Forgive me if you find some conflicting data from post to posts. My intention is to provide food for thought, and as I learn new things, I may link it in or reference it, but not go back to earlier posts and make corrections. Thank you and enjoy.

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Community Energy

I attended the community energy presentation in Dalhousie last night.

There were 20 people in attendence.

Three from NB Power as support for questions and answers concerning the NB Power involvement.

One person from Department of Environment. Again for support in case your wind power site involves a river crossing or may endanger a wild bird or rare plants.

Three government employees who are to act as liasons for anyone interested in trying to make money off this deal.

The main presenter was Carl Brothers, who I beleive ran the wind test site on PEI for 25 years. He is quite knowledgable in wind power. His current company is Frontier Power Systems.

If I counted right, there were three other government employees in attendance.

I didn't see Jack Kier. Unless he snuck in and never said anything.

The hotel owner came down to listen.

One representative of the Papineau First Nation was in attendence and asking some good questions.

So, besides me, that left 5 other people there to see what it was all about.

All in all, in was a good presentation. Some of the material I had seen before. NB Power does have a really good reference document on their site if you wish to get into the power generating business.

If you are approached to have a wind tower put on your property, it certainly seems that you will be looked after in terms of sound and visual "flicker". Seems you can ask for several thousand dollars per year for leasing out your land.

The theme seemed to involve only the big wind turbines though. The 1.5 to 3 MW kind. These are over 400 feet tall, and involves cranes that will cost tens of thousands of dollars per day to rent.
Summerside was used as an example for a typical installation. They spent $28 million to install four turbines that will produce 12 MW. The economics didn't seem that attractive, but they did get $21 in various government funding that may it work quite well.

Nedless to say, anyone wishing to get into this venture, will need several millions just to take a look.

If you want to see who all is serious, check out the government website in May. Your request for Expression of Interest will be posted for all to see.

http://www.gnb.ca/0085/Community/Index-e.asp
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1 comment:

  1. AnonymousMarch 10, 2010 at 1:22 AM

    I don't think it takes a Ph.D. in energy economics to realize that this form of energy
    development has great potential for New Brunswick as a whole, but that the context
    for renewable energy development is a sham.
    The present MOU to sell and transfer de facto control over the majority of NB Power generating and transmission assets does not leave a lot of room for renewable energy projects. Communities, cooperative and First Nations are now asked to be innovators in a
    energy policy selloff/policy vacuum. I'm surprised the hotelowner bothered to come and hear the government propaganda given the way
    the present government has isolated Dalhousie in this energy debate. I'm all for a meaningful
    renewable energy policy that benefits New Brunswickers, not a sideshow to distract citizens from the realpolitiks of NB Power.

    ReplyDelete

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