New wind farm coming to central P.E.I. in partnership with Lennox Island
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KINKORA, P.E.I. — A brand new wind farm will quickly be coming to central P.E.I.
The undertaking is a partnership between Lennox Island First Nation and Pure Forces – an influence producer that companions with native communities on renewable vitality tasks.
“That is actually vital to us. We really feel like it’s a big step within the path of reconciliation for the Indigenous folks in Prince Edward Island, ” mentioned Drew Bernard, vitality lead for Lennox Island First Nation.
“We have to do something that we are able to to advance ourselves as a folks and we actually really feel that doing large tasks like this may accomplish that a lot for us economically, but in addition for the province.”
The neighborhood has labored with Pure Forces earlier than, particularly on an vitality alternative evaluation to have a look at Lennox Island’s belongings and the methods they may make the most of renewable vitality.
In 2021, the evaluation was accomplished, and the 2 teams continued to work collectively on the wind farm.
“Right here we’re, two years later, lastly with the ability to say that we now have a undertaking to stay up for,” mentioned Bernard.
Positioned simply south of Middleton and southwest of Kinkora, the wind farm will include three generators. As of late August, Pure Forces had not chosen the turbine mannequin. Relying on which it chooses, the generators will energy between 12 and 18 megawatts of vitality.
It’s going to produce sufficient vitality to energy round 4,000 native houses.
Amy Pellerin, director of developments with Pure Forces, mentioned the placement was chosen because of the proximity to the grid, distance from houses and distance from protected areas.
The corporate was within the midst of its environmental research and had been since that spring. It plans to submit the environmental evaluation later in 2023, she saId.
“We have now a meteorological tower that’s been put in for a short while now, because the spring,” mentioned Pellerin. “After which we now have some radar methods which are monitoring birds proper now, however that is it.”
Along with the knowledge session Pure Forces held in Kinkora on Aug. 23, Lennox Island First Nation held a session of their very own in July.
Suggestions had been constructive, mentioned Bernard.
“Individuals are enthusiastic about having such a giant undertaking taking place and at last having some Lennox Island generators up,” mentioned Bernard.
“I might say about 10 to fifteen years in the past, we truly had a meteorological tower up in Lennox Island. As just a little boy, I mentioned, ‘Ah, I wish to see a wind turbine sometime with the Lennox Island emblem caught on it. And right here we’re, 15 years later.”
Work on the positioning is predicted to start in late 2024, with the generators up and operating by the top of 2025.
Kristin Gardiner is a reporter with SaltWire in Prince Edward Island. She may be reached by e mail at [email protected] and adopted on X @KristinGardiner.
