WHY CANADA SHOULD BUILD GREAT LAKES WIND

Trillium CEO Questions Ontario's Offshore Decision
Angela Beniwal, 22 February 2011 (North American Windpower)

"Trillium Wind Power Corp. has spent the past 15 years working toward developing four offshore wind projects in the Canadian side of the Great Lakes. But a recent decision by the Ontario government to stop offshore wind development puts the developer's pipeline of up to 3,500 MW in jeopardy…Ontario's Ministry of Environment (MOE) took many in the wind industry by surprise when it announced that it was halting development of proposed offshore wind projects while further scientific research is conducted.

"John Kourtoff, Trillium's CEO, says there are no environmental issues with wind projects that are located 10 km out…But the MOE cited a lack of scientific studies regarding offshore wind development in freshwater…The MOE says it plans to monitor the recently installed Lake Vanern pilot project in Sweden….[and] observe a 20 MW pilot project proposed by the Great Lakes Energy Development Task Force for Lake Erie in Ohio…Kourtoff says the MOE's decision is not a moratorium, but rather an outright cancellation of projects…"

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"In June 2010, the MOE and MNR posted separate policy proposals regarding offshore wind power development…[and] received many comments opposing offshore wind development. Concerns include potential impacts to fisheries and birds, changes to natural coastal processes, and impacts to commercial and recreational fishing.

"…[With the] 2008 decision…to lift an offshore wind moratorium…[a] press release [was] issued [that] said the moratorium was lifted…based on the best available information, including…Partnering with the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory to evaluate offshore wind potential in the Great Lakes…Analyzing lakes Erie, Huron and Ontario, including depth, wind speed and other social and ecological values…Developing wind power guidance documents for birds and bats; and…Establishing a partnership with Bird Studies Canada, the Canadian Wind Energy Association (CanWEA) and Environment Canada’s Canadian Wildlife Service to set up a common database for monitoring wind power’s impact on birds and bats."

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"Kourtoff speculates that lingering opposition to onshore wind projects influenced the MOE's decision…No one from the government has been in touch with Trillium to explain the decision or what will happen next…Trillium's four projects were expected to generate between 3,200 MW and 3,500 MW of wind power…

"According to a Conference Board of Canada report released in December 2010, 2,000 MW of offshore wind could be generated between now and 2026…[and] the development and operation of offshore wind in Ontario would create between 55,000 and 62,000 person-years of employment…Stopping offshore development in the Great Lakes will have dire consequences for the industry in Ontario…"