Solar Power meeting in Harrowsmith

Jeff Green and Jonathan Davies | Jun 24, 2015

Harrowsmith-area residents gathered in large numbers Wednesday evening, June 17, at Harrowsmith Public School for a presentation from a solar developer eyeing three properties in the region as potential project sites.

SunEdison, a US-based corporation with offices in Toronto, presented its plans for the Freeman Road project (Freeman Road spanning north to Colebrooke Road); the Groenewegen Project (Henderson and Florida Roads near Stars Corners; and the Wallace Project (Alton Road at Road 38). All the power generated by the three proposed solar fields, if they were built, was to be transmitted to the hydro installation near the proposed Wallace project.

The projects are still in the conceptual phase, and details would be rounded out before approvals are issued this November, the Harrowsmith-area projects are pitted against others throughout Ontario in a competitive bidding process.

Members of the public present at the June 17 meeting voiced concerns and sought clarifications on a range of issues.

One common concern was about the potential impact on Harrowsmith residents from necessary upgrades to power lines to bring electricity from the Groenewegen and Freeman projects through the village of Harrowsmith to the Hydro substation at Alton Road, where the Wallace project is located.

The projects are large, the Freeman Road one is 100 MW, and the other two are both 50 MW. To put the size in perspective, the entire allocation for solar power from the entire province in the procurement process that sparked SunEdison to put these projects forward is only 140 MW, less than the combined size of the three projects in South Frontenac

( Note - It seems that SunEdison was listening to the concerns over transmission lines. On Monday morning, June 22, they informed the township that they are pulling both the Groenewegen and Freeman Road projects, leaving only the Wallace project to be submitted for this year's procurement process - See South Frontenac report on page 1)

Although they pulled the projects for now, SunEdison told the township that they may look at them again for next year's procurement.

Transmission lines were not the only concern expressed by residents at the Harrowsmith meeting on the 17th.

One theme that came up repeatedly concerned the lack of influence landowners and township councils have in the planning and carrying-out of such projects.

Others raised concern over how land would be restored after the 20-year lease expired, if the project were approved. SunEdison says that it takes full responsibility for restoring lands to their original state. However, with leases spanning 20 years, residents expressed a concern about the potential for companies to fail over the project's lifespan, leaving construction unfinished or completed projects intact at lease's end that should be dismantled.

While the overall tone of the meeting was one of wariness, with a large number of attendees vocal in their opposition to the proposals, there was a small presence from more sympathetic residents.

One woman, who identified herself as a long-time resident whose property abuts a proposed project site, addressed the crowd with a reminder that other Ontario municipalities are currently saddled with nuclear power projects, positing that the disruptions of a solar project would be relatively minor, while the benefits of moving forward with green energy were essential to future sustainability.

Mayor Ron Vandewal was present at the meeting in Harrowsmith, along with the majority of Council. He said later in a telephone interview that although Council approved solar projects in general when SunEdison made a preliminary presentation to Council some months ago, a specific motion of support will be required for the company to get credit for municipal support when they submit their bid.

He also confirmed that, as is the case with proposed wind turbine projects under the same procurement process, SunEdison has made a financial offer to the township through a community fund, and the township is considering making a counter offer.