Meaford council is looking to have new policies developed as part of its official plan review concerning renewable energy projects.
During a meeting on May 30, a motion was brought forward by Coun. Ross Kentner.
It says the current official plan for the municipality does not include a section regarding policies on deciding the location and development of wind turbines. This was due to the provincial regulations in place at the time.
The provincial government, however, removed these regulations in 2020 and allowed municipalities to have a say in adopting policies regarding wind turbines.
The motion says council recognizes the potential for green energy arising from innovative production projects. In addition, council believes the official plan review should contain a section devoted to policies for the location and development of wind turbines, solar farms, and other green energy projects.
By passing this recommendation, council is directing staff to develop policies for addressing applications and approvals for potential projects in the municipality that will create a framework for site selection, consideration of compatibility with both agriculture and tourism uses, and addressing environmental impacts on neighbouring properties.
Kentner says this recommendation has nothing to do with the current proposed pumped storage project.
“Pumped storage is about monetizing energy from green energy projects. So I think there is every possibility going forward, we may see some of these projects proposed in our municipality. I think as we are updating our official plan, it is an opportunity that we can take advantage of to decide where we do and don’t want such projects sited,” says Kentner.
