A steady crowd of people attended last Thursday’s Skyway 124 Wind Farm public meeting at the Singhampton Hall, and just as many, it appeared, left still feeling unsettled about the proposal to build three Industrial Wind Turbines along the 11th Concession of Nottawasaga (or Blind Line, as it’s known), east of County Road 124.
Contrary to Skyway 124’s first public meeting, held in Creemore in late December, 2011, this meeting did feature a map marking the locations of the three proposed turbines and one associated substation.
According to John Nicholson, president of Environmental Business Consultants, the consulting firm that’s guiding Skyway through the Renewable Energy Approval process, the reason for the lack of a map at the last meeting, and also for the fact that the project has been downsized from five turbines to three in the months since, is that shortly before the December meeting, a new building permit was discovered within the mandated 550-metre setback allowance of two of the turbines.
As a result, what was proposed to be a 10 MW project has now become a 7.5 MW project. According to the project’s draft description, heights and makes of turbines are yet to be determined. The units being considered range in height from 139.5 metres to 150 metres.
According to Nicholson, Skyway hopes to have its draft REA reports done sometime this spring. That will trigger a 60-day Public Review and Comment Period, which will conclude with a third public meeting. Following that, the company hopes to make its formal REA application this summer. An approval, if it comes, can be expected six months after submission, putting Skyway 124 on schedule for a 2013 construction date.
The project’s draft description report can be read here.