LAKELAND - Just over a week after a local group known as Wind Concerns stopped by the County of St. Paul to speak with council about their concerns regarding a proposed wind turbine project in the Northern Valley area, the Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC) paused all approvals of new renewable electricity generation projects.
The announcement was made on Aug. 3. The pause, which has been put in place until February of 2024, will give the province time to “review policies and procedures for the development of renewable electricity generation,” according to information released by the provincial government.
“This approach will provide future renewable investments with the certainty and clarity required for long-term development,” said Nathan Neudorf, Minister of Affordability and Utilities, on Thursday.
“This approach is in direct response to a letter received from the AUC and concerns raised from municipalities and landowners related to responsible land use and the rapid pace of renewables development,” says information released by the Government of Alberta. “At the end of this process, future renewable projects will be able to move forward at a pace that is conducive to business while maintaining responsible environmental stewardship and preserving Alberta’s reliable electricity supply.”
The AUC says it has heard an increase in concerns being expressed by Albertans.
“Participants in our public hearings have increasingly raised concerns about the impacts and pace of renewable generation development,” said Carolyn Dahl Rees, chair, AUC.
The Rural Municipalities of Alberta (RMA) spoke in favour of the announcement. “RMA is pleased by this decision to develop a province-wide plan for how the industry can grow strategically and responsibly. Rural municipalities cover roughly 85 per cent of Alberta’s land and their voices must be included in the approval process for all renewable energy projects,” said Paul McLauchlin, president, RMA, last week.
“We look forward to working with the Government of Alberta to create an approval process that balances provincial and local perspectives and positions Alberta as a leader in responsible renewable energy development,” added McLauchlin.
The inquiry will review “the use of agricultural land and public land for wind and solar projects, land reclamation and the role of municipal governments in land selection for project development and review,” according to the Government of Alberta.
Albertans can still install renewable energy products in their homes and will be unaffected by the process.
Wind power in the County of St. Paul
Concerns being heard by AUC are also being heard locally, including at a recent County of St. Paul meeting on July 25 where council also discussed steps the municipality could potentially take, despite not having much say in the overall process.
An open house was held earlier this summer in Elk Point between area residents and Elemental Energy. The open house was part of the second of five phases in the project’s preliminary schedule, with wind data collection, environmental review and the beginning of impact studies being complete before the company submits its application to AUC.
The initial timeline, if approved, had Elemental Energy approaching the County of St. Paul and the County of Two Hills in early 2024, and detailed engineering taking place around the same time. As previously reported by Lakeland This Week, the fourth phase would see major equipment procurement and the beginning of construction originally scheduled for late 2024. Those timelines are likely now up in the air, due to the recent announcement to pause approvals.
As of Aug. 3, the AUC was in the process of reviewing 15 renewable, thermal and energy storage projects.
Mark Mallett and Chris Habiak from the group Wind Concerns, made a presentation to council during a regular meeting held on July 25 in council chambers.
Mallett said he moved to the area about a year ago with his family, settling in the Northern Valley area. Then, he heard about the proposed wind project being spearheaded by Elemental Energy. Wind Concerns believes there are sensitive wildlife in the area that need to be protected, such as the Whooping Crane.
The potential effects of a wind farm on property values were also noted as a concern shared by residents, along with both animal and human health concerns.
Later in the meeting, council discussed the information presented.
Gary Buchanan with the County’s Planning and Development department was on hand to speak to council about how other municipalities have handled wind farm projects. He noted that he gathered information from several other municipalities in Alberta that have formed bylaws.
He also noted that the Endangered Species Act is federal legislation that already exists to protect animals at risk, noting that if there are Whooping Cranes in the area, then they are already protected.
Buchanan says it sounds like some residents believe the County of St. Paul has more power than it truly does, regarding wind projects coming into the area.
“We’re not the decision makers,” affirmed Reeve Glen Ockerman.
Most of the discussion around what the County of St. Paul could do focused on setbacks that could be put in place around the placement of wind turbines.
Ockerman asked if the County would supersede any of the other governing bodies if setbacks were worked into its bylaws. While companies putting up the turbines may agree to the setbacks as a way to work with the community, the AUC could still decide otherwise, heard council. Ockerman questioned if adding setbacks into its bylaws would give residents “a false sense of security.”
The reeve said his bigger concern is around reclamation once a project is at its end-of-life. He pointed specifically to the amount of cement that is used for turbines, and also questioned how the turbine blades would be disposed of.
Ockerman asked if the County could control the reclamation process and ask for the removal of all cement as part of that process, adding, he would like to see 100 per cent reclamation.
Coun. Darrell Younghans agreed with Ockerman, noting that of all areas, reclamation of the land may be the one thing the County of St. Paul can control.
While both the AUC and Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) may supersede the rules the County puts in place, Coun. Kevin Wirsta said he was still in favour of putting bylaws in place because it shows that the municipality doesn’t always agree with AUC and AER. “You don’t have to accept it,” said Wirsta, speaking about the process in place.
A motion to table the discussion and bring the item back to a future meeting was carried.
