Representatives of the Oppose Belwood Wind Farm Action Group (OBWF) and other opponents of wind farm construction will converge on Queens Park next Wednesday to rally against the Green Energy Act and “the destruction of quality of life through the installation of massive industrial wind turbines in rural agricultural communities.”

The OBWF said in a press release that it expects to be joined by like-minded community groups from over 50 Ontario municipalities.

Its immediate, local concern is a proposal by Invenergy Wind Canada ULC, owned by Chicagobased Invenergy LLC, to develop a wind farm with 25 to 35 turbine locations in an area that includes parts of Centre Wellington and East Garafraxa townships.

“The impact of these wind turbine projects on human and animal health and their potential effect on wildlife, including birds and bats, are still not well understood,” the OBWF release said. “There are no adequate, independent studies to determine why some people living near industrial wind turbines are getting ill and are often forced to move.

“The Ontario government must do its duty to protect its citizens and ensure that proper research on health is done first before more industrial wind installations are built.”

Meanwhile, the Canadian Wind Energy Association (CanWEA) has tried to clarify what it sees as misconceptions about wind turbine power generation, and Dufferin- Caledon MPP Sylvia Jones has presented a private member’s bill that would amend the Municipal Planning Act to restore what she sees as a loss of municipal power in the Green Energy Act.

She, and other Conservative MPPs, are concerned that changes in the Act have exempted renewable energy undertakings from the normal application of the Planning Act, including policy statements, provincial plans, official plans, zoning by-laws and development permit regulations and by-laws.

“Municipalities know what works best for them,” said Ms. Jones. “The planning process is not new. Municipal planning has worked well in the past, and if given the opportunity can work well in the future. The voices of our communities and concerned Ontarians should not be shut down.”

In a press release, OBWF said that despite the government’s initiative to introduce wind farms across the province, wind energy is an ineffective strategy for achieving carbon emission reductions in the fight against global warming.

“Wind generates power only intermittently, and every megawatt of installed wind or solar power must be backed up by an equivalent megawatt of nuclear, coal, natural gas, or hydroelectric generating capacity.”

CanWEA has replied that, while wind power is intermittent and wind energy must be implemented in conjunction with other forms of electricity generation, North American studies on wind integration have consistently shown that the backup capacity need only be equivalent to 10 per cent of the wind energy capacity.

“Until you get to much higher levels of wind penetration in the electricity grid than we currently have in North America, this back-up capacity can be provided by the reserves we already have within the electricity grid to deal with potential shutdowns, repairs and maintenance of conventional generating stations.”

CanWEA also disputes Ms. Jones’ contention that municipalities are being left out of the loop on wind farm construction.

“CanWEA believes that it is extremely important for wind energy project developers to actively engage and consult with municipal governments when developing wind energy projects,” it said in a press release, “and to seek to understand and respond to any questions or concerns they have.”

An example would be open houses staged by Invenergy in Belwood and Marsville to explain its proposed project.

CanWEA also says the Green Energy Act provides a number of opportunities for municipal governments to participate in the renewable energy project approval process.

For those wishing to make the trip to Toronto on April 28, round trip bus tickets can be purchased for $25 at locations in Belwood, Fergus, Ennotville, Arthur and Grand Valley as well as from OBWF’s Cathie Keeler, 9021 Erin/East Garafraxa Townline.