More power to expanding on benefits
It’s encouraging to know that Nova Scotia is taking a positive approach to developing wind energy in comparison to other areas of Canada. No doubt the pattern of having communities involved will not only bring more people on board with projects but will result in other benefits.
A recent study published in the Journal of Environmental Policy and Planning compared development of wind energy in southwestern Ontario, which has seen its share of strong opposition, and Nova Scotia. The authors of the study, Chad Walker and Jamie Baxter with Western University’s department of geography, found that involving nearby residents and seeing that they benefit helps muster support.
Ontario’s Green Energy Act, according to the report, limits community involvement in the planning stages, resulting in more of a top-down, corporate-driven model.
Anyone who’s followed some of the protracted battles against wind projects in that province will hear complaints that developers – those reaping the benefits of construction – are sometimes international corporations. In areas of prime agriculture, it can pit farming neighbour against farming neighbour when one has agreed to provide the turf for wind development.
Nova Scotia, the study noted, has made an effort to support community-owned development and an approach that keeps economic benefits in the province. Community groups and municipalities have gotten behind projects.
There’s a niche here, and considering we’re going to be seeing a lot more green energy development in coming years, it’s one that needs to be explored thoroughly. As the study points out, earnings from wind-energy can, depending on the model, result in tax revenues for municipalities or contribute to community funds.
Another suggestion from the study is tax rebates in areas that host turbines. Indeed, incentives never hurt.
That said, we still need close attention paid to standards surrounding siting of projects. Required distances from dwellings has long been debated. We should expect a uniform minimum across the province that all residents find fair and unlikely to disturb enjoyment of their property or raise health concerns.
Beyond the benefits of community-sponsored projects, proponents of wind developments and other, smaller green-energy projects tout the advantages of having sources of energy generation more spread out. Yesteryear’s models were based on the economics of having fewer – resultantly larger – centralized stations, many of them fired by fossil fuels.
A failure in the grid when generation is centralized can mean some quite widespread outages.
We need to look at how a network of smaller generating stations, powered by wind, sun, tidal action, spread out around the province could enhance the reliability of the power grid.