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NSP close to signing wind power deals
Negotiations with developers taking longer than expected
Nova Scotia Power hopes to wrap up negotiations and sign contracts with six wind developers for eight projects within a few weeks, despite missing its own deadline last month, according to the privately-owned utility.
NSP’s deadline for signing contracts with the successful bidders was on Dec. 28, but this does not mean the company is behind schedule, or that talks aren’t proceeding well, said NSP spokeswoman Glennie Langille.
"Detailing will be in a couple of weeks," said Ms. Langille, adding the power company will not reveal the short list of bidders.
She said for a couple of the developers who are publicly traded, once they sign with NSP, they would have to make it public immediately, but the utility will not be disclosing those details.
There’s a lot at stake for the utility and the companies.
In late November, NSP president Ralph Tedesco said the utility was getting closer to making deals on green energy and expects to add 240 megawatts of new electricity generated by wind that would require $500 million in capital spending.
In March 2007 the utility issued a request for proposals for new renewable energy projects with a submission deadline of August.
Nova Scotia-based Renewable Energy Services Ltd., which already operates a number of wind turbines across the province, confirmed it is one of the successful bidders and is currently in negotiations with NSP.
Allison Leil, vice-president of the privately owned firm, said he could not make any comment about the negotiations but expects to have more to say later this week.
Halifax-based Shear Wind Inc. has indicated to securities regulators and investors it has submitted a proposal to NSP to produce up to 108 megawatts of wind generated electricity.
If successful, Shear Wind intends to construct a wind generating facility in 2008 and 2009, and start up the plant in 2009.
The site to be developed is called Glen Dhu, located on 2,420 hectares east of New Glasgow, but only part of the land would be used.
In a filing Dec. 19 with regulators, Shear Wind indicated the site has "above average" wind resources and the wind farm in the first phase could generate up to 108 megawatts of electricity.
Also, Shear Wind indicates in the documents the outcome of the bids should be known shortly and a final agreement in place in early 2008.
Shear Wind is currently generating 1.6 megawatts with two wind turbines on Fitzpatricks Mountain, just outside Scotsburn, Pictou County, under a 15-year power purchase agreement with NSP. The company has other sites in various stages of development in New Brunswick, Saskatchewan and Alberta.
NSP hopes the contracts with the private companies will increase the amount of electricity produced by so-called green technology in this province to 20 per cent of total output by 2013.
Ottawa-based 3G Energy Corp. is proposing to build 66 turbines along a seven-kilometre stretch of the Cobequid Mountains. The company had previously indicated it submitted a proposal last summer to sell wind generated electricity to the utility.
Charles Demond, whose Atlantic Wind Power Corp. is behind a proposal in Pugwash and operates a 17-turbine farm in Lower West Pubnico, declined to comment Monday on any of his company’s proposals. However, it is believed the proposed Pugwash wind farm was one of the proposals submitted last summer to the utility.
Cape Breton Power confirms it submitted a proposal to expand its operations but it was turned down and the company is no longer in the running for an NSP contract.
The Cape Breton firm has seven wind turbines installed at its Lingan site near the NSP power plant and generates 17.4 megawatts, according to the company’s website.
The company also has two other wind turbines, one at New Aberdeen on former coal mining lands and one in Port Caledonia near Glace Bay.
Interesting to note which wind energy companies were willing to talk to the Herald and who clammed up!!
16 comments:
Actually Lisa if you read that article properly and not with blinders on you will see that only one made any comment and that was Cape Breton Power, who said they were not successful. Alison Leil declined to comment, Charles Demond declined to comment and if you read the article properly you can see that they did not even talk to Shear Wind or 3G as they are quoting past published information only.
Stop making one liners like you did above that have no relevance and are only misleading.
Actually, Anonymous, it is you who is drawing conclusions from my deliberately ambiguous comments. Funny how you zoned right in on Charles' lack of comment, as opposed to any of the others. Hmmm.
The point still remains that there are wind energy companies who have been willing to communicate with the media and local residents of proposed projects, and others who have not.
How do you get that I zoned right in on Charles D.'s comments. How do you make these ridiculous conclusions. I can see as I am writing this to my left that it states right there in black and white I mentioned first Cape Breton Power, than Alison Leil, Charles Demond, Shear Wind and finally 3G. Stop making these ridiculous comments followed up by an innocous "hmmm".
All of these companies will talk to people that present logical approaches to dealing with the dilemnas with which you propose. Yet since your approach to this is both illogical and radical you will never get past the front door and hence are somehow given the right to comment that they do not not make comments to the media and the public alike.
Dear Anonymous, as you may see when you read the article again, that Allison Leil did talk to the Herald but declined to confirm some details. Cape Breton Power also talked to the Herald. Much of the rest of the story does include previously written media releases - media releases from such companies as Shear Wind, Cape Breton, RESL and 3G.
I know several journalists who in the past have looked for information from these companies have had no problem gaining access to their representatives and gained some information and/or quote. They have not had the same results with all companies.
My point being - some wind energy companies are more forthcoming with their information than others.
And if my "hmm" was so "innocuous" how did it ever engender a reaction? Not so innocuous after all methinks!
Innocuous
a. not injurious, harmless (esp. of snakes); innoffensive
Oxford English dictionary
in·noc·u·ous–adjective also means:
not interesting, stimulating, or significant; pallid; insipid: "an innocuous novel".
Perhaps you should get a dictionary, which is not for elemenatary school students!
sorry elementary, typing too fast, and the above quote comes from dictionary.com
Why were teh CBC cameras all over Wallace yesterday?
The CBC were covering a story that broke in the Herald on Tuesday:
http://www.thechronicleherald.ca/Search/1009829.html
http://www.thechronicleherald.ca/Search/1010020.html
It's a municipal election year. Just out of curiosity, will the GSA be putting forward a candidate to run for Councilor in District Four or is the group content with the job that Kathy Langille has done on its behalf?
Dug up my Blogger username. That last post was mine.
Hi Sebastian,
Kathy Langille has been very supportive of our cause.
It is my understanding that municipal candidates are voted on as individuals, not as representatives of any group or party.
I am not aware of any other potential candidates.
Of course, voted on as individuals, but that does not prevent a community lobby group from putting someone forward a la nudge-nudge-wink-wink. One back room to counter another, so to speak. Anyway, question answered. Thanks.
Has NSPI heard from Mr. Bee or Mr.Fieldmouse or Mr.Bird or Mr.Nemetode?
They are wondering if anyone has taken any concern/consideration over what effect the low frequency infrasonic sound -pressure fluctuations from a large collection of these wind turbines all pumping slightly out of tune will have on their breathing apparatus.
Mr.Plantleaf and Mr.Tree are concerned it might make it harder for them to pump water from their roots to their breathing apparatus.
..and Mr.Moose doesn't want to have to leave the area every time the mysterious vibration gives him a headache.
Mr.Fish and Mr.Frog are concerned the vibration will get into the water table and shake their favorite feeding pond and make it hard to to relax?
Interesting points made about the interdependency of Mr. Bee et. al. and the surrounding ecology. I'd like to seguay (sp?) off that one just a bit.
Would it not be within the GSA's mandate (it not being, afterall, a single issue organization)to inquire into and/or research the decibel levels put out by the filtration system of the salt mine? I am several kilometers up river from it and, I can assure you, it is very evident. The noise carries very easily over the river's water. It's not exactly a great selling feature for the development that's going in across the river.
I have my suspicions that the mine's filtration system may not be state-of-the-art, possibly falling below ISO levels, although I stand to be corrected. This could be a tougher nut to crack as the mine employs considerably more people than the proposed three employees for the wind farm.
...and Mr.Bird is concerned that the unnatural pressure fluctuations from all these wind turbines will throw off his balance and he might bump into Mr.Tree more often.
..and Mr.fox is worried that the unnatural pressure fluctuations will hurt his eyeballs and he won't be able see to have Mr.Rabbit for supper as often.
...and Mr. Snake is thinking these
unnatural pressure fluctuations will affect his digestive system and he might have diarhia more often.
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