Wind farm developer gets OK from Queens to set up on Milton site

The Region of Queens approved the next step Tuesday for Mersey River Wind farm development in Milton. (Mersey River Wind)

Queens County residents got one step closer on Tuesday to buying their electricity from wind power.

Region of Queens councillors approved a development agreement to allow a large-scale wind farm to go ahead in Milton.

Halifax-based Roswall Development Inc., the owners of Mersey River Wind, plans to build 33 wind turbines on about 80 hectares of Crown land west of the Mersey River.

Roswall promises to sell power from the wind farm directly to consumers, bypassing Nova Scotia Power, under the name Renewall Energy. 

It will offer electricity to large customers on the South Shore first, and then to residential customers. 

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The company says its power rates would be lower than Nova Scotia Power’s. The project is expected to employ 100 people temporarily. It says it could employ up to 12 people full time after the farm is up and running.

David Howell is Roswall’s chief financial officer. He was at the council meeting on Tuesday.

“We will be delivering the electricity across Nova Sotia Power’s grid, paying for the use of the grid essentially. And people will have a choice, I hope, by the time we get to the end of 2025, to buy their power either from Nova Scotia Power or directly from our retail company.”

Roswall is the first in the province to be awarded a licence to sell power directly to consumers under the Renewable to Retail program introduced by the provincial government in 2015.

Under the municipality’s land use bylaw, large-scale wind farms are not automatically allowed in the area as it’s currently zoned. So the company had to apply for a separate agreement with the municipality. 

As part of that process, the municipality held a public hearing on Tuesday morning before its regular council meeting. Only one member of the public spoke against the project. A Milton resident was concerned about the proximity of the turbines to houses in the area and an effect known as shadow flicker. That’s essentially the shadow cast by the turbines on properties on a sunny day.

Mitch Underhay, Roswall’s development manager, said after the meeting that all homes are at least two kilometres away from the development. And one woods camp is about a kilometre away, but the company has reached an agreement with that landowner.

“There are limits of how many hours per year and minutes per day the shadow flicker can land on a receptor, which is usually a home. All of the homes around Milton are well outside of that, so they shouldn’t experience any shadow flicker at all.”

Much of the land is on former Bowater Mersey property. Because of much of it is already cleared, Underhay said there should be minimal environmental impact on the site. Staff will be on site to clear any vegetation or trees that might interfere with power lines or turbines, he said. No chemical sprays will be used.

The owners of two concrete companies spoke in favour of the development agreement. Bridgewater Ready Mix and South Shore Ready Mix hope to win some work with the project.

Joel Westin, president and owner of Bridgewater Ready Mix, told councillors there are many advantages to the project – local jobs, greener energy and potentially lower power rates.

“We in the ready mix industry also have a commitment to net zero and to achieve that we need renewable power. And we intend to become customers of the Mersey Wind project once it starts.”

Mayor Darlene Norman said the project could eventually generate up to $800,000 in tax revenue for the municipality.

“It is a good thing for Queens County and it was wonderful to have 100 per cent approval from council on this matter,” she said in an interview.

“It’s a big project for Queens and it is one that should be welcomed by people who understand that green energy is the important energy.”

Securing the development agreement with Queens County was one the last steps before the company can begin construction. Howell said it is in the final stages of working out a lease agreement for the Crown land in Milton. 

The development agreement approval is still subject to an appeal process, until April 4.

Howell said they hope to begin construction by this summer.

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com