Contravening their own recent Green Energy legislation, new requirements stipulating that wind towers be 550 metres from residences and 120 metres from roads and railways are threatening many projects ready to go and causing others to be re-evaluated. I am in full agreement that some regulation is required, but my preference is that new wind farms and wind lines be built close to civilization, to roads, railways and existing transmission lines. As a longtime proponent of the "wind line" concept (rectangular land is not required, just a windy right-of-way"), the idea that all of our turbines need to be at this distance is absurd.
Let's get closer to reality:
Under 1 megawatt - 75 metres
50 meters is the standard minimum distance housing is from major highways; machines at this output are already quiet. An additional requirement be the wind towers be a minimum of their height plus 15 metres from property lines. For example, a 65 metre tower would have to be 80 metres rather than 75 metres away.
Under 2 megawatts - 150 metres
Allows for graduation of wind farm away from populated areas.
Up to 3.5 megawatts - 300 metres
Technology is improving and these machines get quieter and quieter.
Over 3.5 megawatts per turbine - 400 metres
Who knows what the future brings? Still, the experimenting with larger turbines must take place at least 1/4 mile from existing housing.
A graduated set of rules like this would be more complex but would be fairer and more realistic. Humans will be using the energy so we shouldn't be afriad of looking at (and, I know, listening to...) this beautiful, elegant and timeless way of harnessing clean power.
Regarding roads and railways, a more precise way of ensuring safety would consider the height of the tower. rather than setting an arbitrary rule of 120 metres, again a graduated approach may make more sense. All wind turbine towers must be a minimum of 60 metres from roads and railways, or a total distance equalling the height of the tower plus 20 metres. this way, a 35 metre tower could be 60 metres (proposed minimum) from a road or railway, but a 65 metre tower would have to be 85 metres from transportation hazards.
These are just ideas and I truly hope informed minds can shed some light on how Ontario can use experiences from nations with more windpower projects, and that a consensus will emerge. The confrontational approach has its moments, but wind energy development in Ontario is on the verge of becoming a multi-billion dollar industry, and revised, more progressive provincial legislation will still leave room for additional interpretation at the municipal and regional level.
Dozens of projects, billions in investment at risk, energy group says
New Turbine Regulations Threaten Onatrio Wind Power Projects
TYLER HAMILTON
ENERGY REPORTER
A majority of "construction ready" wind projects in Ontario won't go forward if the province passes regulations that keep wind turbines a minimum distance from residences, roads and railway lines, warns Canada's wind energy association.
Association president Robert Hornung, in a lengthy letter to Environment Minister John Gerretsen, said more than three-quarters of 103 advanced-stage wind projects will likely be affected if the new rules are enacted.
"The net effect is that 79 construction-ready projects representing 2,591 megawatts would either be rendered immediately non-viable or would require a complete `back to the drawing board' redesign," wrote Hornung.
The Canadian Wind Energy Association is concerned specifically about two proposed rules, one that would require turbines to be a minimum of 550 metres away from residences, and the other requiring turbines to be 120 metres or more away from roads, railway lines, and property lot lines.
Both rules were designed to satisfy health and safety concerns while creating a provincial standard that replaces a patchwork of municipal bylaws. Wind turbines emit noise, and some rural residents have complained that the massive machines are disrupting sleep and making people sick.
After surveying 25 wind developers in the province to assess the impact of the proposed rules, the wind association found that hundreds of wind turbines sited under current plans would automatically be in breach of the new regulations, putting dozens of projects and billions of dollars of investment at risk.
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