It turns out the decisions by Mapleton Township and Wellington County councils not to partake in the consultation process for a proposed wind energy project southwest of Arthur could mean nothing at all.
In fact, NextEra Energy’s 10-turbine application was accepted as complete under the Renewable Energy Approval (REA) process on Feb. 15 – nine days before the county even decided to forego the process. Mapleton council passed its resolution to the same effect on Jan. 11.
While the ramifications of the decisions of Mapleton and the county are unclear, NextEra officials believe the decisions will not affect or delay their project at all.
“I don’t think so,” spokesperson Josie Hernandez said at a public meeting held on March 18 to explain several changes to the project layout.
NextEra consultant Derek Dudek said the company is trying to meet with county and Mapleton officials to discuss “technical issues associated with the project,” but he seemed confident the moves by the upper and lower tier municipalities will not affect the final outcome.
“No, because the MOE accepted our application as complete,” Dudek said.
Last May, Perth-Wellington MPP John Wilkinson, now the Minister of the Environment, made a specific assurance to Mapleton council and residents that this exact scenario would not occur.
One resident at the May 11 meeting asked if there was anything the township could do to stop wind farms if the proponents have otherwise met all the government’s criteria.
Wilkinson replied companies must obtain the signature of the township for the application to be complete.
“If the application is not complete, the project will not proceed,” he said.
When reached for comment on Tuesday, Wilkinson seemed to refute that statement.
“What I said was the municipality has to be consulted,” Wilkinson said. “We will say no unless they are given their say.”
When asked how the NextEra application could be deemed complete by his ministry before Wellington County even decided whether or not it was taking part, Wilkinson said the upper and lower tier municipalities were given ample time to comment and fill out the municipal consultation form. He noted the MOE never received a request from the county for more time.
However, he stressed the letter from county lawyer Peter Pickfield outlining the county’s concerns with wind energy projects – and specifically the NextEra application – will “absolutely” be considered during the decision making process for the NextEra project.
Wilkinson noted the township and county have every right to choose not to fill out the consultation forms and he appreciated the Pickfield letter, which outlines the county’s reasons for doing so.
Hernandez agreed it is up to the township and county to make those decisions if they wish.
“We have given them every possibility for communication,” she said, adding talks with both parties will continue.
“We still need to know what their concerns are about the project,” Hernandez said, mentioning meetings will be arranged with Mapleton and county officials. Present at those meetings to answer specific questions will be NextEra’s construction manager, design engineer, and operations manager.
“The communication doesn’t stop because the MOE has our reports,” Hernandez told the Advertiser. “Our goal is to continue to work with the county and township.”
Wilkinson also stressed the importance of ongoing input from the public and municipalities, even though his ministry will decide which projects are approved, denied or approved with conditions.
“It’s the province that makes the final decision,” he said. “We’re the only level of government that can enforce our conditions … But just because we have the final say doesn’t mean that we don’t want to hear from the public or from municipalities.
“It’s up to the proponent to do that and then there’s another opportunity right now [the upcoming 60-day Environmental Bill of Rights commenting period] where both municipalities and the public are going to be able to share with us what their concerns are.”
NextEra project manager Nicole Geneau told Mapleton council on Tuesday afternoon the company planned the next day to file an amendment to its application that would include feedback received during a March 18 public meeting on proposed changes to its layout.
Once that amendment is received and processed, the EBR registry will accept comments on the NextEra project for 60 days. Anyone wanting to comment can check the MOE environmental registry at www.ebr.gov.on.ca and use the reference number 011-2606. Comments can also be provided by phone at 416-326-6089 or toll free at 800-461-6290 and by fax at 416-314-8452.
Hernandez said if the project is approved by the MOE, NextEra plans on having the Mapleton wind farm operational by the end of this year, with construction beginning in late summer or the fall.
For more information on the Conestogo Wind Energy Centre proposal, including various reports filed by NextEra, visit CanadianWindProposals.com.
