Concerns over wind-energy development in the Haut-Saint-Laurent have escalated over the past few weeks. Petitions have been circulating online and on social media, where talk of organizing citizens’ groups is gaining attention.
During the April 29 public consultation held by the MRC de Beauharnois-Salaberry, several of those who spoke out against the possibility of wind turbines being implanted in the region were from neighbouring municipalities in the Haut-Saint-Laurent.
Wind energy was also repeatedly brought up by citizens attending seven different land-use planning consultations that took place in February and March in different municipalities across the Haut-Saint-Laurent. An interim control bylaw is currently in effect that prohibits the development of wind farms within the territory of the Haut-Saint-Laurent. However, there is growing concern that upcoming revisions to the MRC’s land-use and development plan in response to new guidelines issued by the province (OGATs) could force an amendment to the bylaw.
Huntingdon MNA Carole Mallette confirmed in an interview with The Gleaner that the laws and regulations related to land-use planning fall under municipal jurisdiction, where locally elected mayors and municipal councils are authorized to make decisions. “It is very important to me to say that we, in the Haut-Saint-Laurent, have the power to decide our own land-use planning,” she said, noting that it has become clear there is great opposition toward wind turbines in the region.
Mallette explained that it was not possible for a business, like Hydro-Québec in the case of wind turbines, to override local decision-making powers. The crown corporation has issued a call for projects, where it will purchase the energy produced by wind turbines erected by private companies that work in in partnerships with municipalities, and where projects are proven to be socially accepted.
She noted that a map published by Hydro-Québec that identified the Huntingdon-Chateauguay corridor as having up to 1,000 MW of integration capacity was also raising alarm in the region. Mallette confirmed with Hydro-Québec that the map is a technical representation, and that nothing more than the capacity for grid connection was taken into consideration. There is a difference between the grid’s capacity to integrate 1,000 MW and the region’s wind potential, which Hydro-Québec has not measured.
The deputy pointed out that the map did alert prospectors to the potential for energy integration in the region. But, she explained, the presence of prospectors and wind energy developers – such as Innergex Renewable Energy, which has reportedly met with up to three Haut-Saint-Laurent municipalities and area farmers to gauge public interest – is not a sign that municipal bylaws are open to change.
“This is not a project, nor is it a call for projects specific to our region,” said Mallette, who insists there is no immediate cause for concern in the Haut-Saint-Laurent.
Anick Lacroix, the MRC’s communications coordinator, confirmed that the regional government is planning to hold public consultations specifically on wind energy development. However, she cautioned, “This will likely happen later rather than sooner.”
The MRC is looking at projects that have taken place in other municipalities, including evaluations by the Bureau d’Audiences Publiques sur l’Environnement (BAPE), as well as research into health impacts and other possible issues. “It might seem like it is taking a long time, but it is not because of a lack of will. It is about doing things right,” she explained, noting there has been no pressure from the municipalities or any suggestion of opening the bylaw.
Lacroix said that as the MRC is in the process of reviewing its land-use and development plan in compliance with the government guidelines, they must assess the region’s wind energy potential. “Our goal is to use the available public funds to do the work correctly and get the right results the first time, so we don’t have to start over and reopen the debate, because we know that this is an issue that is close to everyone’s heart,” she explained. The MRC will also consult the population on additional alternative energy sources that could be introduced.
“We will listen to people and draw on all available information regarding the consequences to ensure we make an informed decision,” said Lacroix, who maintained that no individual at the MRC has the authority to make these decisions on their own. “It’s up to the council of mayors, so there would need to be a majority vote, either by the council itself or a two-thirds majority including the public, to reopen the matter.”