David O’Brien personally ignored our calls for an end to Toronto Hydro Energy Services illegal process. His refusal to act or even respond to alligations is in my mind tantamount to his support of Toronto Hydro Energy Services illegal activity. Under his term, residents of Toronto saw two major privacy breaches in three months, both related to the internet. It saw a total disregard for safety as it relates to the maintenance of infrastructure that has the potential to have lethal consequences if not properly maintained. We watched as executives at Toronto Hydro told what can only be described as bald faced lies, as the legal counsel for Toronto Hydro made themselves aware of Toronto Hydro Energy Services illegal activity and did nothing to either deny the claims being made or to direct their client to not proceed with an illegal application.

Hopefully Anthony Haines, current President of Toronto Hydro Electric System, the company within Toronto Hydro that actually makes money and generates profit, does a reasonable job of carrying out its obligations in a safe manner will look at his poor cousins in Toronto Hydro Energy Services and see them for the finanacial parasite they are, and reign in Chris Tyrrell, Jack Simpson and Joyce McLean. It’s my hope he will tell each of these ethically challenged individuals that illegality is no longer acceptable, that they cannot lie when it suits them, cut corners as it pleases or violate laws that would prevent them if followed.

Let’s hope the new boss is nothing like the old boss, and is wise enough to realize that this proposal to build a wind factory where it is well documented their isn’t sufficient wind is a fool’s paradise that isn’t worthy of the 700 million dollars of public money that will be wasted damaging the environment, trampling democracy and wasting the hard earned money of Toronto taxpayers. Haines has the opportunity to reach out, and right the wrongs of his predecessor and the pathetic so-called sister company Toronto Hydro Energy Services which represents just three percent of total revenue for Toronto Hydro and is the source of most of it’s headaches. In the private sector a Chief Executive with deal with a problem like that swiftly considering Toronto Hydro Energy Services total revenue represents a rounding error on the balance sheet. Here’s to hoping Haines will too.

If Haines decides he should be the same as the old boss, I promise him this, we’ll be there to hold you to account, to challenge the inappropriate actions carried out by your organization and will defend our rights, our environment, and our tax dollars as long and with as much intensity as is required to come out on top. On the flip side, should Haines decide to cancel Toronto Hydro Energy Services illegal application, and end their attempts to put a wind factory in what may be the worst site selection on the lake (who builds in front of a cliff when you need wind?) residents would celebrate the move, and thank him for the wise business sense to see that a company whose annual income isn’t even enough to meet it’s own payroll should not be spending $700 million dollars of a sister companies money on a really bad idea that will not pay off in the end.

What a remarkable display of democracy in action. Residents came together to talk about an issue important to their community, share knowledge, concerns and solutions to what has become a serious problem. Our elected officials may not listen, Toronto Hydro may continue to ignore it’s legal obligations and the Government of Ontario may be fixing to limit our right to participate in decision making – as Ontarians have been allowed to for generations, but Guildwood residents are holding strong.

The cafeteria at the local high school was turned into a meeting place where residents could drop in, go to different stations and talk to others who’d been researching specific issues for some time. What was most interesting was to see the number of residents who came out to talk to members of Save the Toronto Bluffs, and then speak with each other in the middle of the room to evaluate the information they had received and to share their concerns with others. It turned into an excellent opportunity for neighbours to see friends they may not have seen during all the snow, to talk about our community, to connect with others, but most of all – to strengthen their resolve to keep fighting this proposal.

I was thrilled to meet so many of the people I’ve been emailing back and forth with, and have the opportunity to share some of the more candid tales of this whole process, including commentary of how the actions of our opponents both created and fed a movement that would have otherwise been difficult to get off the ground.

It was a great event, one that saw everyone treated with respect, honest words spoken, and a robust conversation had. Even for a community with such vast variety of concerns what became clear is that engaging in dialogue is the only way issues like this can be understood and addressed.

And finally – on a more personal note, I was thankful to see so many members of the Guildwood community I’ve grown up knowing, meeting the individuals who’ve written me and shared their stories, concerns and kind words. Meetings like this are great for reminding those who devote their time to causes, what the stakes really are, and who it really impacts. I will take the positive energy from Sunday’s meeting and use it as my personal ‘renewable energy source’ to keep up my efforts, along with the thousands of Guildwood residents whose position I share, and together we will stop Toronto Hydro and can only hope Minister Smitherman recognizes how wrong this project was from the start.

The Ministry of Natural Resources now holds all the information they need to decline Toronto Hydro’s application. It was clear to everyone it failed to meet the legal requirements for such an application, but as we’ve seen, the truth, decency and law don’t appear to matter to these folks. – I know these values are shared by the members of the Ontario Public Service, and it is my hope they will find the courage to tell Toronto Hydro that they cannot choose not to comply with environmental laws (as they are attempting to do).

Not a single politician will cross a stage, no paid activists will be able to shout residents down and Joyce McLean and her friends at Hydro will not be given the opportunity to lie to residents or deny them the very basic information they have been seeking out. 

The lesson here is, if you try to stifle debate and deny your opponents an equal footing – they will get louder, stronger and work outside the system for the change they seek. Bill 150 denies us our democratic rights, but the Constitution of this great country protects freedom of assembly and expression. Not even Dalton McGuinty and his paternalistic approach to complex government policy or George Smitherman’s bully tactics can take that away. The government has decided to listen to the wind companies that donate tens of thousands annually to the Ontario Liberal Party, their lobbyists and interest groups, and opted to deny us our right to participate. We’ve taken note, and if the Green Energy Act passes as is, I promise that folks like us will most certainly deny some current and prospective Liberal MPPs the privilege of participating in debate at Queen’s Park. Unlike moneyed interests, it is the citizens this bill steamrolls that have that enjoy Suffrage, and we intend to use it if necessary.  

I’d like to invite all Scarborough Bluffs residents the opportunity to join us at our informal session on March 29th 2009. The details are below.

PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT

Community Round Table on Wind Turbines

Sunday, March 29 from 1-3 p.m.

Sir Wilfrid Laurier Collegiate Institute

145 Guildwood Parkway 

A group of volunteers will provide information collected from doctors, engineers and other experts to give people a better understanding about wind energy and the issues surrounding the controversial proposal to erect an industrial wind generation development near the Scarborough Bluffs.  

The public is invited to learn more and ask questions on topics relating to wind turbines. Information will be available about:

• Health Issues
• The Economics & Engineering Behind Wind Energy
• Ontario’s Proposed Green Energy Act
• The Local Wind Study (Anemometer) Proposal and Existing Wind Information
• How Turbines Affect Wildlife and Ecology
• Wind Turbine Experiences – Living Near a Wind Farm
• Alternative Renewable Energy Sources

This is an informal, drop-in event organized by concerned citizens and the Save the Toronto Bluffs Association.  

More details at www.savethetorontobluffs.com

The Toronto Observer serves the communities of East Scarborough communities including Guildwood. For their website click here. http://www.torontoobserver.ca

Green energy bill angers Guildwood residents

Residents of Guildwood may be seeing red after the release of Ontario’s new Green Energy Act. The act may reduce the input they have with the province in negotiating environmental developments in the area.

Unveiled on Feb. 23, the act will introduce fixed prices for electricity generated from renewable sources. It will also establish efficiency standards for appliances and require homeowners to conduct energy audits before selling their houses.

“The city doesn’t have any control over these issues,” said Ward 43 councillor Paul Ainslie, who supports the act environmentally but is concerned for his residents’ say in the matter.

Some Guildwood residents like John Laforet, an activist with the Save theToronto Bluffs group, say they are displeased with the act.

Laforet called it “one of the most undemocratic pieces of legislature [sic] in the past decades.”

“These proposed projects are unprecedented based on other world examples of offshore wind projects. Ontario has some of the weakest legislation when it comes to calculating the adverse effects of these projects that require environmental assessments, which the province wants to remove,” Laforet says.

One of the issues regards the Scarborough Bluffs, where the province andToronto Hydro have proposed projects for wind turbine systems. Ainslie says the bluffs are under provincial jurisdiction, so it’s already difficult to get much out of negotiations, especially with Toronto Hydro, which normally relays that information to residents.

“Toronto Hydro says it wants a public process. It wants feedback if residents want an anemometer for wind testing, not wind turbines. If the testing is successful, that will lead to an environmental assessment for wind turbines, which my residents don’t want,” said Ainslie. “But now the province is saying they want wind turbines in Scarborough, and if wind testing works, they can go straight to wind turbines and skip the environmental assessment..”

Ainslie said his residents get a bad rap in Toronto because the bluffs are in his ward as are most of the protesters against the turbines.

“We have to be transparent about this process. Residents are concerned about how the process works regarding all the development, and now the province comes out with this like-it-or-lump-it attitude.

Ainslie said he found it funny when energy minister George Smitherman said that the act is designed to stop NIMBYs like his residents when it didn’t really involve them. “I’ve always said we have residents who are for it, against it, but mostly those who don’t know much about what’s going on.”

Ainslie says some of the concerns his residents have expressed include effects on property values, migratory birds, monarch butterflies, bats, the aesthetics of the turbines and economics surrounding their building.

Laforet said he agrees with the councillor on the lack of awareness of the issues, stressing residents should read the bill because it will have a major impact on their ability to take part in decision-making.

I say with some certainty it should make for an interesting viewing experience. Tune in on Rogers Cable at 7pm.

Below is the Goldhawk blurb on tomorrow’s show.

Franz Hartmann, Executive Director, Toronto Environmental Alliance, Kristopher Stevens, Executive Director, Ontario Sustainable Energy Association, Jim Prall, University of Toronto and Community activist John Laforet.

Tune in on Wednesday February 25th at 7 PM and tell us what you think. Viewers are encouraged to call 416.446.7090 and express their opinions or ask the panel questions.

Goldhawk LIVE airs Monday thru Thursday at 7PM, exclusively on Rogers TV, Cable 10 in Toronto and 63 in Scarborough.

For complete broadcast details, please visit www.rogerstv.com

Want to challenge my facts? Call me names? Just read this first.

“He’s counting on the (Green Energy) act, of which few details have been released, to help create 50,000 jobs over the next three years and boost the amount of renewable energy feeding into the electricity grid to fight climate change.” McGuinty Vows to Stop Wind-Farm NIMBYists – Toronto Star February 11th 2009.

“Taking a swipe at those who oppose wind turbines off the Scarborough Bluffs, Premier Dalton McGuinty is signalling he won’t hesitate to foist “green” energy projects on communities across Ontario.” McGuinty Vows to Stop Wind-Farm NIMBYists – Toronto Star February 11th 2009.

OK – So the Premier took a shot at Scarborough, an area with six Liberal MPPS and three who represent the Scarborough Bluffs area.He forgets that Scarborough is the City’s pioneer in waste diversion and has fought harder to preserve the environment than anywhere else in the City. The Premier suggests his Green Energy Act will create 50 000 jobs by ending our democratic right to oppose bad government decisions and by stripping already non existent environmental controls. 

Basically the Toronto Hydro Energy Services project team, led by Joyce McLean, did such a horrible job at responding to community concerns they lost control of the project and needed McGuinty to step in and use his position to dismantle well established democratic freedoms for force the project through to create these 50 000 jobs so called ‘NIMBYists’ were holding up. 

Let’s look at the economics of the Toronto Hydro Energy Services plan and use facts from the Premier’s mouth, PACE Global Energy Services – an independent consultant on the proposed cancelled Long Island offshore wind farm, and Toronto Hydro Energy Services to figure out the economic impact. 

First though some background. PACE was hired to look at the economic feasibility of an offshore wind farm off of Long Island. They ultimately concluded it was an economic no go, but in the process provided a methodology for determining the cost of offshore wind in North America. They pointed out a few interesting facts like “GE is the likely supplier of these off-shore wind turbines, but no turbine supplier is well mobilized to provide offshore turbines to the North American market.” (Page 7, Assessment of Offshore Power Resources, August 2007)

“Pace Global reviewed the cost estimates provided by FPLE.  The cost of the wind farm alone is $5,231 per kW, while LIPA’s underwater cable and on-shore substation upgrade costs elevate the project’s costs to $5,634 per kW.” (Page 1, Assessment of Offshore Power Resources, August 2007)

Although the higher figure is probably more accurate, let’s use the lower figure to limit the room for folks who trash talk me to criticize me. — And let’s not forget the exchange rate. 

“On 18 Feb 2009, 5231 U.S. dollar(s) = 6,588.97 Canadian dollar(s), at an exchange rate of 1.2596″ Bank of Canada Exchange Rate Calculator

“The goal, says Toronto Hydro chief executive Dave O’Brien, is to establish a 60-turbine offshore wind farm capable of generating 100 megawatts.” Hydro eyes new wind farm on Bluffs – Toronto Star June 25th 2008

There are 1000 kilowatts in a megawatt. There are 100 megawatts of capacity being proposed for this project putting the cost, conservatively at $658 897 000. That’s right. $660 Million dollars. 

How many jobs does Toronto Hydro Energy Services think this will create? 200 short term jobs.  

“Short-term employment of an estimated 200 construction jobs and long-term employment of skilled operators and maintainers.” Research Anemometer In Lake Ontario: Toronto Hydro Energy Services Oct 2008

Thats nearly $3.3 million per short term job created.

To create 50 000 jobs as the Premier would like to by ‘forcing’ communities to install poorly thought out wind projects like this, the Premier would have to spend $164 724 250 000. Yup. Over a $164 billion dollars. 

So now someone is going to say ‘but the pay back, but the pay back’. Let’s pretend for a minute that the same folks who messed up with the Exhibition turbine (and who are running this project) don’t fail as badly as last time. Let’s pretend that instead of their pathetic 12% five year average output capacity they can match the 18% output capacity of the Pickering turbine. We’ll not use this opportunity to mention that these projects are bookends to the proposed offshore site, and that virtually all research indicates there isn’t adequate wind to meet the minimum viability thresholds or that neither of these will even pay back the original investment over twenty years. 

At a twenty year (the length turbines last before needing to be replaced) output average of 18% (remember this is the highest output data we have for a project near this site), even before we factored in the cost of interest or maintenance the project would lose $309 478 120. That’s right, $310 Million. (This is based on the 11.08 cents per kWh rate Ontario buy’s wind power at.)

Wouldn’t it be smarter to do a full environmental review, to follow international standards for nature conservation and turbine siting, to consider all available data and save ourselves $310 million that can probably be better used doing virtually anything else? Call me NIMBY all you want, but if you think blowing $310 million bucks and doing untold damage to the environment because you were in such a rush to install a project without scientific or economic merit is a good idea, you’re not an environmentalist, you’re an idiot. 

Once Again, I gladly invite Joyce McLean or anyone else at the Toronto Hydro Energy Services team to respond to any of the claims I’ve made here. This is a standing offer that has been in place for weeks now. 
 

Yesterday morning I was on AM 920 – a local radio station that serves Bruce, Grey Huron, Perth and Wellington counties speaking about the Green Energy Act and wind power in Ontario. I have to say there was not a single call during the 45 minute segment from anyone in favour of McGuinty’s legislation or the concept of forcing power projects on communities. Midwestern Ontario has seen more than it’s fair share of wind energy projects go through, some with great opposition locally. There are Liberal MPP’s who hold seats in these areas, who should feel uncomfortable with the proposed Green Energy Act as their constituents believe  in their democratic rights and that local planning decisions are best left to local communities.

The ill-advised speech McGuinty gave in London over a week ago has dominated provincial news and kept the Province’s handling of the economy off the front burner for a while. Perhaps that is in large part the purpose of the fight McGuinty and Smitherman decided to pick. They’ve attacked a fundamental democratic principle – the right of dissent. We need to have a society where virtually anyone is free to question government and challenge corporations. That is how we ensure transparency between the two.

About two days after his attack on Ontarian’s democratic rights, Premier McGuinty instructed the Press Gallery that from now on he expects them to keep a distance of five feet from him. Political Scientists are musing this has to do with optics. It is thought that if the press are five feet back the cameras will not be catching him looking cornered by reporters asking economic questions that there just aren’t answers to (this part isn’t his fault).

Yesterday the legislature resumed and MPPs returned from the Christmas holidays for their first non emergency day of sitting since mid December. What was on the order paper? Bill 141 – an act respecting regulations for private cosmetic surgery clinics. The budget is going to be postponed until the second half (read end) of March, from it’s previously scheduled March 7th date and the Premier was no where to be found for Question Period.

He had conveniently scheduled a media event with the Prime Minister in Etobicoke Lakeshore to announce a joint investment in the Go Transit system. I’m all for Go Transit (you could even say I’m YIMBY on this topic) – in fact Guildwood has an excellent Go Transit/VIA station that I often make use of. But I also believe there is more at work here.

Consider this – a normally reasonable Premier, attacks Scarborough, while giving a speech in London and dismisses it’s legitimate concerns and promises to pass legislation that will ‘force’ communities to take renewable energy projects by stripping local municipalities of planning powers and denying residents a voice at the table. Then he asks reporters to observe an out-of-the-blue request for space that appears to have only become a problem after 12 years being scrummed as Opposition Leader and as Premier, then delays his budget by two weeks and skips the first Question Period since the legislature has returned from holidays.

I suspect all of this has more to do with the nearly 75 000 high paying jobs Ontario lost in the last month and considerably less to do with Renewable Energy, breathing space, Go Transit or legitimate budget delays. What the government needs to recognize though is – they can score a cheap shot off the backs of residents with valid concerns by trampling our democratic rights, but doing so will be a defining moment in Premier McGuinty’s Premiership. Not only is an attack on the fundamental rights of Ontarian’s a really bad idea at any point, but to do so during an economic crisis that seems to get worse with the day and when that should be the Premier’s only focus – is unforgiveable. Try convincing a laid off worker in Oshawa that picking a fight with the good people of Scarborough and ramming through anti-democratic legislation somehow helps them when they’re trying to pay their mortgage on the 55% of their former salary that EI benefits provide. Try convincing someone in Guildwood who needs to worry about the shape their pension fund  or RRSP is in with all the hits the market has taken that attacking their right of dissent at a moment like this is the most important thing on your agenda. Good Luck.

Is there seriously a single person remotely involved in politics that believes the groups in place across Ontario the Premier and his Deputy are so intent on dismissing and attacking all at once – couldn’t or wouldn’t ‘re-tool’ for the next election and punish those who took away their rights? Perhaps there would not be a push in this direction had the Premier not lashed out at those who oppose his poorly thought out green energy strategy. Now – he risks galvanizing that anger and costing a number of good Liberal MPPs their day jobs. Is there a thinking person anywhere that thinks someone who sees the Premier to not be doing enough on the economy will understand why this side show fight he started was worth having?

The Premier needs to back away from this “NIMBY-ism” crap he made up.

If the Premier wants to get serious about Green Energy production in the province of Ontario and this current process isn’t just part of a dog and pony show designed to make the Premier look big and strong using Mike Harris’s playbook, than the Premier will get serious on the environment and develop some real standards for wind production in Ontario.

We need to follow international standards found virtually everywhere else in the world.

The British Columbia offshore wind project has to go through a Federal, Provincial and Haida environmental assessment – all of which are separate. European offshore projects go through full environmental assessments too, as do the offshore projects in the United States.  Consider that none of these projects are in fresh water, and the proposed offshore project in Scarborough will stir up sediment and cause unknown impacts on Toronto’s drinking water (45% of which is collected down current and well within range of the project site). Here the best we get is a ‘proponent driven, self assessment’.

All projects of this size are a minimum of 5 kilometres offshore because half a dozen European countries recognize this is the minimum amount of space required for ‘nature conservation’ on shore. The average project is 12 kilometres offshore in recognition of this.

Ontario wind energy projects should also commit to following internationally recognized setbacks on land, and minimum wind viability thresholds to ensure future projects are properly sited and viable.

It is pretty clear to me that the Green Energy Act has literally nothing to do with the environment or energy production and very little to do with tangible job creation. It is part of a communications strategy that will give the Premier the opportunity to try to point to some ‘good news’ items as he moves forward into what will undoubtedly be a dark economic time for Ontario.

I strongly call on Premier McGuinty and Minister Smitherman to rethink stomping on democratic rights of Ontario’s municipalities and citizens simply as part of a communications strategy and instead use the opportunity presented by their mentioning of a green energy act to set some standards to ensure Ontario’s wind projects at least make sense on paper before we throw billions of dollars at them.

No Ontarian can seriously oppose a full environmental assessment on the impact of such a massive structure. If the Premier wanted to show leadership – he would demand we preserve nature and he would defend the democratic right to dissent from government. His inability to do so should send a chill through every activist’s spine – your cause could be the next one outlawed.

The Premier still has time to get is priorities straight and to walk away from the public policy disaster and aboutface to his well constructed image he is currently flirting with. Preserve nature, the environment and democratic principles – focus on the economy and leave this issue alone or vastly change your tact.

Supporters of wind projects are relying on the ‘NIMBY’ label to fire up their cronies and unleash abuse on opponents of wind projects without merit. We’re not going away, so they might as well stop it. They are the ones talking about property values and aesthetics – not the folks who are opposing the project. 

Consider the paid lobbyist response to my concerns expressed in an article “Énergies vertes Des citoyens laissés dans le doute” (Radio Canada, February 12 2009 – French)

“This is the case of John Laforet who believes that the current environmental assessment is inadequate, because it leaves little room for citizens. 

‘We will not let the laws deprive us of our right of expression.’ 

- John Laforet 

As residents of Guildwood, they continue to oppose the project because of concerns related to the protection of migratory routes for birds. Far from giving up, they promise to redouble their efforts to halt the project. 

- Franz Hartmann ”

Once again the Green lobby’s paid supporters are misrepresenting the arguments so that they can create a divisive debate they can win. As the person who spoke on behalf of the community position for the article, where do you see me making a single claim about aesthetics? No where. I never have. My concerns are with the lack of environmental assessment, the lack of process to protect the environment and a disregard for international standards. But for a guy who is supposed to care about the environment (Franz Hartmann) it’s easier to ‘make believe’ the other side’s argument and respond to that claim instead of actually standing up to protect the environment. 

And then there is Joyce McLean – who the Toronto Sun can confirm is still employed with Toronto Hydro Energy Services. McLean broke her two weeks of silence today to criticize me for ‘jumping the gun’ – using what may be the most ridiculous argument in her cache of silly arguments. 

I discuss democratic rights of opposition to government, a lack of environmental protection in place for wind projects and a lack of proven wind off the Scarborough Bluffs. Joyce McLean’s response? I’m jumping the gun. They’re just testing the wind. Right. That’s why the Premier is doing McLean’s job for her in response to her utter failure to properly handle this project. 

She’s also plainly wrong on the Environmental Assessment. There is no legal requirement for an Environmental Assessment for any wind project. The legislation currently calls for Joyce McLean and friends to conduct a “proponent driven, self assessment” of environmental impacts, and when they agree there is no harm – they get to go ahead and do whatever damage they want. These guys are so incompetent they can’t even hold a proper community meeting with three tries or use Canada Post. With this knowledge is anyone seriously comfortable trusting them to conduct a proper wind study and to carry out a legitimate environmental screening that will call for a proper environmental assessment? 

Take a look at the article. It’s too much to post clips here because it is so very well done. Generating Controversy – Toronto Sun, February 16, 2009. 

We will stand and we will fight. The citizens of Ontario cannot allow their democratic freedoms to be compromised because our opposition to something the government wants is so strong it is the only way to stop us. Toronto Hydro Energy Services and the Government of Ontario need to know we will not go away, we will not sit down and we will fight tooth and nail, day in and day out until our rights are recognized and the environment is considered when building these things. 

McLean has demonstrated in past she does not have the courage to respond to comments posted here. She is still more than welcome to send me her response which will be posted unedited as a separate piece. 

http://laforet.ca/?p=398 Below are a series of quotes from various sources I have come across during my research. I will summarize at the bottom. 

“Naturally, in a democratic society, public acceptance is vital to the ultimate success of any initiative.” Sea Wind Europe – Greenpeace  

“Every wind farm will be required to seek some form of planning permission, and inherent in this process is affording the local community an opportunity to appraise and comment on a proposed development, or on a wider development plan for an area.” Sea Wind Europe – Greenpeace  

European Wind Energy Association On Public Participation in Wind Project Decisions:

“Public acceptance is key for the future development of wind energy in Europe.” European Wind Energy Association

Dalton McGuinty on Public Participation:

“Taking a swipe at those who oppose wind turbines off the Scarborough Bluffs, Premier Dalton McGuinty is signalling he won’t hesitate to foist “green” energy projects on communities across Ontario.” Toronto Star - McGuinty vows to stop wind-farm NIMBYs 

Bluewater Wind Power (Deleware Offshore Project) on Public Participation:

“We value open and continuing two-way communications. It is important to us that we know and understand each person’s concerns, questions and ideas. This understanding helps us to improve our responsiveness to the needs of the community, which in turn contributes to the success of our projects.” Bluewater Wind Values

NaiKun – BC Offshore Wind Project on Public Participation:

“NaiKun is committed to working with local communities to ensure that the project is designed and built in consideration of community interests.” NaiKun Community Consultation

Jim Gordon – President of Cape Wind (Cape Cod Wind Project):

“We at Cape Wind share our neighbors’ concerns for the environment—local, regional and global—and act accordingly. Our philosophy toward community relations is simple. Be honest and open, be a good neighbor, and safeguard our shared resources and environment.” Cape Wind – Being a Good Neighbour

Offshore Wind In General:

The Ontario Power Authority on Why Offshore Wind Isn’t In It’s 20 Year Power System Plan (June 2008):

“The Ontario Power Authority, the government agency that effectively determines which large power projects live or die, says offshore wind costs too much to be considered in its 20-year power system plan. It acknowledges that the technology provides more power than onshore projects, but not enough to justify the higher cost of building offshore wind farms.” (Toronto Star, June 30th 2008)

Earth Policy Institute on Scale of World Wide Offshore Wind Development (March 2008):

“Offshore wind capacity accounts for almost 1,170 megawatts worldwide, roughly 1.2 percent of the 94,100 megawatts of installed capacity at the end of 2007; while this is a small share of the total, it is up from less than 0.3 percent in 2000.” (Earth Policy Institute, March 4th 2008)

On Proper Siting of Wind Offshore Turbines: 

German Wind Energy Association On Balancing Nature Conservation With Offshore Wind (Undated – 2008/9):

“Mainly for nature conservation reasons, most German offshore parks will be erected up to 20-60 km away from the coastline and in 20-40 meters deep waters. So far, experience of building such wind farms is very limited, hence higher risk attached make financing from banks more complicated.” (German Wind Energy Association – Future Trends: Offshore)

Bluewater (Deleware Wind Farm Developer) on Siting Their Project:

“Bluewater Wind’s plan to site turbines more than 11.5 nautical miles from shore removes them from close proximity to bird population fly zones. Nonetheless, expert ornithologists will conduct thorough avian studies before, during and after construction of the Delaware wind park.” – www.bluewater.com

Cape Wind – North America’s First Offshore Wind Project:

“The wind park will be sited on Horseshoe Shoal off the coast of Cape Cod. Hyannis will be over five miles away—and most of the Cape beaches will be further away.” Cape Wind Project Siting

Nai Kun (British Columbia) Offshore Wind Turbine Project On Siting:

“It is here, several kilometers from the nearest shore that NaiKun has secured a 550 square kilometer permit area within which we plan to build the first phase of our wind project, a 396 MW offshore wind farm, and future phases.” Nai Kun Project Site

Greenpeace Europe on ‘Buffer Zone for Offshore Wind’

“The 5km boundary was to reflect a general move by some countries to impose a coastal buffer zone for very large offshore wind farms on visual grounds.” Sea Wind Europe – Greenpeace 

How Far Offshore Are Current 100 Megawatt Plus Wind Turbine Projects:

Denmark – Closest 5-15 KMs – Average 12 KMs (four projects)

Germany – Closest 100 KMs – Average 100 KMs (one project)

Netherlands – Closest 8-12 KMs – Average 16.5 KMs (two projects)

Sweden – Closest 10 KMs – Average 10 KMs (one project)

United Kingdom – Closest 7 KMs – Average 9 KMs (three projects)

Source: Offshore Wind Statistics January 2009 – European Wind Energy Association

Toronto Hydro’s Proposal – 2-4 KMs 

Source: Toronto Hydro Energy Services, Stakeholder Anemometer Briefing

On Environmental Assessments:

Cape Wind – North America’s First Offshore Wind Turbine Project On Environmental Assessments:

“Cape Wind is committed to protecting the Cape Cod environment during construction and when the wind park is operating. Prior to receiving permits for construction, Cape Wind will complete comprehensive environmental studies for federal, state and local agencies, and provide opportunity for public comment.” Cape Wind Environmental Studies

Nai Kun Wind Development (British Columbia) On Environmental Assessments:

“NaiKun is strongly committed to the Environmental Assessment process.  Through the process we intend to clearly identify any potential effects and propose appropriate avoidance and mitigation measures to ensure the project can proceed with no significant adverse effects.” Nai Kun Environmental Assessment [Nai Kun is subject to a Federal Environmental Assessment, a Provincial Environmental Assessment and a Haida Environmental Assessment]

Bluewater Wind on Environmental Assessments:

“We seek objective environmental reviews. Our experts conduct comprehensive scientific and environmental studies and analysis on all aspects of our wind park projects, and we welcome the input of all experts in the public discussion.” Bluewater Wind Values

Greenpeace On Environmental Assessments For Offshore Wind In Europe:

“It is noted that, when investigating a potential site, developers must consider in detail a wide range of constraints. Potential impacts, and their magnitude, are subject to in-depth assessment in both the Strategic Environmental Assessment and the Environmental Impact Assessment processes. The former is an assessment of government plans and policies carried out prior to their implementation, the latter an impact assessment carried out by a developer in support of an application for project consent.” Sea Wind Europe – Greenpeace 

Dalton McGuinty’s Position On Wind:

Dalton McGuinty wants Ontario to be the only jurisdiction to install offshore wind projects without community acceptance and a process that allows for community participation in decision making.

Dalton McGuinty wants Ontario to place large offshore wind projects closer to shore than any other jurisdiction in the world.

Ontario is the only jurisdiction in the world that does not require an environmental assessment before construction of an offshore wind project. (The closest is a “proponent driven, self-assessment process”).

Dalton McGuinty supports a project that ignores the Ontario Power Authority’s 20 year power system plan and all available data on wind viability off the Scarborough Bluffs. The Canada Wind Atlas, the Helimax Report his Government commissioned, and the two waterfront turbines that act as book ends to the location (both failures). 

Dalton McGuinty believes you’re NIMBY if you agree with Greenpeace Europe, the European Wind Energy Association, the German Wind Energy Association, Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Deleware, Massachusetts or British Columbia all of whom support minimum setbacks from shore at least 60% farther than the Toronto Hydro Energy Service proposal. 

Dalton McGuinty believes you’re NIMBY if you agree with The Ontario Power Authority, Helimax, the Canada Wind Atlas or the evidence from the Pickering Wind Generating Station and The Exhibition Wind Turbine data that suggest Toronto Hydro Energy Services project would not be feasible. 

Dalton McGuinty believes you’re NIMBY if you want his government and his friends at Toronto Hydro Energy Services to carry out an environmental assessment like virtually all other offshore wind projects of this size in the world. 

Dalton McGuinty believes you’re NIMBY if you expect Toronto Hydro Energy Services not to knowingly lie to the community, to hold a fair, open and honest consultation process and consider the community’s concerns instead of defending their project.

In truth – Dalton McGuinty doesn’t have an answer for why his government doesn’t have minimum setbacks, doesn’t require environmental assessments and why they refuse to accept science and instead of doing something about that – he bows to pressure from the wind industry and uses the politics of divison to create conflict among citizens in his Province. 

Dalton McGuinty is wrong. He should be ashamed of himself and he should apologize to Guildwood residents for wrongfully singling them out in a poorly thought out speech in London. Our concerns are environmental and it would be great if the Premier could join Guildwood residents in taking the environment seriously. 

Below is the text which I have translated using Google’s translation tool. Please take a look. Note how unrelated Hartmann’s response is to my concerns. It’s a typical response folks with legitimate concerns can expect to receive from a man whose employment requires him to support wind power projects in Ontario.

 Original Text Follows:

Green energy Citizens left in doubt 

The next filing of the draft law on renewable energy because of the concern. But Premier Dalton McGuinty says that to stop the wind farm projects in development in his province will require arguments hinged solely on the basis of safety and environmental protection. The Premier wants to end what he calls the “syndrome of not-in-my-backyard”. 

Scarborough citizens who campaign against the construction of wind turbines on Lake Ontario have been bitten by the keen he said. This is the case of John Laforet who believes that the current environmental assessment is inadequate, because it leaves little room for citizens. 

The province will soon introduce his bill on renewable energy. It will then compromise chosen to simplify the environmental impact studies, while considering the concerns of communities.

Source: Radio Canada