The island of Grand Manan is close to becoming a site for a wind-powered electrical generating facility, according to Paul Woodhouse, president of Eastern Wind Power Inc. based in Quispamsis, New Brunswick.
Responding to reports by the CBC and other media announcing the project, Woodhouse said, “Actually, publicity on this is a little premature. We’re still in the process of finalizing contracts. We did receive the award in June, and if all goes as planned, we’ll be supplying power to NB [New Brunswick] Power.”
He continued, “We’re determined to be very careful and to pay special attention to environmental concerns as we put this together. And of course this is not a new technology at all. There are operating wind farms all over the world.”
Woodhouse also described the Dark Harbour site as “ideal” for a wind farm.
Although he was reluctant to talk about details, information provided by NB Power states that the proposed 20-megawatt wind farm at Dark Harbour will have 11 turbines, each 78 meters (256 feet) high with three blades 39 meters (128 feet) long.
According to spokesman Bob Scott, NB Power Distribution and Customer Service intends to purchase the output and environmental attributes from the project through a 20-year power purchase agreement. The project will produce zero emission energy that will displace a similar quantity of fossil-fired generation. The wind farm is expected to be generating electricity as early as the fall 2005.
Woodhouse says that the project has broad support on Grand Manan, and Andy Daggett, the island’s village manager, agrees.
“The [village] council has endorsed the project twice and we’ve sent letters to the Premier and the Prime Minister,” Daggett says. “We’re very excited about this project. Although I can’t speak for everybody here, certainly the majority supports the idea.”
NB spokesman Scott says that Grand Manan “is the first phase of NB Power’s long-term objective to acquire 100 megawatts from renewable energy projects by 2010. This approach to energy development – involving the private sector and giving priority to renewable resources – aligns with the new Electricity Act and the Provincial Government’s energy policy orientation.”
Eastern Wind Power is a subsidiary of Vancouver-based Western Wind Energy. The parent company has wind farms in Arizona and California.