The Majestic Wind Farm received its FIT contract for a 2 MW project in 2011. In 2012, Leader Resources Services Corp. was contracted to develop, construct and operate the Project located within the Municipality of Kincardine. Leader Resources will undertake the preparation and submission of the Renewable Energy Approval (REA). Leader Resources, working with Golder Associates, will be completing the documentation and reporting as well as coordinating and evaluating studies such as the Cultural Heritage Assessments, Natural Heritage Assessment and other studies as required. Leader Resources will also be consulting with the public, local municipalities and Aboriginal communities regarding all aspects of the project.

A Project Description Report was submitted to the Ministry of the Environment in August 2012 and intial field studies have begun.

Those unable to attend but who would like to send in comments can use the comment form posted below or mail (or email) a letter with their thoughts. All correspondence will be included in the Renewable Energy Approval application.

The Notice to Engage and announcement of the first public meeting was published on August 26, 2012 and September 26, 2012 in the Kincardine Independent and online at the Kincardine Times. The first public meeting was held on October 2 at the Kincardine Municipal building from 5-8 pm. Posters were put up in the Inverhuron area, at the Inverhuron General Store, and at the Kincardine and Tiverton Library branches. The Project Description Report was available at the Inverhuron General Store, the Kincardine and Tiverton Public Library branches and the Kincardine Municipal building.

The project’s layout was established with the publication of the Draft Site Plan Notice in the Kincardine Independent on December 12, 2012.

The reports are now complete for the Majestic Wind Farm and are available for the public to access, either through this website or at the Kincardine Municipal Building or the Kincardine and/or Tiverton public library branches, as of February 13, 2013.

The Notice to Engage for the final Public Meeting was published in the Kincardine News on February 13, 2013. The final public meeting will be held April 18, 2013 at the Kincardine Municipal Building from 5-8 pm.

Project Documents

Notice to Engage – Majestic (PDF)
Majestic PDR (PDF)
Majestic Site Plan (PDF)
Comment Form (PDF)
Crystallization – Majestic Site Plan Notice (PDF)
MajesticBds3 (PDF)
Final Notice to Engage-Majestic-Apr2013 (PDF)

Majestic Wind Farm documents are at – https://www.dropbox.com/sh/zx3rjny1p7tmkjv/89yNLRr8F7

The Meyer Wind Farm received its FIT contract for a 4 MW project in 2011. In 2012, Leader Resources Services Corp. was contracted to develop, construct and operate the Project located within the Municipality of Kincardine. Leader Resources will undertake the preparation and submission of the Renewable Energy Approval (REA). Leader Resources, working with Golder Associates, will be completing the documentation and reporting as well as coordinating and evaluating studies such as the Cultural Heritage Assessments, Natural Heritage Assessment and other studies as required. Leader Resources will also be consulting with the public, local municipalities and Aboriginal communities regarding all aspects of the project.

A Project Description Report was submitted to the Ministry of the Environment in August 2012 and intial field studies have begun.

Those unable to attend but who would like to send in comments can use the comment form posted below or mail (or email) a letter with their thoughts. All correspondence will be included in the Renewable Energy Approval application.

The Notice to Engage and announcement of the first public meeting was published on August 26, 2012 and September 26, 2012 in the Kincardine Independent and online at the Kincardine Times. The first public meeting was held on October 4 at the Kincardine Municipal building from 5-8 pm. Posters were put up in the Inverhuron area, at the Inverhuron General Store, and at the Kincardine and Tiverton Public Library branches and notices were sent to area residents. The Project Description Report was available at the Inverhuron General Store, the Kincardine and Tiverton Library branches and the Kincardine Municipal building.

The project’s layout was established with the publication of the Draft Site Plan Notice in the Kincardine Independent and the online Kincardine Times on November 27, 2012.

The reports are now complete for the Meyer Wind Farm and are available for the public to access, either through this website or at the Kincardine Municipal Building, the Kincardine and/or Tiverton Public Library branches as of February 13, 2013.

The Notice to Engage for the final Public Meeting was published in the Kincardine News on February 13, 2013. The final public meeting will be held April 16, 2013 at the Kincardine Municipal Building from 5-8 pm.

Project Documents

Notice to Engage-Meyer (PDF)
Meyer PDR (Final draft – November 1, 2012) (PDF)
Notice of Draft Site Plan (PDF)
Comment Form (PDF)
MeyerBds3 (PDF)
Crystallization – Meyer Site Plan Notice (PDF)
Final Notice to Engage-Meyer-Apr2013 (PDF)

Meyer Wind Farm – Renewable Energy Approval reports – https://www.dropbox.com/sh/qquwewtnrmp5e4y/EA2TD7KtEV

The draft rules also contained changes to the application format for FIT contracts. A few of the changes are listed below:

• Calls for applications will be held with firm application submission and deadline dates.
• All applications submitted after the deadline will be returned
• Once received, all submitted applications will be assessed  for:
  • Completion of the application
  • Priority point scoring (a new feature)
  • Date and time of submission
  • Ability to connect to the provincial electricity grid
  • Availability of transmission at the proposed location

The draft FIT rules were reviewed by the industry and public. Leader Resources participated in the FIT review by submitting comments and presentations to the Minister of Energy and the Ontario Power Authority.  The comments were accepted for consideration by the OPA until April 27, 2012. After consideration of all the feedback, the Minister of Energy will be issuing a Directive for the adoption of the final FIT rules. It is not known when this will occur.

Once the new FIT rules have been announced, it is anticipated that the dates for the submission of small wind and solar project applications (<500 kWh) will be revealed first, followed later by the submission dates for large wind and solar projects (> 500 kWh).

For the first time in Ontario’s history, due to its concerted effort to encourage the growth of renewable power sources in the province, it received a rating of A-, one of the highest marks awarded to the 13 Canadian provinces and territories in the annual Green Provincial Report put out by the Corporate Knights.

One of the most recent health reviews done on the impact of wind turbines was released January 2012 in Massachusetts, where an independent panel of experts from well-respected universities and hospitals, such as Harvard, Boston University, the University of Massachusetts and the University of New England.  This well-researched and in-depth study came to the conclusion that “There is insufficient evidence that the noise from wind turbines is directly (ie. independent from an effect on annoyance or sleep) causing health problems or diseases.  The study also noted, “there is no evidence for a set of health effects from exposure to wind turbines that could be characterized as Wind Turbine Syndrome.”

Other studies to explore include the REMAX Farm Market Trends for 2011 that does not note any decline in the price of agricultural lands in Ontario. In the areas that host multiple wind operating turbine projects, like Bruce, Huron, Chatham-Kent, the land prices are increasing, not decreasing.

Browse through the Library section for informative reading. If you find an interesting reference not listed here, please forward it to leader@leaderwind.com. Happy Reading!

MPP Lisa Thompson’s motion was defeated 44 to 28. Nine Conservative MPPs did not vote, one of which was Tim Hudak, leader of the Conservative party. The motion prompted many wind supporters to write and email the Minister of Energy, Chris Bentley and their local MPPs to state their support for the Green Energy Act and the Feed-In-Tariff program, one of which was Ralph Geiger.

“We have lived by a wind turbine for five years, and experienced no noise, no ill health, no dead birds. In the summer, all the bedroom windows are open. We don’t even know it’s there running. Our setback is 560 m. We own a bird dog and walk him to the turbine almost every day and our dog hasn’t found any dead birds either.”

“As our elected representative, we expect our MPP to support her riding by encouraging open, respectful dialogue between all of her constituents rather than further dividing the community she represents.” Mr. Edey said.

1. “Because IWT projects can have a significant and lasting impact on neighbouring farm businesses with regards to future expansion and succession planning, the Ontario government must enable an acceptable level of planning control for IWT at the municipal level.”

To achieve a Renewable Energy Approval, extensive consultation with the municipality has to be demonstrated to the Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry of Energy. Municipalities are involved in the planning and execution of wind energy development through consultation regarding emergency planning, road use and planning issues.

Under the REA regulations, all vacant lands in the vicinity of wind turbines are considered to have “phantom receptors” and these imaginary buildings must be considered during project layout. This ensures future planning on all neighbouring properties – including vacant properties. The location of the “phantom receptors” is based upon historic placement of buildings on the lots in the neighbourhood and Ontario building code requirements.

A wind turbine does not affect use of land for agricultural purposes. You can farm right up to the base of the wind turbines. If anything, a wind turbine ensures that agricultural lands will continue to be used for agricultural purposes for the next 20 years. Food and power can be generated simultaneously. Green energy opportunities enhance farming as a livelihood.

2. “Prices paid for IWT power (and indeed, all renewable power) should not exceed the expected price of peak power imports six years in the future, to ensure a long term supply of reasonably priced power.”

Prices paid for all power – not only renewable power – must be based on current costs, not prices based on power developed 30 years ago. Our aging Ontario Hydro generation facilities are now overdue for expensive refurbishments. Last week’s Drummond economic report included a recommendation to educate the nuclear, hydroelectric, thermal and renewable sectors so all players and the public fully understand what drives electricity prices. Ontario is building its energy sector in concert with its Long-Term Energy Plan (www.mei.gov.on.ca/en/pdf/MEI_LTEP_en.pdf) which includes specific targets by generation type. According to a recent article on the Forbes website, the contracts for renewable power will stabilize the future energy prices because they will not be affected by volatility in the prices paid for oil, gas, nuclear reactor fuel components.

3. “The province must require IWT developments to secure the capacity to provide dispatchable power using battery or other such environmentally acceptable storage.”

Wind power is already dispatchable, thanks to the upgrading of the existing power grid to a smart grid. Power can be moved around from places of high production, low use to those areas of Ontario with high use and not enough power production. With wind projects spread across the province, combined with run-of-river hydro, solar and bio-fuels, energy is available from renewable sources night and day.

Combining wind and/or solar projects with hydro electric projects are being developed with great success. In Europe, some countries rely on wind for 20% of their power generation, twice as much as Ontario’s long term goal, without the use of battery technology. To be clear, no battery is fully acceptable today from an environmental standpoint.

4. “Wind turbine developments must be required to use sufficiently gauged service lines and sufficiently high capacity transformers to eliminate current inducement in adjacent lines or buildings by IWT collection lines.”

This is happening. Thanks to the Green Energy and Economy Act, we are seeing more investment in Ontario’s energy infrastructure than in several previous decades. Hydro One requires wind energy projects to meet specific equipment requirements before being approved for access to transmission. All wind energy projects built with new power lines and transformers, paid for with private, not public dollars are given, not sold, to Hydro One. Hydro One has sole control of transmission specifications and connection to the electrical grid system. Unlike in the past, current inducement, or stray voltage, is addressed by the modern upgrades that green energy projects are providing Hydro One. The infusion of cash for the necessary system upgrades in the area of wind turbine projects by wind project owners increases the number of upgrades Hydro One can do for the system annually. Hydro One infrastructure funding can then be funnelled to areas not supported by renewable energy projects.

5. Rural residents’ health and nuisance complaints must be immediately and fairly addressed.

Leader Resources is pleased that top-level research continues to determine that properly sited wind turbines have no adverse effect on human health. Reputable research repeatedly demonstrates that Ontario’s setbacks and noise regulations exceed safe measure. The latest of many reports was a study undertaken on behalf of the State of Massachusetts by independent experts from Harvard University, Boston University and the University of New England. Again, a panel of well-respected experts found no connection between sound from turbines and ill health effects. (www.mass.gov/dep/energy/wind/impactstudy.htm)

For existing wind energy projects, complaints fall under the regulating body – the Ministry of the Environment. The Ministry has set up the Spills Action Centre (1-800-268-6060) to report complaints. Complaints are investigated and appropriate actions taken. For projects under development, concerns can be delivered through the Renewable Energy Facilitation Office.

6. “Because varying conditions and larger generating equipment can create exceptions to a maximum of 40 dbA at a minimum setback of 550 metres for an IWT development, the province must conduct a comprehensive analysis using local empirical data and international studies on adequate setback distances for IWT based on the technology employed.”

We strongly support science-based research, and this is what is happening now. Project noise assessments, a requirement of the Renewable Energy Approval, are specific to the type of generating equipment being installed and factors such as geography. A study released in December 2011 from the Province of Ontario examined international setbacks, as did the January 2012 study by the State of Massachusetts. These studies found the Ontario minimum setback of 550 m to be an appropriate, even generous setback.

7. “The regulation governing participating receptors must be amended to require the appropriate minimum setback, determined through analysis, for all IWT developments.”

According to the Massachusetts study of January 2012, the recommended setback of wind turbine generators should be 400 m. This is study was conducted by professional engineers, public health PhDs, doctors, acoustical professors and epidemiologists. The Ontario regulation is more stringent at 550 metres.

8. “To directly address the real issue of noise levels and to ensure that the 40 dbA guideline is achieved across Ontario, the provincial government must develop and implement a protocol to measure noise from IWT developments, including continuous tone and low frequency noise and that measurement equipment and training be made available to municipalities.”

This has already being done. The protocol for measuring noise from IWT developments has been developed by the Ministry of the Environment. (www.ene.on.ca/environment/en/subject/wind_energy/STDPROD_089073.html).
It is the Ministry’s responsibility to enforce compliance with the Green Energy and Economy Act. Compliance issues can be reported to the Ministry by calling the Spills Action Centre (1-800-268-6060). Their environmental officers will collect the information and determine the next course of action, be it additional data collection, noise measurements, evaluation or enforcement. We cannot support duplication of services by municipalities. The province already has protocols in place and we believe the province is better equipped to handle this work.

Project Status

A Feed-In-Tariff application for a contract was submitted to the Ontario Power Authority on October 12, 2011.

Project Documents

Project Q&A

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