We are The Bruce Peninsula Wind Turbine Action Group, a group of people fortunate enough to live in such a beautiful part of the world that a large part of this area has been designated a World Biosphere Reserve.

     Regretfully, not everyone shares our love of the Bruce Peninsula and developers seek to inundate this beautiful area with Industrial Wind Turbines.

     It is our opinion that Industrial Wind Turbines are not the answer to Ontario’s energy problems. Industrial Wind Turbines are costly and inefficient. Moreover, they are known to make people ill.

     We believe that conservation of our precious resources is the first priority for Ontarians.

     We also believe that the money the Ontario government is pouring into subsidizing and promoting wind energy would be far better spent in researching renewable energy sources that are efficient and that will serve our energy needs far into the future.

OUR MISSION: To share our concerns and what we have learned about the potential negative impacts of Industrial Wind Turbine installations on the Bruce Peninsula, and to encourage others to seek out information that challenges the effectiveness of wind energy, and how Industrial Wind Turbines will affect our lifestyles here on the Bruce Peninsula.

WHAT ARE OUR CONCERNS ABOUT INDUSTRIAL WIND TURBINES?

     Wind energy is not efficient. The output of energy from a wind turbine varies between zero and 100 per cent of the nameplate capacity of the turbine approximately 90 per cent of the time. If this equation is averaged over a fixed period of time – say one year – the output of a wind turbine is a mere 25 – 30 per cent of the nameplate capacity. This means that energy from conventional sources is required to compensate when the wind is not blowing so that your refrigerator, freezer, washing machine and furnace still run. Unfortunately, the conventional electricity plant that is being used as a back-up must be ramped down so that when needed, it can be fired up and put into operation. When the plant is ramped down, it releases more C02 emissions into the atmosphere than it would if it were running at full throttle all of the time. In addition, our costs increase because employees are on standby waiting to reactivate the plant. Conversely, if we have strong winds that result in a lot of wind power being generated, the system seek to sell or give excess power to neighbouring States or Provinces, rather than ramping down conventional power sources so as to avoid wear and tear on the plant. While this may be beneficial for conventional power plants it means the consumer pays an excessive price for wind power because we give away, or sell, the power at a huge loss.

     The Ontario government is pouring billions of our tax dollars into promoting and subsidizing wind energy. This is a great concern, given the facts stated above. It is our opinion that this money would be better spent researching renewable energy sources that are efficient, reliable, and cost-effective.

WHY WE DON’T WANT INDUSTRIAL WIND TURBINES
ON THE BRUCE PENINSULA:

     The Bruce Peninsula is a narrow strip of land jutting northwards from southern Ontario into Lake Huron and Georgian Bay. One of its major features is the Niagara Escarpment, which runs from New York State, forming the spine of the Peninsula, then under the waters of Georgian Bay and Lake Huron to Manitoulin Island where it resurfaces and travels on to Michigan and Wisconsin. The Niagara Escarpment is a major Ontario ecological and cultural feature.

     In places, this narrow strip of land called the Bruce Peninsula is only about 10 km. wide. There are currently three industrial wind turbines – of a type that is much smaller than the ones currently proposed for this area – and these three wind turbines are visible from the waters of Georgian Bay and Lake Huron down as far as Red Bay. There is no hinterland on the Bruce Peninsula in which to hide these monoliths. Imagine what hundreds of them are going to look like.

     Tourism is a major part of the Bruce Peninsula economy. And why not, when we have such gorgeous views and wonderful beaches. With two national parks, one provincial park and a great deal of provincially managed protected areas, this area is a mecca for hundreds of southern Ontario city-weary residents, as well as a destination for visitors from the U.S. and overseas. The Bruce Trail that runs up the spine of the Niagara Escarpment is famed as one of the best North American hiking trails. The area is the site of major spring and fall bird migrations.

     It is our opinion that tourism to the Bruce Peninsula will suffer if the area becomes home to huge industrial wind turbines. Who wants to stay in a B&B that offers a view of hundreds of wind turbines, and instead of a quiet night admiring the stars in our Dark Sky area, there are hundreds of blinking red lights and the noise of wind turbine blades breaking the silence. Even now, real estate professionals in the area tell us that people looking to buy vacation property here are saying that unless they receive assurances that industrial wind turbines will not be built here, they won’t buy!

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

• We’d love you to join our organization. Sometimes we need volunteers to help us with our job; sometimes we just need your support to show those who would spoil our lovely area that so many of us do not want industrial wind turbines here. Email us at: info@bpwtag.ca.

• For up-to-the-minute information about industrial wind turbines check out the Wind Concerns Ontario website.