Wind power could be the central plank of a new provincial plan to make B.C. energy self-sufficient by 2016. But critics cited environmental and land-use concerns during a forum at the Union of B.C. Municipalities convention today.

New England governors and Eastern Canadian premiers are expected to focus on a regional approach to energy when they begin their annual meeting Tuesday in Bar Harbor, Maine. With an energy-hungry New England market and the five eastern provinces all looking to export new sources of energy, the premiers say maintaining good cross-border relations is crucial. "We'll be able to talk about the commonalities and that's around energy efficiency, around renewable types of energy," said Nova Scotia Premier Rodney MacDonald.

Sierra Club Atlantic has asked the Energy Board of Canada for proof that green energy generated in Nova Scotia is used in the province, and not exported to the United States. Their six page submission makes several references to the Digby Neck wind farm and statements made by Barry Zwicker, developer of the project. ...Mark Dittrick, the club's conservation chair, says the New England states are eager to purchase green energy, and right now Nova Scotians have no assurance wind power and tidal power won't be exported from the province.

Experts suggest as many as 200 proposals could result from a call for clean energy projects issued last June by B.C. Hydro, the province's Crown-owned power utility. Energy proponents have until Nov. 25 to register their plans with the utility. The Crown corporation will announce its choices in June 2009. ..."The dilemma with this field is there is a lot of hyperbole and a lot of dramatic positioning driven sometimes by very real ecological concerns, sometimes by other factors," he said. Dauncey said the power issue in British Columbia has always been locked in an environmental debate between builders and preservationists.

New Brunswick is a rural province, and has low population densities. "So it's possible to locate wind generating facilities without intruding on residential areas," Howe said. "That's a key advantage over New England in terms of being able to locate a wind generator without having concerns on the part of resident who don't want a wind generator in their backyard."

The Alberta Utilities Commission's approval Tuesday of the proposed Montana Alberta Tie Ltd. line was the final Canadian permit needed for the 240-kV AC line, which would interconnect electricity markets and carry 300 MW north and south. The commission said the proposed line satisfied its conditions, including a process for negotiating disputes with landowners. ...Wind farm developers in Alberta and Montana have fully subscribed the line for marketing power both north and south.

Chatham-Kent council reaffirmed on Monday that it is open for business when it comes to renewable energy. The decision followed a presentation of a wind turbine action plan by economic development services. Kim Cooper, agricultural co-ordinator with the department, said there were concerns with mixed messages, especially since council recently voted to increase turbine minimum setback distances.

At least two companies are interested in offshore wind development in New York's Great Lakes waters - BQ Energy, which developed Lackawanna's Steel Winds, and AWS Truewind. "I don't think it's inevitable, but I think it's very likely," said Bruce Bailey, AWS Truewind's president. There are significant obstacles and unknowns. ...Installing wind turbines in water can be at least twice as expensive because of the cost of mobilizing marine crews, the specialized nature of the installation equipment and the turbines and the need to move the power onshore, experts say. And that doesn't factor in what would be necessary to deal with the ice that often covers the eastern end of Lake Erie in winter.

Governors from several western U.S. states and Canadian provinces met Sunday to discuss strategies for protecting wildlife that roams their region while also capitalizing on immense energy resources. ...The council´s task will be to identify key wildlife corridors and habitats for wildlife, such as pronghorn antelope, sage grouse and bear. The council will also study ways to protect animal habitat in the face of ever-increasing demand for domestic energy development _ both in the form of oil and gas drilling and new construction of solar and wind generation plants _ the building of new infrastructure for the region´s growing population and the effects of climate change.

Along-promised, never-quite-delivered revival of nuclear energy may finally be underway in Canada and one of the key reasons is, at first glance, counterintuitive -- the environment. Unlike coal, nuclear power plants produce negligible greenhouse gases, meaning the once-unpopular energy option is gaining currency in a post-Kyoto world. Another factor that was once considered a negative for nuclear energy has also become a benefit: cost. Unlike plants fired by natural gas, nuclear ones are relatively unaffected by the rising price of fuel. And in comparison to 30 years ago, when local protestors fought plans to build nuclear facilities, communities now woo the projects.

The best spots -- at least on land -- are around the Hudson Bay coast, but feature difficult terrain without any road access. So there is no question why more than a dozen wind companies have already flocked to Chatham-Kent, with the number of proposals drastically exceeding what could realistically be constructed. ..."The advent of wind energy has added yet another dimension to the planning landscape," he said. "There are different issues associated with wind energy. We're learning along the way." In April, councillors voted for staff to create a report on the potential proliferation of wind turbines and ways to mitigate the impact. This report would come before the Ontario Power Authority (OPA) proceeds with its third round of RFPs. Tim Taylor, OPA spokesman, said the draft RFP for renewable energy supply (RES III) is scheduled for release this month and involves approximately 500 megawatts.

The debate continues on the U.S. side of Lake Erie over what the new energy mix should look like. In Canada, Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty's administration has shown a strong preference for hydroelectric power and wind power. ...But Gail Krantzberg, a former Canadian chair of the International Joint Commission who's now director of McMaster University's Center for Engineering and Public Policy, said the McGuinty administration may have to buy dirty energy produced by coal-fired power plants in the Ohio Valley if it can't find enough viable ways to make up the difference. Wind, by its nature, can only be a supplemental source of power because it takes steady breezes to spin the turbine blades.

Federal Regional Minister Greg Thompson was swift to remind the provincial Liberal government yesterday that a carbon tax would take a "devastating" toll on New Brunswick. "Prices are high enough, and of course for a carbon tax to be effective, it has to be at least 50 cents a litre. Basically, it's just another form of tax," said the Conservative member of parliament, a day after New Brunswick's Finance Minister Victor Boudreau said the Liberal government will consider a implementing a carbon tax as part of its upcoming tax review. ...David Coon, policy director of the Conservation Council of New Brunswick, says a "revenue neutral" carbon tax will not help the environment or reduce carbon emissions. He says the only way a carbon tax can have a positive effect on the environment is if the resulting revenues are invested into environmental initiatives like renewable energy sources, construction efficiency programs, and public transportation.

Just about 300 people packed the Essex Civic Center to hear the latest proposal from Ray Duhamel and the Jones Consulting Group. Among their objectives are to increase the renewable energy supply and make sure it's done in appropriate areas. ...Only a few people were fully in favour of the wind turbines.

The number of proposed Alberta wind projects has dramatically increased since the province removed restrictions on the sale of wind power last fall. The Alberta Electric System Operator now has applications from companies hoping to generate 10,500 megawatts of wind power, said Neil Millar, vice-president of transmission. To put that into perspective, Alberta's record electricity demand, set one January evening earlier this year, was 9,710 megawatts. The electric system operator is forecasting a need for an additional 5,000 megawatts of capacity over the next 10 years. ...The rush was sparked in part by the province's decision to lift restrictions on how much wind-generated electricity could be sold. The cap had been 900 megawatts. Millar expects some proposed projects won't go ahead for competitive reasons. Everything from the price of land to technical choices could affect a project's viability, he said. But when he talks to individual developers, each of them thinks their project will be the one to succeed.

Manitoba Hydro says it has decided to go with the project and will now begin the process of negotiating a power purchase agreement with the developer, Bowark Energy. Bowark submitted three proposals that could provide 100, 200, or 300 megawatts of power. Hydro spokesman Glen Schneider says they have not determined which permutation they intend to go with. ...Reeve Archie Hunter says he's puzzled by Hydro's decision to go with one project to provide all 300 megawatts of power. He says the economic benefits that wind farms generate could have been spread over a multiple number of communities by selecting three different wind farm projects.

"We want to catch the energy going over our land and sell it into the grid," explained Dan Mazier, head of non-profit Elton Energy Co-op. What's different about this wind project from others is profits wouldn't sail away to multinational head offices. Instead, monies would be windsocked back into the community, in this case the RM of Elton, just north of Brandon across the Trans-Canada Highway. ..."It's ingrained in all of us that big business knows what it's doing. I think there's a lot more opportunity for rural Manitoba if we take control of renewable resources ourselves," Mazier said. Instead of a string of turbines, which can be eyesores and result in resident complaints, Elton Energy plans to put up just one. "Do we want 50-to-60 turbines? Or do we want just one or two?" said Mazier.

Yves Gagnon hopes to see the development of community-based wind power projects that will provide both a sustainable source of energy and economically benefit New Brunswickers. Gagnon, the K.C. Irving Chair in Sustainable Development at l'Unversité de Moncton, said the government's recent launch of a community wind energy initiative shows they recognize the importance of this potential source of energy. ...By community wind, Gagnon means smaller-based wind projects that are locally owned and operated by any number of different types of groups.

While officials were keeping mum about precise details surrounding the announcement, the Truro Daily News has learned the premier will confirm approval of a proposal put forth last fall by Cobequid Area Wind Farms Inc. Nova Scotia Power has called for proposals for alternative energy sources to meet a provincial objective to have nearly 20 per cent of the province's electricity come from green sources such as wind by 2013. Last year, Cobequid Area Wind Farm publicly introduced a proposal to construct up to 22, 120-metre tall turbines on Nuttby Mountain.

Canada has warned the US government that a narrow interpretation of new energy legislation would prohibit its neighbour buying fuel from Alberta's vast oil sands, with "unintended consequences for both countries". In a letter to Robert Gates, US defence secretary, Canada said that it "would not want to see an expansive interpretation" of the Energy Independence and Security Act 2007. ...Amy Myers Jaffe, energy expert at Rice University, said cutting out the oil sands as a source of fuel would also limit global supplies further, forcing up the price of oil: "$106 a barrel is going to look cheap." ..."The Canadians do, in fact, have something to worry about, particularly from a Democratic administration," Ms Jaffe said.