. 7, requesting that the Ontario government place a moratorium on wind farms until further research is done ..."You're saying it's all good, good, good and we have people that have researched and come back and said bad, bad, bad. That's what council is facing. What we need are facts." Visneskie asked council members if they wanted to rescind their original motion, but they voted to let it stand as it is.

“It’s none of our damn business, it’s a private deal,” said Bluewater Deputy Mayor Dave Johnston Jan. 19 during a discussion on a wind turbine zoning bylaw meeting. The meeting followed a planning meeting held Jan. 21 that had forth a series of recommendations for wind turbines in Bluewater. Johnston was responding to comments during the discussion about how many turbines might be built in Bluewater in the future.

After two failed motions, Bluewater council passed their bylaw outlining setbacks for the construction of wind turbines from urban settlements, dwellings and roads. ...councillors didn't think changes should be made because they heard such positive feedback from constituents regarding the 1,000 metre setback. Coun. Tyler Hessel says he received phone calls from farmers telling him "good job" on confirming the 1,000 metre setback.

They may not be erected yet but the energy produced by windmills planned for Prince Edward County already has a buyer. The Ontario Power Authority has awarded long-term contracts for six green energy projects in the province ...Prince Edward County council passed a motion asking senior governments to study the health effects of wind turbines to assist them in the ongoing debate.

About 75 people crowded into the Municipal District of Pincher Creek building's basement, some spilling into the hallway, on Jan. 20 to take part in a public hearing about proposed changes to bylaws 1062-02 and 1140-08. The former, the Municipal Development Plan bylaw is being looked at by MD Council to change to 1153-08, and the latter, the Land Use bylaw, to become 1154-08.

A public meeting was held Jan. 12 to allow for feedback on proposed bylaw amendments that would regulate commercial scale wind turbines in the Municipality of Bluewater. Bluewater was contemplating a proposed zoning bylaw amendment that would require commercial scale wind turbines to sit at least two kilometres east of Highway 21 (Bluewater Highway), one kilometre from urban zones and 2.5 km from the ends of air strips.

Central Huron council has defeated a proposed bylaw to regulate wind turbine use within the municipality. Their decision came following a public presentation regarding changes to the bylaw by planner Susanna Reid, as well as input from several local residents. The purpose of the bylaw would be to regulate turbines in the event that the current restrictions, referred to as "the orange zone" put in place by the Ontario Power Authority are lifted, leaving community wind farms able to connect to the distribution grid.

Northland Power's Grand Bend Wind Turbine project hit a road block at Bluewater Council. After two motions were squashed due to a tied vote, on the third try councilors voted 6-4 in favour of a by-law on how far the turbines should be setback from the East side of Highway 21. The setback they decided will be one thousand metres.

County council deferred voting on its wind-energy policies Wednesday in order to continue to receive recommendations from the public and the province. The official plan amendments relating to alternative and renewable energy policies -- mandated by the Provincial Policy Statement -- have been put off until later this month or next on the recommendation of staff in the community and strategic planning office.

A planned $55-million wind farm here has received conditional provincial environmental approval. ...When the project was unveiled, it was noted the turbines would be delivered this spring and installed over the summer, and would go into operation in the fall. The province is striving to have 20 per cent of its electricity produced from renewable energy sources by 2013.