Canada – Further wind energy projects

In Canada plans for another wind energy project were announced last week, the second in a week. The new development will be built in Norway, not far from the North Cape wind farm in western P.E.I. Toronto-based Ventus Energy is behind the $18-million project. It set up some equipment in the area earlier this year to ascertain how much wind is available. CEO John Douglas has been meeting with residents interested in leasing their land to Ventus. Lobster fisherman Earl McGrath has been offered two per cent of the royalties from a wind turbine the company wants to install on his land. That translates to around $3,000 per year for the turbine.

"What I was doing in farming, I wasn't making any amount of money at it. I got into fishing. But this is another source of income from the land." Ventus wants to build a nine megawatt project, which would see six turbines on about 120 hectares acres of land. "I think initially we were here because it's a good wind regime. We're also, in this particular area because, as you can see, there's tremendous community support here. People are embracing wind power. They're not trying to chase it away," Douglas said. Douglas said construction could begin this fall, with the turbines up and running by next spring.