The members of the No Turbines in Town (NTT) coalition in Cochrane are looking forward to the town’s Renewable Energy Framework project and the opportunity it would provide Cochranites to share their perspectives on suitable renewable energy alternatives for Cochrane.
Kathy Dietrich, senior manager of planning and engineering for the Town of Cochrane, said the strategic planning department presented to council last week to introduce their team for the project and outline the process.
Dietrich said a stakeholder’s session is slated for April 10 (location to be confirmed), followed by a public engagement session April 26 at Mitford Park.
“The framework is scheduled to be completed by October,” explained Dietrich, adding that the next 2-3 months would be the research phase, following a project draft in the summer and further public engagement in the fall prior to presenting it to council.
“We will be addressing a number of areas of renewable energies (including solar energy, wind energy, geoexchange energy, biomass district energy and micro-hydro PRVs — pressure-reducing valves).”
Dietrich said the stakeholder list would include “everyone from the City of Calgary, all the way to the (NTT) group.”
Many Cochranites will remember the 2012 project proposal, led by Cochrane High School (CHS) Sustainable Development Committee, where a group of CHS students under the guidance of science teacher Stephanie Bennett, proposed to erect a 60-foot high Evance 9000 small wind turbine on school property.
Many residents in the Cochrane Heights community were opposed not only to the notion of the project moving forward, but also the lack of transparency they felt the school had demonstrated throughout the process.
The NTT coalition was formed, advocating for CHS to go back to the drawing board and look to renewable energy projects of a smaller scale and not one that would erect a construct of such proportion, with what the coalition felt had little research to back its claims.
The coalition remains concerned with safety, health, nuisance, cost effectiveness and the effect the project would have on the property values of area residents.
Town council voted unanimously in favour of the development of a Renewable Energy Framework in early 2013, putting the school’s intended application for a development permit on hold for the time being.
Brenda Samborski of the NTT said this is a community issue and she hopes to see others step forward to share their ideas at the future consults with the town.
“We want people to think about many other forms of power generation that are more suited to residential areas and much better ways to generate green energy successfully in an urban environment.”
Samborski also encouraged those interested in the subject matter to look at the recent decision by Weyburn, Sask. council to have a small wind turbine taken down in a neighborhood, following complaints from immediate neighbours and the complaints of a ‘flicker’.
“We should also all be watching the ongoing Health Canada study on wind turbines especially since the Cochrane High School turbine is being proposed for a school yard with young children all around.”
The project team members include Dietrich, town planner Nicole Tomes, Sharon Howland (manager of town waste and recycling services) and three members from private contractor Urban Systems — John Kenney (community energy advisor), Erin Welk (communities consultant) and Lauren Bartlette (engagement consultant).
Council approved $85,000 for the Renewable Energy Framework project in the 2014 budget.
