Better Plan, Wisconsin

From Ontario

NO MORE TURBINES IN ONTARIO: FARMERS

By Vicki Gough 

Via www.nugget.ca

January 22, 2012

Ontario's largest rural voice is blowing back on industrial wind turbine development.

The Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) released a position paper Friday calling for a moratorium on any further construction of the energy-generating giants emerging across the land-scape.

We are hearing very clearly from our members that the wind turbine situation is coming to a head -- seriously dividing rural communities and even jeopardizing farm succession planning," said OFA president Mark Wales.

The OFA's new position statement addresses concern over the price paid for wind power, inefficiencies and a lack of storage capabilities for use during times of peak demand.

Setback issues, health and nuisance issues, and the removal of municipal input from industrial wind turbine projects round out the anxieties.

I support what they're doing," Kent Federation of Agriculture president Louis Roesch told The Chatham Daily News Friday.

However, the owner of Roesch Meats and More, near Kent Bridge, added: We have not had that much of a problem in this area."

Not everybody is 100% satisfied, Roesch said, but everybody seemed to be able to come together with some kind of a conclusion that they're happy with, other than the one in Thamesville."

Chatham-Kent-Essex MPP Rick Nicholls told The Daily News he's pleased to learn of the OFA's stance.

These wind turbines are not efficient," Nicholls said, adding they are wasting taxpayers money."

Chatham-Kent is slated to become home to over 400 wind turbines by 2013.

Nicholls said each one generates $7,200 in taxes for the municipality, but few jobs.

The Ontario government has paid $1.8 billion over the past six years to Quebec and the U.S. as we are forced to export our excess power," Nicholls said.

Ontarians have paid 16.2 cents per kilowatt hour to produce that power, according to Nicholls.

The MPP added that wind turbines are only 28% efficient, and the wind blows the strongest at night when extra power is not needed and can't be stored.

Nicholls said farmers are getting huge signing bonuses, plus $12,000 a year for every wind turbine leased on their property for 25 years.

Yet there are about 90 municipalities that don't want them, Nicholls claimed.

We believe the Green Energy Act needs to be amended," Nicholls said.

The OFA will present its position statement to the government later this month.