TransAlta Renewables Inc. lowered its financial guidance for this year as it said it has found cracks in several foundations of the turbines at a wind farm in New Brunswick where a tower collapsed earlier this month.

Safety Structural Failure New Brunswick

TransAlta Renewables Inc. says it has found cracks in several foundations of the turbines at a wind farm in New Brunswick where a tower collapsed in September. The company says the discovery of the subsurface cracks means the foundations will likely need repairs, and if replacement is required, costs are estimated at $1.5 million to $2 million per foundation.

Safety Structural Failure New Brunswick

"The cause of the incident is under investigation," TransAlta spokesperson James Mottershead said in an email to CBC News. The area surrounding the wind facility has been closed while the investigation is underway. ...According to the company's website, the Kent Hills wind farm is the largest wind facility in the province, with more than 50 wind turbines.

Safety Structural Failure New Brunswick

Despite its high-tech wizardry, turbine design has two major drawbacks. First, they are ugly — at least when compared to a pristine rural landscape. A spinning turbine is an affront to the esthetic sensibilities of anyone who looks at one with other than an engineer’s eye. Worse, from an environmental standpoint, these things are killers. While there is little chance of danger to people, flying creatures have plenty to fear. Bats and birds are killed by the thousands across the world by wind turbines. Our efforts to make them silent make turbines efficient killers.

General Ontario

Part of a blade on a wind turbine just off Grey County Road 8 southwest of Dundalk broke and fell to the earth last Wednesday morning.

Safety Structural Failure Ontario

Ruby Mekker, in a letter on Monday to officials including Terry Young, interim president and CEO of the IESO, said the approval of the commercial operation date for the Nation Rise project “is illegal,” that the IESO has been provided with proof of adverse health effects, proof of mechanical/electrical issues with turbines, and proof of lack of commissioning. Mekker, in the email addressed by herself and Residents of North Stormont, said the “IESO was put on notice that the residents did not consent. It is illegal in Ontario to knowingly harm people per the Health Protection and Promotion Act. . . with the approval IESO is now on notice that they have broken Ontario law and are liable for any and all consequences.”

Legal Ontario

The petition was brought forward in a report to council on the wind power development approval process at their May 25 meeting. “Obviously we’ve all been thinking about this a lot because it’s a big concern to our residents, and we want to get it right,” said Councillor Bev Everts. “I guess the constituents are out there wondering if we’re listening, and I think they’ve made a lot of noise and want to make sure that we’re listening. It’s pretty loud and clear where they stand with this,” said deputy reeve Rick Lemire.

General Alberta

Alberta power regulators have told the developer of a wind farm near Seven Persons that after 15 years, its plans will have to be resubmitted for new approval. The Peace Butte Wind Farm was one of the first utility-scale wind farms proposed in southeast Alberta in 2006.

General Alberta

In its notice of appeal, the energy corporation said the council's decision "failed to follow the intent and objectives of its official plan and subdivision and control bylaw," which it said permit windmills within the community for the purposes of electrical power generation.

General Prince Edward Island

The decision ...outlines that the IESO agreed to provide an extension to the project’s commercial operation date of June 17, 2021 ...The announcement stems from a letter having been sent by a group of North Stormont residents opposed to the wind farm project alleging that EDP Renewables was in breach of contract with the IESO, having passed its initial commercial operation date deadline.

General Ontario

An expansion at the wind farm in Eastern Kings, which the P.E.I. government said was a go last month, has been denied a permit by the local municipality. In September, Minister of Environment Natalie Jameson approved the expansion subject to 17 conditions drawn from responses from the public.

General Prince Edward Island

For the first time, Naveco's CEO Amit Virmani tells CBC News he is looking at moving the project out of Anse-Bleue, and out of northern New Brunswick altogether. ...That would require NB Power to agree to amend its existing contract with Naveco to buy 20 megawatts of electricity from the Anse-Bleue site. 

General New Brunswick

JOHNSTOWN – With about five weeks to go in the estimated time it’ll take to transfer remaining turbine components from storage at Port of Johnstown to installation site in North Stormont, manufacturer Enercon has apologized in advance for any inconvenience to local motorists.

General Ontario

The majority of the North Stormont council voted in favour of receiving a report from its chief administrative officer (CAO) on Tuesday and in doing so, opted out of adopting a fire suppression bylaw for the Nation Rise Wind Farm project— for now.

Safety Ontario

To North Stormont Council, Staff and residents I am deeply concerned about information that is vital to the safety and health of North Stormont citizens.

Safety Ontario

Wind turbines spin near the village of Halkirk, in Paintearth County, Alta. Another wind farm is planned nearby, but residents in the area aren't happy with the process that led to the approval of a 74-turbine project by Capital Power. (Dave Rae/CBC)

Impact on People Alberta

EAST POINT, P.E.I. — Don Humphrey remains convinced that a proposed expansion of an existing windmill farm in Eastern Kings will be harmful for local wetland habitat and for the migratory bird population.

Impact on People Prince Edward Island

The government of Ontario has known there are serious health issues experienced in industrial wind projects.

Impact on People Energy Policy Ontario

In order to oppose the continuation of the project, Mekker, along with other residents, sent a Notice of Non-Consent to the Government of Ontario’s attorney general, premier, and Yurek, outlining they did not consent to the project. A similar notice had been sent in 2019. Mekker said her opposition to the project was based on a multitude of factors, including long-term health issues she said windmills create for residents living near them. In addition, she said the cluster of wind turbines being erected exposes North Stormont residents to infrasound, low-frequency noise, vibration, and shadow flicker.

General Ontario

Canada’s indigenous leaders say an unprecedented push for clean energy in the United States is inadvertently causing long-term environmental damage to the traditional hunting grounds on their public lands. Rigolet lies downstream of Muskrat Falls, a $12.7bn dam on the Churchill River, a key drainage point for Labrador’s biggest watershed. Nalcor, the state-owned company that completed Muskrat Falls last year, is already planning Gull Island, another Churchill dam that would produce three times as much electricity, mostly for export to the US.

Impact on Wildlife Impact on Landscape Canada