A two-phase wind farm project has been endorsed by council for North Kent.
The project, by Samsung and Pattern Energy, will lead to a maximum of 90 new wind turbines being constructed in the former Dover and Chatham townships.
John Norton, the chief legal officer for Chatham-Kent, and Tomo Matesic, president of Entegrus Transmissions Inc., presented to council on Monday about the proposed project, which was being recommended by staff.
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Matesic said phase one of the project will be approximately 100 megawatts and consist of approximately 40 to 50 turbines.
A staff report said the turbines would be constructed on private land, and the design, specifications and layout are still under development.
The project will be subject to the Renewable Energy Approval process, a permitting process that evaluates projects for environmental, social and archaeological impacts, according to the staff report.
The second phase is dependent upon an award by the Ontario Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO.)
If it proceeds, it will also be of a size between 50 to 100 megawatts and between 20 and 40 turbines.
North Kent Coun. Joe Faas entered a successful motion for Chatham-Kent to move forward with both projects. Five people from the local agricultural community also provided deputations in support of the projects as well.
After completing the South Kent Wind project last March, Samsung and Pattern informed Chatham-Kent staff they were moving forward with the North Kent Wind project.
Norton said Samsung and Pattern offered up a number of community benefits with the projects.
“This is the best package Chatham-Kent has ever been offered by a renewable energy project,” Norton said.
One of the offers was to give the Municipality the option to purchase a “15% equity interest” in the North Kent Wind Projects, as an additional community benefit.
Council agreed to do this through Entegrus Inc.
Norton said another positive was a $4 million community contribution.
The potential property tax revenue from the project would be approximately $250,000 per year.
So $250,000 per year works out to just shy of $2800.00 per turbine per year if 90 are installed……how does a multi million dollar power generating station, a manufacturing facility if you will, pay less in property tax than I do? Everyone should ask this question, because it's Bs a plain and simple.
Let Chatham Kent be the 1st to require that all windmills provide stand alone hydro at the base of every unit ! In the event the system ever goes totally down we have something that works! Each tower needs to provide this for emergency reasons! Hopefully other can see the wisdom of this fore thought!
In my opinion ,
Robert Simpson