Appeal dismissed against 270MW wind energy project in Ontario

GODERICH, Ont.—Hiring is underway at the site of a 270-megawatt (MW) wind energy project in Ontario after an appeal was dismissed by a provincial regulator.

According to K2 Wind Ontario, construction of the K2 wind power project near Goderich, Ont., along the southeastern shores of Lake Huron is underway after the provincial Environmental Review Tribunal dismissed an appeal of the project’s approval.

Tribunal documents show the appeal was filed by Shawn and Tricia Drennan in August 2013 on the grounds the project would “cause serious harm to human health.”

The project will use 140 wind turbines built in the province to generate power.

“We conduct a great deal of preparation for our projects, working with the community to build the best project possible—and we’re pleased the tribunal agreed with that position,” Pattern Development CEO Mike Garland said in a statement.

“As the construction process begins, we’re looking to hire for hundreds of jobs at the K2 wind project, which will use 140 Ontario-made wind towers and turbine blades.”

The towers will be built in Tillsonburg, Ont., while the blades for the project will be manufactured in Windsor, Ont.

Initial construction is expected to start in the first quarter of 2014, with commercial operation anticipated in the second half of 2015.

The project will generate power equal to the needs of approximately 100,000 Ontario homes each year.

Power from the project will be sold to the Ontario Power Authority.

K2 Wind Ontario is a partnership between Capital Power LP, Samsung Renewable Energy Inc. and Pattern Energy Group LP.