Proposed photo voltaic farm close to Excessive River rejected over impression on birds

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Citing potential detrimental impacts on fowl populations, the Alberta Utilities Fee has turned down a large 1,500-acre photo voltaic farm proposed for a website close to Excessive River.

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Whereas noting that the Foothills Photo voltaic Mission would scale back greenhouse fuel emissions and convey financial advantages, together with to its First Nations buyers, the fee concluded the dangers posed by transmission traces to birds in a distinguished conservation space have been too important.

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“The Fee discovered that approval of the undertaking may end in some optimistic socioeconomic advantages for Chilly Lake First Nations and a commensurate potential to facilitate reconciliation between the Crown and Chilly Lake First Nations,” said the AUC in its choice launched on Thursday.

“Nevertheless, the potential for the undertaking to end in excessive fowl mortalities, and the impacts of the undertaking on the Frank Lake IBA and the social and environmental values that it represents are unacceptable.”

Foothills Photo voltaic, a subsidiary of Vancouver-based Elemental Power Renewables had proposed the ability for a website east of Excessive River that might host 435,000 ground-mounted photovoltaic panels together with inverter/transformer stations and entry roads in a undertaking that might produce 150 MW {of electrical} energy.

Development was to start this summer time on a website with a complete footprint of 1,500 acres — as much as 300 acres containing photo voltaic panels — and go on-line on the finish of 2024.

Opponents, together with environmentalists, naturalists, Foothills County and anxious residents argued the photo voltaic panels have been situated too near the Frank Lake wetland space which they are saying is a crucial habitat for 256 fowl species — 60 of them at-risk.

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An environmental evaluation finished by a agency employed by Foothills Photo voltaic concluded these dangers might be decreased to a passable stage.

“The environmental analysis concluded that the general residual results of the undertaking will not be predicted to be important and that the potential antagonistic results related to the undertaking will be mitigated with normal mitigation measures, business greatest administration practices and site- and species-specific mitigation,” said the AUC in its choice.

However in the end, the regulator agreed with critics, saying the photo voltaic farm was a menace to wildlife.

“Given the proximity of the Foothills Photo voltaic Mission to the Frank Lake Essential Fowl Space, (its) significance to migratory birds and breeding water birds, the abundance and variety of birds and waterbirds in danger within the space … and current direct and oblique detrimental impacts, the Fee finds that there’s a cheap danger for the undertaking to trigger important antagonistic environmental impacts.”

The AUC panel famous Elemental Power was dedicated to a wildlife monitoring program on the website which may present a greater understanding of the impression of such amenities on fowl populations.

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But it surely concluded that “whereas the fee does want to additional perceive the danger that photo voltaic tasks pose to birds, the rapid concern for the Foothills Photo voltaic Mission is the potential for unacceptable ranges of fowl mortality to happen.”

It additionally famous undertaking companion Chilly Lake First Nations isn’t a member of Treaty 7 the place the undertaking can be situated and hadn’t participated in hearings attended by essential intervenors.

Whereas it welcomes renewable power tasks, the Alberta Wilderness Affiliation applauded the AUC’s choice, saying such developments have to be correctly situated.

“Frank Lake is internationally acknowledged for its significance to nesting and migrating birds,” Ruiping Luo, AWA Conservation Specialist, mentioned in a press release.

“Growth on this area poses an enormous danger to the fowl and wildlife populations that frequent the lake and surrounding space.”

Based on its web site, Elemental Power already operates 4 photo voltaic farms in southern and central Alberta with technology totalling 84 megawatts {of electrical} technology.

Its Foothills Photo voltaic Mission is only one renewable energy-generating proposal in Alberta that has come underneath hearth from critics voicing concern over potential impression on wildlife and high quality of life.

Critics additionally say they’re against wind and photo voltaic farms’ intrusion on agricultural land.

A so-called biodigester proposed for a website simply west of Excessive River that might flip livestock and produce waste into renewable pure fuel has run up in opposition to concerted native opposition whose considerations embrace odours and its impact on property values.

Proposed wind farms northeast of Edmonton, together with one from Elemental Power, have drawn resistance from native residents who’re anxious over wind generators’ impression on animal and human well being.

The corporate says its proposed 75 MW wind undertaking deliberate for close to Elk Level 220 km northeast of Edmonton will “usher in important native funding, jobs, and new clear electrical energy to this space of Alberta.”

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Twitter: @BillKaufmannjrn