Protect prime farmland, no contracts for non-compliant wind farm operators WCO tells IESO

Protection of prime farmland for food is as important to rural communities as Greenbelt land is to urban residents, Wind Concerns Ontario says [Shutterstock image]

In advance of its next Request for Proposals, the Independent Electricity System Operator or IESO accepted comments from Ontario citizens, municipalities, community groups and other stakeholders.

The next round of proposals will begin in 2024, and is aimed at attracting 2,000 megawatts of new power generation. Projects may be for generation from wind, solar, hydro or biomass.

Wind Concerns Ontario participated in the engagement process, filing two comment documents: one was for general comments on the procurement process and the wind power situation in Ontario, while a second comprised a detailed analysis and critique of the revenue plan proposed.

“We remain concerned about the Request For Proposals process as was carried out last year, and as proposed to be launched in a few weeks. On the advice of several advisors, many of whom are professionals in energy, economics and engineering, our position is that there should be no new contracts for wind power projects until the very serious problems with the existing projects are corrected. That includes setbacks from residences, noise limits, and more,” Wind Concerns Ontario wrote, introducing its general comment document.