green energy posts

The Government of Ontario yesterday announced it has awarded $3 billion in contracts to about two dozen wind and solar power companies, enough to light up more than 200,000 Ontario homes.

The announcement sends a clear signal that the province's Clean Energy program (formerly the Green Energy Act) is here to stay, following a month of setbacks for the program

Month of Setbacks
At the end of January, Ian Hanna launched a legal challenge in the hopes of shutting down Ontario's wind farm industry, claiming wind turbines pose a health risk to those who live nearby. And earlier this month, about 1,000 farmers who sought contracts to place solar panels on their property were turned down because the province doesn't have enough capacity to connect them to the electricity grid.

Love it or hate it, Ontario's Green Energy Act (GEA) has definitely excelled at one thing: creating controversy and debate.

The latest blow to the GEA comes from a court challenge about the medical safety of wind farms, which was heard by a panel of Superior Court justices on Monday. Ian Hanna, who owns property near a wind farm in Prince Edward County, launched the challenge asking the court to stop development of wind farms until a medical study can be performed. He claims the Ontario government was misinformed when it decided wind turbines were safe at a distance of just 550 meters from homes.

Turbines Bad for Our Health?
There has been plenty of opposition to the costs of the GEA, particulary since the provincial government admitted last year that green energy initiatives were behind most of the 46% increase in energy prices Ontario residents should expect over the next five years. But this is the first challenge based on medical safety. And it does have some legs.