Wind power project being announced today in Truro 

Nova Scotia Power is expected to make two major announcements this week on wind power deals, almost a year after first issuing a request for proposals.

The first announcement will be today in Truro where the privately-owned utility is expected to reveal the successful bidder for a 45-megawatt wind project in the region

The companies – Cobequid Wind Power and Atlantic Wind Power Corp., under the name Cobequid Area Windfarms – will erect at least 20 wind turbines on Nuttby Mountain, Colchester County, sources tell The Chronicle Herald. (The site is about 22 kilometres due north of Truro in the Cobequid Mountains.)

Nuttby Mountain, at 367 metres, is said to be the highest elevation in mainland Nova Scotia and the power generated would provide enough electricity for 16,000 homes.

Atlantic Wind Power is a part owner of Nova Scotia’s largest wind power project at Pubnico Point. The facility is currently up for sale.

Nova Scotia Premier Rodney MacDonald and NSP president Ralph Tedesco will be on hand for the announcement at noon at the Marigold Cultural Centre in Truro.

Glennie Langille, NSP spokeswoman, said Monday she couldn’t comment on the announcement, except to add the wind farm will be in the central region of the province.

Charles Demond, Atlantic Wind Power Corporation president, declined to comment about the Tuesday news conference.

“I’m not commenting. There’s a press event tomorrow and I may or may not be there,” Mr. Demond said Monday.

Last year, during an open house in the area, the developers indicated that 21 turbines were being proposed for the Nuttby Mountain site. They will stand 120 metres high and produce between 1.5 and two megawatts each. The turbines will be roughly 1.5 kilometres from the nearest home.

Last month NSP announced the first of six wind power deals it has been negotiating.

That announcement was for a $55-million wind park that is expected to start taking shape this fall at Point Tupper when Renewable Energy Services Ltd. begins preparing 65 hectares for 11 turbines.

The German-made Enercon E-82s will be double the size of the company’s existing experimental turbine operating at the site near Statia Terminals. By November 2009 the wind park will begin generating 22 megawatts of power. That’s enough electricity to supply the needs of 6,000 homes.

NSP’s original request for proposals was for 130 megawatts, and then last November the utility increased that amount to 240 megawatts of new wind generated electricity that would require about $500 million in capital, according to the utility.

NSP hopes the contracts with the private companies will increase the amount of electricity produced by so-called green technology in this province to 20 per cent of total output by 2013.

Currently, the utility is generating 60 megawatts of electricity from 41 wind turbines around the province, which is enough electricity to supply the needs of 17,000 homes, said Ms. Langille.

Ms. Langille said the second announcement on a power deal will be made later in the week about a project on the mainland.

By Judy Myrden
Business Reporter

The ChronicleHerald

18 March 2008