Officials with NextEra Energy say they will do all they can to address any concerns residents have about the company’s proposed 23 megawatt wind energy project southwest of Arthur.
“We’re committed to the communities we work in,” spokesman Josie Hernandez said last week.
Hernandez and NextEra project manager Nicole Geneau said there is still no answer to the number one question they receive: where the turbines will be located.
“We’re really close,” Geneau said, adding the turbine layout could be available by the end of July.
She explained NextEra has yet to decide how many turbines the project will entail; it could vary from 10 to 12, depending on the manufacturer chosen by the company.
Most of NextEra’s “environmental field work” has been completed, Geneau said.
The next step for NextEra, after completing its environmental studies, will be compiling all its reports into the Renewable Energy Approval Draft Report, which will be released for 60 days for public comment.
Geneau said company officials will then hold another public information session and meet with the township to discuss where turbine infrastructure will be located, and to get the municipality to sign off on the draft report.
Communication problem?
Both Geneau and Hernandez appeared surprised when informed Mapleton councillors have in the past expressed frustration with what they perceive as a lack of communication with NextEra officials.
“That’s good to know,” Hernandez said. She added company officials would like to visit more often, but that is difficult with their schedules.
Geneau said she maintains contact in writing with the township, but both agreed perhaps the company should schedule a meeting to discuss ongoing issues.
Meeting location
NextEra is aware the public meeting at the community centre in Moorefield last year was not held in the most ideal location, Geneau said when asked about the Dec. 2 meeting.
Given the project’s proximity to Arthur, it would make sense to host it in that village, she said – NextEra held its first meeting there in February 2007 – but the government dictates all public meetings be held in the municipality where the project is proposed.
“The next one will be in Drayton,” she pledged, noting the PMD arena was booked when NextEra tried to schedule the December meeting.
Name change
Another issue repeatedly brought up at Mapleton council is ?NextEra changed it name, which may add more confusion to an already difficult-to-understand process.
Hernandez said the decision to changes names from FPL Energy to NextEra Energy Resources, which occurred about 18 months ago, was made as part of “a new marketing scheme.” She said she understands the confusion but stressed the move had absolutely nothing to do with the company changing hands or any ulterior motives.
In fact, she said just three weeks ago the parent company, Florida Power and Light (FPL), adopted the name NextEra Energy Inc. to better reflect the company’s mandate.
Health issues
NextEra has more than 60 wind energy projects across the United States and Canada that produce over 6,300mW of electricity, so Hernandez says if there were any health problems as a result of those projects, company officials would certainly have heard about them by now.
“It’s never been an issue with us,” she said.
She added she cannot speak to alleged health problems experienced adjacent to wind farms constructed by other companies. But NextEra’s construction and development protocols make Hernandez “very confident” there will be no adverse health effects as a result of “infra-sound,” vibrations or stray voltage around the Mapleton project.
“Our collector lines are buried,” added Geneau.
Water concerns
Another major concern expressed by Mapleton area residents is a possible impact on groundwater or the local aquifer, Geneau said.
However, she explained engineering studies by Genivar, a construction firm headquartered in Markham, have shown the turbines will not adversely affect groundwater and the turbine bases are not deep enough to impact aquifers (they will be nine feet deep).
Compatible in Mapleton?
She understands the concerns expressed by residents, but Geneau said the height of the turbines – 80 metres to the hub – precludes any impact on local tree planting initiatives.
“I don’t see a conflict at all,” Geneau said, when asked about Trees for Mapleton and the county’s Green Legacy Program.
For more information visit nexteraenergyresources.com or canadianwindproposals.com.
