Local Wind Power
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The winds of Kingston are a boon to the sailors and wind surfers who come from around the world to enjoy the exhilaration of sustained strong winds off Lake Ontario. These same winds are ushering in a new era of renewable energy that is, for the most part, environmentally benign and relatively easy to harness.
Kingston is ideally situated at the eastern end of Lake Ontario, whose flat expanse presents no obstacles to a free flow of air along its length. The winds are consistent and generally strong. In addition, Wolfe Island off the Kingston shoreline helps funnel these winds down the St. Lawrence River.
Studies of wind speed on Wolfe Island have shown several sites suitable for the generation of electrical power through the use of wind turbines. Although the windmills of previous generations that ground grain and pumped water are now historic sites, the conversion of wind into useable power has advanced with new technologies. Now, sleek, aerodynamic towers, tens of metres high, with long blades have been designed to catch far more wind. The turning motion of the blades is transferred to an electric generator housed in the 'head' of the tower. These windmills, usually called wind turbines, can produce up to six megawatts (MW) of electrical power, enough for nearly a thousand homes. When a number of these turbines are gathered together forming a "wind farm", the accumulated power is usually put into the conventional electric power grid, augmenting other modes of power generation.
Several concerns have been cited regarding the use of wind energy: aesthetic, land space, bird kills, and noise. Some people consider wind turbines unattractive although others find the rotating blades visually appealing. Concern related to agricultural land space seems to have been resolved because once constructed, the wind turbines occupy less than one percent of the space. Bird kills by wind turbine blades are usually small; however, Wolfe Island, Amherst Island and Prince Edward County are on the paths of migrating bird species. Thus the concern about bird mortality by wind farms on these sites is one of the key issues of the environmental impact assessment that must be satisfactorily answered before regulators will grant approval to construct and operate a wind farm. The new turbines operate quietly enough that noise does not seem to be a problem.
Both the provincial and federal governments support the introduction of wind power in the province. For example, in November 2004, the Ontario government announced the results of a Request for Proposals for 300 MW of wind energy projects and there is a strong likelihood that a Wolfe Island project will be successful in the next round of Requests as long as the necessary technical, environmental and financial criteria are met. Other projects that are being developed in the area include the following:
- Vector Wind: a four wind turbine project for the Invista (formerly Dupont) plant.
- Hearthmakers: a 1.6 MW turbine for Lake Ontario Park.
- Wolfe Island: two wind farm projects of 30MW and 99MW on rented on agricultural land.
- Ontario Power Generation: now has a fully operational 40 KW turbine, St. Lawrence College, (Cornwall campus)
- Vision Quest: a proposed 40MW wind farm in Prince Edward County
Will wind turbines help solve the energy crisis? Yes, if combined with conservation measures and the use of other environmentally benign energy sources, wind power should have a bright future. Reducing our reliance on power from nuclear reactors and the burning of fossil fuels will help solve the problems of what to do with spent nuclear fuel and how to reduce greenhouse gases from burned fossil fuels.
The favourable winds in this area suggest that Kingston, in addition to providing good sailing, might well have an important role in producing energy and preserving the environment.
