We are encouraged to turn out our lights and any other (non-essential) electrical appliances this evening from 8pm to 9pm.
I will participate. Not because it will save me any significant energy use (mine is already very low) but it is a gesture of solidarity with everyone else who has a concern about our environment. It is a gesture to raise awareness.
Reducing waste of our resources is the most immediate way to reduce carbons. It amazes me that in just a couple of generations, we have moved on from the time of the Depression and war time rationing when not a single morsel or scrap of paper or worn out pair of socks was not used, to see the waste we see now - particularly in The West in general and in North America in particular.
Renewable, responsibly located and utilized energy sources are another part of the picture, but unless our consumption reduces, we will eventually run out of these too.
Reduce. Reuse. Recycle.
There is a fourth R .... Refuse. Refuse to buy over packaged, unnecessary, imported (when the domestic product exists) products. Refuse to waste energy, food and water.
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Friday, March 28, 2008
Cleaner & greener
Will windmills lower our power bills or clear the air of carbon emissions? Yes and no.
NOVA SCOTIA POWER’s wind power program won’t make electricity cheaper or replace dirty coal anytime soon.
But the utility says recently announced wind projects will act as a "bridge for the future" for a "cleaner and greener" province.
NSP spokeswoman Glennie Langille says it is not as straightforward as swapping wind for coal and that wind power is intermittent.
"The benefit is cleaner generation," she said.
The Nova Scotia government wants to boost the amount of electricity produced in the province by wind, solar, tidal and biomass technology to almost 20 per cent by 2013, up from 11 to 12 per cent today.
Will wind-generated electricity reduce NSP’s greenhouse gas emissions?
"That’s a good question," said Ms. Langille, adding the wind-generated electricity will be used domestically. "There’s no doubt using wind displaces something . . . most of the time a fossil fuel."
As for lowering electricity bills, that could happen in the long term, she says.
"Right now, wind power is not cheap," says Ms. Langille. "In the long term, these contracts are good for customers because they could stabilize power rates."
Kristen Overmyer questions the benefits for Nova Scotia of dotting the rural landscape with large windmills.
Mr. Overmyer, a mechanical engineer, and his wife, Susan, started visiting Baileys Brook, Pictou County, from Michigan as seasonal residents eight years ago. Since 2006, they have lived there year-round.
When he first moved to the area, he was interested in installing a wind turbine on his farm. But he has since changed his mind because of concerns about the noise and possible harm to migratory birds.
As part of NSP’s request for proposals, Shear Wind Inc. of Halifax has submitted a proposal to produce up to 108 megawatts of wind-generated electricity at a site near Mr. Overmyer’s home.
If its bid is successful, Shear Wind intends to have the facility operating in 2009.
The site to be developed, called Glen Dhu, is located on 2,420 hectares east of New Glasgow. But only part of the land will be used, according to documents filed with securities regulators.
Mr. Overmyer is frustrated by what he calls a lack of clarity about the benefits of wind power.
"I’m concerned that Nova Scotia Power is not giving us any specifics, and people are making decisions on falsehoods. They know there is a trade-off to having wind turbines and they think they are getting something positive in return — not burning coal," he said Wednesday.
"I can’t believe they are this far into the process and can’t tell people what the immediate benefits are to Nova Scotians," he said.
Ms. Langille refused to comment on Shear Wind’s proposal, but the firm is rumoured to be the next successful bidder in NSP’s call for more green energy.
She said the utility will be signing contracts "as appropriate" and not making any further comments.
NSP has already signed deals for slightly more than half of the 240 megawatts specified in its call for proposals.
The three deals announced so far are being called "long term" but no further details or the price to be paid per kilowatt hour are being released.
The Utility and Review Board, which oversees NSP, says it will not be reviewing the wind contracts until the next general rate increase application and if someone at that time indicates NSP has acted "imprudently," said spokesman Paul Allen.
The secrecy surrounding the wind power contracts worries Brendan Haley of the Ecology Action Centre. He argues it makes it difficult for many to get into the market, including farmers and co-ops in rural Nova Scotia.
Mr. Haley said a fixed price, instead of the current competitive bidding process, would be more transparent.
"The public will know that we are paying a reasonable cost for wind-energy development to secure its economic and environmental benefits."
Wind farm needs a bit more breeze
Atlantic Canada’s largest wind farm could use a little more fuel, say the owners of the Pubnico Point Wind farm in Yarmouth County.
Electrical production from the turbines was down along with wind volumes in 2007, said Derren Newell, chief financial officer for Creststreet Power and Income Fund LP, which is trying to sell the wind turbine farm.
Creststreet Power and Income of Toronto, a majority owner of the $50-million wind farm, released results showing wind production was five per cent below management’s long-term projection.
"The majority of the deviation in energy production was the result of wind speeds that were below the projected long-term average," Creststreet Power reported Thursday in its annual financial results for 2007.
Mr. Newell would not discuss the lower production in relation to the company’s "voluntary" shutdown of the turbines.
Today, Creststreet is expected to release "more complete financial information" on its two wind projects, Pubnico Point and Mount Copper in Quebec, said Mr. Newell of Calgary.
Despite Pubnico Point’s declining electricity production, the company reported higher revenues, crediting higher wind speeds.
Electrical revenues were $17.6 million, an increase from $15.3 million from 2006.
In its latest financial results, the company said a special committee is continuing to work on selling the wind farm.
The decision to sell the wind farm was announced last fall in response to the federal government’s decision to eliminate the tax benefits of trusts.
An independent board of directors of Creststreet has set up a special committee to conduct a "strategic review" of the income fund’s two wind energy projects in Quebec and Nova Scotia, which have a total of 47 wind turbines and power generating capacity of 84.6 megawatts.
The new tax rules come into effect in 2011, but the board is looking at selling the assets while renewable energy is a "hotly traded commodity," Mr. Newell has previously said.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
EarthFirst buys out wind farm
Calgary firm pays $450,000, share of revenue for Nuttby Mountain project
Nova Scotia’s gales blew in a late blast of winter Tuesday, along with a Calgary company determined to create power and make money in this windy province.
EarthFirst Canada Inc., a newly created wind company, announced it has bought the proposed 45-megawatt Nuttby Mountain wind energy project in Colchester County from Atlantic Wind Power Corp. and its partner, Cobequid Area Windfarms.
EarthFirst paid $75,000 cash, along with $374,400 in shares (based on 192,000 shares at $1.95 of EarthFirst) and a small share of gross revenue over the life of the project, Derren Newell, vice-president finance, said in a telephone interview from Calgary.
EarthFirst, which has two other wind projects in B.C., will enter into a service agreement with Atlantic Wind Power to provide services for the construction of the project in exchange for a monthly fee and project completion fee.
Before the project proceeds, the developers must obtain municipal and provincial permits. Negotiations for a turbine sale and warranty and service agreements are underway.
"Nuttby is a good example of EarthFirst’s expertise in acquiring advanced stage wind projects that can be moved forward into construction and operation quickly," Robert Toole, EarthFirst CEO, said at a news conference. "Our goal is to have the project completed and in service by the end of 2009."
Nova Scotia Power will purchase the wind-generated power but details of that agreement, including the price paid per kilowatt, were not disclosed.
The wind farm, with up to 22 turbines, will cost $90 million to $100 million and will be located about four kilometres north of the village of Nuttby and six kilometres east of Earltown. The turbines will produce enough energy to power about 15,000 homes.
NSP’s contract with EarthFirst is the second of six agreements for renewable energy resulting from a competitive bidding process announced last year by the privately owned utility. The utility is expected to make another wind purchase announcement on Thursday.
Atlantic Wind Power, also the developer of a proposed wind farm in the Pugwash area, has worked with principals of EarthFirst in developing Nova Scotia’s largest wind farm, at Pubnico Point.
EarthFirst was formed last December after a restructuring of Creststreet, a co-owner of the Pubnico Point wind farm. Creststreet recently put the Pubnico Wind farm up for sale.
Rob Bennett, NSP vice-president of resource and sustainability, filled in for president Ralph Tedesco, who was unable to attend the news conference at the Marigold Centre.
Lisa Betts, chairwoman of the Gulf Shore Preservation Association, which is opposed to Atlantic Wind Power’s other proposed project in Pugwash, endorsed the Nuttby project.
"The Nuttby wind project appears to be well located, with turbines 1.5 kilometres from homes, the majority of local people in favour of it and NSPI transmission lines nearby. . . . This is a good example of how important it is for wind energy companies to strongly consider location as it affects the local population and economic structure," she said in an e-mail after attending the news conference.
Purchasing more renewable energy is part of NSP’s overall business strategy to use less pollution-causing coal at power plants across the province in the future.
EarthFirst’s share price remained unchanged on Tuesday at $1.95 per share. The stock’s 52-week high is $2.10 and its 52-week low is $1.45.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Nuttby wind farm project approved
HARRY SULLIVAN
The Truro Daily News
TRURO – Premier Rodney MacDonald is coming to town today to announce approval of a 45 megawatt wind farm on Nuttby Mountain.
The project will see approximately 20, 120 metre-tall windmills constructed near the top of the highest point on mainland Nova Scotia.
MacDonald will be joined by officials from Nova Scotia Power Inc. for the formal announcement at noon today in the Marigold Cultural Centre.
While officials were keeping mum about precise details surrounding the announcement, the Truro Daily News has learned the premier will confirm approval of a proposal put forth last fall by Cobequid Area Wind Farms Inc.
Nova Scotia Power has called for proposals for alternative energy sources to meet a provincial objective to have nearly 20 per cent of the province’s electricity come from green sources such as wind by 2013.
Last year, Cobequid Area Wind Farm publicly introduced a proposal to construct up to 22, 120-metre tall turbines on Nuttby Mountain.
The project is expected to cost up to $100 million and with an energy output of 45 megawatts, the turbines will provide electricity to some 14,000 homes per year.
The Truro Daily News
TRURO – Premier Rodney MacDonald is coming to town today to announce approval of a 45 megawatt wind farm on Nuttby Mountain.
The project will see approximately 20, 120 metre-tall windmills constructed near the top of the highest point on mainland Nova Scotia.
MacDonald will be joined by officials from Nova Scotia Power Inc. for the formal announcement at noon today in the Marigold Cultural Centre.
While officials were keeping mum about precise details surrounding the announcement, the Truro Daily News has learned the premier will confirm approval of a proposal put forth last fall by Cobequid Area Wind Farms Inc.
Nova Scotia Power has called for proposals for alternative energy sources to meet a provincial objective to have nearly 20 per cent of the province’s electricity come from green sources such as wind by 2013.
Last year, Cobequid Area Wind Farm publicly introduced a proposal to construct up to 22, 120-metre tall turbines on Nuttby Mountain.
The project is expected to cost up to $100 million and with an energy output of 45 megawatts, the turbines will provide electricity to some 14,000 homes per year.
Wind power project being announced today in Truro
Nova Scotia Power is expected to make two major announcements this week on wind power deals, almost a year after first issuing a request for proposals.
The first announcement will be today in Truro where the privately-owned utility is expected to reveal the successful bidder for a 45-megawatt wind project in the region
The companies — Cobequid Wind Power and Atlantic Wind Power Corp., under the name Cobequid Area Windfarms – will erect at least 20 wind turbines on Nuttby Mountain, Colchester County, sources tell The Chronicle Herald. (The site is about 22 kilometres due north of Truro in the Cobequid Mountains.)
Nuttby Mountain, at 367 metres, is said to be the highest elevation in mainland Nova Scotia and the power generated would provide enough electricity for 16,000 homes.
Atlantic Wind Power is a part owner of Nova Scotia’s largest wind power project at Pubnico Point. The facility is currently up for sale.
Nova Scotia Premier Rodney MacDonald and NSP president Ralph Tedesco will be on hand for the announcement at noon at the Marigold Cultural Centre in Truro.
Glennie Langille, NSP spokeswoman, said Monday she couldn’t comment on the announcement, except to add the wind farm will be in the central region of the province.
Charles Demond, Atlantic Wind Power Corporation president, declined to comment about the Tuesday news conference.
"I’m not commenting. There’s a press event tomorrow and I may or may not be there," Mr. Demond said Monday.
Last year, during an open house in the area, the developers indicated that 21 turbines were being proposed for the Nuttby Mountain site. They will stand 120 metres high and produce between 1.5 and two megawatts each. The turbines will be roughly 1.5 kilometres from the nearest home.
Last month NSP announced the first of six wind power deals it has been negotiating.
That announcement was for a $55-million wind park that is expected to start taking shape this fall at Point Tupper when Renewable Energy Services Ltd. begins preparing 65 hectares for 11 turbines.
The German-made Enercon E-82s will be double the size of the company’s existing experimental turbine operating at the site near Statia Terminals. By November 2009 the wind park will begin generating 22 megawatts of power. That’s enough electricity to supply the needs of 6,000 homes.
NSP’s original request for proposals was for 130 megawatts, and then last November the utility increased that amount to 240 megawatts of new wind generated electricity that would require about $500 million in capital, according to the utility.
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.
Currently, the utility is generating 60 megawatts of electricity from 41 wind turbines around the province, which is enough electricity to supply the needs of 17,000 homes, said Ms. Langille.
Ms. Langille said the second announcement on a power deal will be made later in the week about a project on the mainland.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Battle of the Blades
From today's Chronicle Herald
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Wind power is renewable, and emission-free but critics complain turbines are noisy, threaten migratory birds and destroy property values
EVEN CANADA’s leading promoter of wind power admits that the industry has to learn from its critics and work with them.
Sean Whittaker, policy director of the Canadian Wind Energy Association of Ottawa, says public concerns can be expected with any new technology.
"Their concerns are definitely legitimate and something we have to take seriously," Mr. Whittaker said recently in Halifax.
"There’s a general understanding within the wind industry that our survival depends on our ability to take those concerns seriously and to act on them.
""It’s important in all these cases that not everything is labelled NIMBY. As soon as somebody has a concern about a wind turbine, you can’t say this is a NIMBY.
""Let’s be honest, wind is fairly new to the economic and political landscape. And it’s perfectly natural that people are going to ask questions about it."
Nova Scotia has one of the best wind-power regimes in North America, according to a Stanford University study. And wind-generated electricity is being pushed by the government because it produces no emissions, is entirely renewable and ranks as one of the cleanest sources of electricity.
But that doesn’t stop critics like Lisa Betts from speaking up.
Ms. Betts, who lives in the scenic Gulf Shore area just outside Pugwash, is opposing a wind farm proposed for her backyard. She has a host of reasons, including the possibility of declining property values.
She purchased her home 14 years ago, hoping it would increase in value and become her retirement fund.
"Our official line is, green is good but in appropriate places, and this isn’t an appropriate place."
Ms. Betts says she is not anti-wind or against renewable energy but argues that projects should be pursued in a responsible way, with more consultation.
She is joined in the battle of the (turbine) blades by one of the area’s most distinguished seasonal residents, singer Anne Murray.
Ms. Betts and 450 other members of the Gulf Shore Preservation Association oppose a developer’s plan to build 20 to 27 large wind turbines in the area.
Last summer, Ms. Murray wrote a commentary in The Chronicle Herald, saying many people want to build their "dream home" in the area. A wind farm would be catastrophic, she said.
Ms. Murray said she supports the idea of wind-generated electricity but opposes the location of the turbines in an area close to where people live and said there are too many unanswered questions concerning the effects of noise, vibration and shadow flicker.
Her comments upset wind developer Charles Demond. He responded that the singer’s remarks are not "helpful" for his business and for the development of wind farms in the province.
Mr. Demond’s company persuaded Cumberland County council last May to approve a bylaw establishing a "setback" distance of 500 metres between turbines and residences.
Like other wind developers, he says this distance is required to hook up to the power grid. A two-kilometre setback requested by people living in the area would kill the project, he says.
That argument doesn’t sway Ms. Betts, who wants Nova Scotia Power to build power lines in remote areas.
For Dianne Powell, 30, of Wentworth Station, a few turbines in the backyard don’t pose a huge problem. She already lives in the shadow of three.
But a proposal to add another 66 units has her upset. She has health concerns about living next to all those wind turbines. And she says building them would be a problem.
"The three here right now are unobtrusive, but another 66 on the top of the ridge would be disruptive," she says. "I really do live in the woods. I ski, walk and hike every day. It is a recreational area."
Like Ms. Betts, Ms. Powell says uniform provincial regulations could pave the way for orderly project development. (So far, the province has said it will let municipalities create guidelines or regulations for wind power projects.)
Edith Callaghan, director of the Arthur Irving Academy for the Environment at Acadia University, says a balance has to be struck between the critics and the project sponsors.
"Every individual project needs to be scrutinized, but it doesn’t mean you start off with a position of opposition," says Ms. Callaghan. "You can oppose local development but if you still want to consume electricity, it’s got to come from somewhere. Someone is going to take the hit on this."
Ms. Callaghan says business "doesn’t necessarily have a squeaky-clean record" on the environment. Companies have to be up front about what they are planning and do more community outreach, she says.
Mr. Whittaker agrees.
The wind-power lobbyist says developers must follow the five Cs: consultation, consultation, consultation, construction and more consultation.
"As long as they engage in that consultation, be it a private developer, co-op or community, they can definitely reduce any opposition to it by consulting early and often."
He says most wind developers want to ensure their projects are accepted, and all must undergo an environmental assessment that allows the public to voice any concerns. Issues range from disruption of birds’ migratory patterns to the sound of the blades turning in the wind.
In most cases, he says, developers will make changes in the project to ensure acceptance by the community.
He says when people are opposed to wind power they usually start out talking about noise, birds or health matters. But once those issues are resolved, it boils down to fear of their property value dropping.
Mr. Whittaker tries his best to offer some comfort to homeowners by pointing to a new report prepared for Nova Scotia municipalities. The study shows little evidence that Canadian property values decrease as a result of nearby wind energy projects.
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Fossil fuels displaced by wind in Nova Scotia
It would appear there is a misunderstanding about wind energy and it's relationship to use of fossil fuels.
This is most recently demonstrated in a comment made on the previous posting but is also heard in the media and from all levels of government, including a past Minister of Energy who really should know better.
In Nova Scotia, wind energy has not, does not now nor will anytime in the near future, replace coal generated energy. It can replace some oil and natural gas but, by its very nature, cannot replace coal. This is discussed in the NSPI website http://www.nspower.ca/about_nspi/generation/dispatching.shtml and confirmed in a conversation one of my contacts had with their media contact people.
Power demand can be predicted and met by energy generated from dispatching generating stations. The two basic ways dispatched (scheduled) power is generated in Nova Scotia can be compared to the tortoise and the hare.
Everyday energy use is called basic load. In Nova Scotia, we only have one way of generating power for basic load and this is from generators fueled by coal and coke. Other provinces have nuclear and hydro stations that produce basic load. These are big generating stations that take days to start up and shut down. This is the tortoise: slow, dependable, expensive to initially invest in, but relatively cheap to maintain.
The intermediate load comes from oil and natural gas fueled generators. These can kick into action fairly quickly to supplement energy demands at peak load times which vary during the day and with the time of year, but are still predictable. This is the hare: quick and adaptable, cheaper to set up, but with higher operational costs.
To supplement demand on really cold, really hot or long dark winter days, peak load generators which can be started up even faster than the intermediate generators. In NS, they are oil, gas, wind and hydro generated. These are the hare's cousin: relatively inexpensive to invest in, often with high fuel costs (if oil or gas) but are only required intermittently.
Wind and tidal power is considered non-dispatchable because it cannot be depended upon to be there when required. There is no predicting when the wind will blow. Tidal can be predicted, but is not always available at a time of day that makes it useful to supplement basic load. These forms of energy are useful to supplement intermediate load, but too unpredictable to be used for basic load.
To carry on with the analogy:
The tortoise works just fine left alone to produce basic load. He cannot respond quickly enough and adjust his pace to input from the hares. It is very costly to slow down or shut down just to accept power from the hares which could just as easily stop mid race.
That is more-or-less how it works in this province as things now stand.
There is technology that could allow wind or tidal turbines to pump water to a hydro station which could then generate power for basic load, but that does not exist here right now and is highly location dependent - not only do they have to be where there is a good wind/tidal regime, but they also have to be in the right territory for an extensive reservoir or lake.
If dependable, inexpensive power storage becomes available, all of this could change.
In the meanwhile, NSPI can only handle a maximum of wind generated power. Too much undependable, fickle power can affect the other generating stations and cause brown outs.
As Charles Demond of AWPC told us at a Pugwash Chamber of Commerce meeting last summer, the Province can currently only tolerate about two hundred 2MW turbines. (More could be tolerated if power is exported out of the Province.)
Germany has over 19,000 wind turbines and is dedicated to eliminating nuclear power. Electrical demand has continued to increase and despite all these turbines, they are planning on building at least 20 coal burning generating stations to produce base load. So, anyone who thinks wind can replace coal is, unfortunately, wrong.
Until we can find sources and/or technologies that can produce clean, dependable basic load what we have to do is start reducing consumption.
If you really, really want NSPI to burn less coal, then use less power!
This is most recently demonstrated in a comment made on the previous posting but is also heard in the media and from all levels of government, including a past Minister of Energy who really should know better.
In Nova Scotia, wind energy has not, does not now nor will anytime in the near future, replace coal generated energy. It can replace some oil and natural gas but, by its very nature, cannot replace coal. This is discussed in the NSPI website http://www.nspower.ca/about_nspi/generation/dispatching.shtml and confirmed in a conversation one of my contacts had with their media contact people.
Power demand can be predicted and met by energy generated from dispatching generating stations. The two basic ways dispatched (scheduled) power is generated in Nova Scotia can be compared to the tortoise and the hare.
Everyday energy use is called basic load. In Nova Scotia, we only have one way of generating power for basic load and this is from generators fueled by coal and coke. Other provinces have nuclear and hydro stations that produce basic load. These are big generating stations that take days to start up and shut down. This is the tortoise: slow, dependable, expensive to initially invest in, but relatively cheap to maintain.
The intermediate load comes from oil and natural gas fueled generators. These can kick into action fairly quickly to supplement energy demands at peak load times which vary during the day and with the time of year, but are still predictable. This is the hare: quick and adaptable, cheaper to set up, but with higher operational costs.
To supplement demand on really cold, really hot or long dark winter days, peak load generators which can be started up even faster than the intermediate generators. In NS, they are oil, gas, wind and hydro generated. These are the hare's cousin: relatively inexpensive to invest in, often with high fuel costs (if oil or gas) but are only required intermittently.
Wind and tidal power is considered non-dispatchable because it cannot be depended upon to be there when required. There is no predicting when the wind will blow. Tidal can be predicted, but is not always available at a time of day that makes it useful to supplement basic load. These forms of energy are useful to supplement intermediate load, but too unpredictable to be used for basic load.
To carry on with the analogy:
The tortoise works just fine left alone to produce basic load. He cannot respond quickly enough and adjust his pace to input from the hares. It is very costly to slow down or shut down just to accept power from the hares which could just as easily stop mid race.
That is more-or-less how it works in this province as things now stand.
There is technology that could allow wind or tidal turbines to pump water to a hydro station which could then generate power for basic load, but that does not exist here right now and is highly location dependent - not only do they have to be where there is a good wind/tidal regime, but they also have to be in the right territory for an extensive reservoir or lake.
If dependable, inexpensive power storage becomes available, all of this could change.
In the meanwhile, NSPI can only handle a maximum of wind generated power. Too much undependable, fickle power can affect the other generating stations and cause brown outs.
As Charles Demond of AWPC told us at a Pugwash Chamber of Commerce meeting last summer, the Province can currently only tolerate about two hundred 2MW turbines. (More could be tolerated if power is exported out of the Province.)
Germany has over 19,000 wind turbines and is dedicated to eliminating nuclear power. Electrical demand has continued to increase and despite all these turbines, they are planning on building at least 20 coal burning generating stations to produce base load. So, anyone who thinks wind can replace coal is, unfortunately, wrong.
Until we can find sources and/or technologies that can produce clean, dependable basic load what we have to do is start reducing consumption.
If you really, really want NSPI to burn less coal, then use less power!
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