No wind-powered energy projects will be approved in South Algonquin for the next 10 years, the township's council has declared. The declaration, which was supported unanimously by councillors, came last Thursday night following a council meeting considering a proposal to construct a series of wind-power turbines in the hills along the Highway 60 corridor. RES (Renewable Energy Systems) Canada wants to build 40 to 60 of the massive wind-power turbines in the area east of Algonquin Park. ...Stephen Cookson, development manager for the RES Canada project, said ...RES is confident that once the benefits of the project are understood by the community and council, "they will see it in a better light."

A St. Catharines developer who has partnered with Niagara Region to build a local wind farm has backed off threats to appeal new regional wind energy policies. Rankin Construction partnered with Regional council last year on plans for a $23-million, five-turbine commercial wind farm in Wainfleet. But Regional planners later unveiled new wind energy policies that company president Tom Rankin said could kill the joint project due to extra costs. In the past, an upset Rankin suggested the new policies could force him to abandon the project, or even appeal to the Ontario Municipal Board.

The city committee that rejected Ottawa's first application for a residential wind turbine did so because the proposed location of the turbine is too close to neighbouring property lines, not due to its noise or visual impact. ...Zoning bylaws require that accessory structures to a house not exceed 4.5 metres in height and that their height must equal their distance from property lines. The committee rejected Mr. Findlay's proposal after a public hearing on Oct. 1, but only released its rationale on Friday.

A proposal to erect a 65-metre wind turbine near the peak of Grouse Mountain will be going before District of North Vancouver council Monday night. If approved, the tower will be visible from much of North Vancouver and other parts of the Lower Mainland. The 21-storey structure (34 storeys to the tip of the blade) is slated to begin operating at the top of Peak Mountain next to the Heaven's Sake ski run in 2009.

The city committee that handles requests for minor bylaw exceptions has ruled against an Island Park resident's application to put up a small wind turbine in his backyard. Graham Findlay, who lives at 70 Iona St., was asking the committee to exempt his turbine from bylaws governing the height of accessory structures and their proximity to property lines.

A city committee decided Wednesday to postpone its decision until at least Thursday about whether Graham Findlay should be allowed to install a power-generating turbine on top of a 10-metre pole in the yard of his home near Fisher Park. ...About 20 of Findlay's neighbours showed up at the committee meeting Wednesday to express their opposition to the turbine.

Shear Wind Inc. of Halifax has completed environmental impact studies for three wind generation projects it plans to build in Alberta. "This is an extremely important step in the development of our extensive cross-Canada wind development pipeline," company president and CEO Mike Magnus said in a release Thursday. The three Alberta wind farm projects are 200-megawatt Glenridge in southeast Alberta and 500-megawatt Coyote Ridge in southern Alberta, which will be developed in two stages, and the 100-megawatt Willowridge project in southwest Alberta.

A plan to build a 100-megawatt wind farm near Marathon has been approved in principle. Brookfield Power says the environmental assessment of its Coldwell Wind Energy Project is complete, now that it has managed to address some outstanding concerns about caribou migration corridors in the vicinity of Neys Provincial Park.

The message wasn't so much 'not in my backyard' as 'is this the best backyard' for the wind farm proposed by Schneider Power for a 115 hectare property between the 5th and 6th lines of Innisfil. More than 100 people turned out for the public meeting Wednesday to hear the company's application for official plan and zoning bylaw amendments that would permit a five-turbine wind farm on the land. So many attended that the meeting was delayed while town staff removed a partition wall to accommodate the standing-room only crowd. The comment portion of the meeting was also extended so those who wanted to comment could do so.

Residents in Pictou County were promised that turbines at a proposed wind farm would be several kilometres away from their homes, but it turns out the blades will be swooshing closer to their doorsteps. ...Ms. MacDonald is upset with the "inconsistencies" in the plan to locate wind turbines at Shear Wind's proposed $150-million wind farm near Merigomish, Pictou County. Shear Wind officials told residents in the area last year that the 30 wind turbines would be no closer than three or four kilometres from homes, she said. Last week, residents discovered Shear Wind would be hooking up turbines closer than originally promised after the company filed a detailed project description, including a turbine map, with the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency.

With many residents along the Gulf Shore opposed to the idea, a 17-turbine wind farm for the area was recently granted a development permit. Originally, the proposed Pugwash Wind Farm was planned with up to 30 turbines, but scaled back to 17 after concerns from some of the area residents. ..."By trying to move a few turbines back by a few hundred meters is not paying attention to what we are saying - that this affects the whole neighborhood, not just the immediate people."

Work is underway to locate a second wind turbine farm in Lambton County. Dawn-Euphemia council has been approached by IPC Energy and Sydenham Energy Corporation, which are partnering on a proposed project to construct up to 40 wind turbines in the south Lambton municipality that would produce up to 80 megawatts of power. ...Council has been asked to implement zoning processes in its official plan that would allow for wind turbines in Dawn-Euphemia. The project partners have also asked for site specific zoning changes for specific properties.

Bylaws for large windmills that supply all of their energy to Nova Scotia power grids are already in place. Fulton says in some cases, businesses owning the smaller wind turbines can participate in the Nova Scotia Power program called Net Metering. ...The small wind turbine issue is in the discussion stage with the planning committee now, but action is expected after the municipal election on Oct. 18.

The company has requested a zoning bylaw amendment to the town's official plan to rezone the subject lands from agricultural general zone and environmental protection zone to agricultural general exception and environmental protection to construct the wind energy system. The wind turbines would be anywhere from 79 metres to 108 metres to the hub (the final height has yet to be determined), plus another 41 metres to the top of the blade.

The crux of the proposal was the addition of new definitions for terminology central to the bylaw, namely "cumulative effects", "development permit" and "viewshed," a new term coined specifically within the context of wind turbines and their impact on scenic landscapes. ...Representing the wind power industry at the meeting were Allan Kettles of Benign Energy and Kevin Van Koughnett of TransAlta Wind. Speaking on behalf of the wind industry, Kettles expressed his displeasure over the fact that the MD did not consult the industry directly when formulating the amendments. "The Alberta government goes to industry in the case of major legislation changes," he asserted.

Growing interest in green power has prompted Red Deer County to look at its rules for erecting wind turbines. A resident in North Lane Estates, about four km north of Red Deer applied, to the county recently to set up a 10.67-metre wind turbine on his three-acre lot. The landowner had previously received approval for an ornamental farm-style windmill, but then decided on a version that could generate power for features in a landscaped yard.

The Municipality of Digby's planning advisory committee (PAC) has reached the point where it is drafting a bylaw regulating wind farm development-but it's not exactly full speed ahead. At the Aug. 27 meeting, two presentations were made to the committee. ... Judith Peach also addressed the committee. She said that the province of Nova Scotia is irresponsible in passing responsibility for the regulation of the wind-farm development to the municipalities, rather than putting provincial legislation in place. "People should be protected equally," she said

The winds of change are blowing through the Rural Municipality of Grey. Councillors with the RM are looking at passing an amendment to their development plan that will allow wind farming in the municipality. “We’re looking at adding it to our zoning bylaw,” explained Reeve Ted Tkachyk. “There was no allowances for any wind-generated towers in our zoning bylaw, so we have to add it to the bylaw and have public hearings on it to see what the local reaction would be.” ...Tkachyk said the RM is looking at wind farm development specifically in the St. Claude region of the municipality, and added he is confident most people in the area are in favour of building the turbines that convert wind power into electricity.

Prince Edward County Mayor Leo Finnegan is adamant a public information session on windmills this week won't turn into a debate. "That's not what this is about," he said. "We have people coming to give information about windmills because it is a very important issue here right now. The presenters will take about half an hour each and then there will be a question period but it won't turn into a debate.

A wind-power project to erect six turbines in Lakeshore met little opposition at a public meeting in St. Joachim Tuesday. Wind Prospect Inc., a U.K.-based company which has an office in Windsor, plans to erect the 80-metre turbines between Belle River and St. Joachim. The turbines will be in farm fields near Concession 3 north of County Road 42 and south of the CP railway line.