Chris Clegg,
If you want to stir up a good debate, just mention these two words: wind turbines.
People are very passionate about the issue no matter which side of the fence they are sitting on. Is the benefit of clean energy worth the potential risk to human and animal life?
There are literally mountains of information supporting both sides of the issue. As I have written before, I have no strong opinion because I don’t live near a turbine, have never driven past one, and frankly don’t care to.
What I find very interesting is the ABO Wind Project north of Falher and the proposed project north of Swan Hills. It is called the Northern Lights Wind Power Project headed by Potential Renewables. The difference is obvious: one is in a populated area and one is not.
I was at one of the first meetings with Big Lakes County regarding the Swan Hills project. What the company is asking for is simple: convince the Alberta government to allow such projects on Crown lands. That way, you avoid the “hassle” with humans in populated areas. Currently, that is not the case. It is why ABO Wind is planning projects in populated areas, and sparking the heated debates with surrounding citizens.
What if the government allowed wind turbine projects in remote areas, away from people? Wouldn’t that make sense? ABO Wind does not go looking for trouble with citizens. One would think they would be the first to line up to put a project in the middle of nowhere (Swan Hills) rather than in the middle of a populated area (Falher).
Herein lies another problem. Environmentalist get on the bandwagon and oppose development in pristine Crown land areas. We are losing more and more of these areas to development, but as long as Canadians continue to be energy guzzling beings, we have to come up with the power from somewhere.
And I have not even brought up the obvious concerns from First Nations, who will have to have a say where such projects are located.
But is it not building these wind farms in less populated areas the lesser of two evils?
I have sympathy for the M.D. of Smoky River, who has been left to deal with this matter. It is not fun taking a side you know will anger people.
To be clear, I have not heard Smoky councillors say this, but let’s face it. The taxation revenue from such huge projects is a blessing to many municipalities. Municipal revenues from each project could reach $10 million in their lifetime. It is one huge carrot to dangle in front of politicians.
Currently, Big Lakes County is lobbying the Alberta government to allow such projects on Crown land and are preparing briefing notes to present to Affordability and Utilities Minister Nathan Neudorf.
Tentatively, the Swan Hills project is scheduled to start in 2026 and be completed in 2027 and included 60 turbines covering 220 hectares. Similar to ABO’s project, hundreds – if not thousands – of jobs would be created in the construction phase.
Potentia reports it plans to file a power plant and substation application to the Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC) in the first quarter of 2025, the newsletter states.
ABO is waiting work on their project.
Snapping one’s fingers and simply allowing wind turbine projects in remote areas is not going to happen quickly or it would have already occurred. Why is it taking so long?