Rhodena Wind

ABO Wind is conducting public engagement during the summer and fall as we prepare to submit the Rhodena Wind Project for Nova Scotia’s Green Choice Program later this year. Updates on the Project will be shared on this website.

We are mailing an update to households in communities close to the project. 

ABO Wind has received word that the Rhodena Wind Project was not selected for the short list of the Nova Scotia Rate Based Procurement. Although we are disappointed with the outcome, ABO Wind will continue with the planning and design of the project, which will be further refined through ongoing environmental and technical information as well as stakeholder feedback, in preparation for the next Provincial opportunity. If you have questions about the project, please contact David Berrade of ABO Wind at dave.berrade@abo-wind.com or by phone at 902-802-4540. 

We are mailing an update to households in communities close to the project.

Download the pamphlet

We are mailing an update to households in communities close to the project, with a new map of the proposed development area.

Download the pamphlet

Please join us at the Open House to learn more about the proposed Rhodena Wind Project:

Tuesday, September 14, 7 pm to 9 pm
Port Hastings Fire Hall,
15 Old Victoria Road

Meet the partners – Nova Scotia company Community Wind and international renewable energy experts ABO Wind Canada. Learn more about the construction schedule and process, how the turbines will look and sound, and about environmental studies underway. Hear about opportunities and provide your input on how to use a community benefit fund from the project. 

Third-party studies have confirmed that wind turbines typically offset greenhouse gases emitted as part of their production and installation within the first year of operation. When the whole cycle of production and operations is considered, wind energy is recognized as one of the “greenest” or least carbon intensive forms of energy production.

As part of the regulatory approval process, an environmental assessment will be undertaken to understand the relationship between wind turbines and the local environment. This is a requirement of the Province of Nova Scotia. Through this analysis, our team will make the necessary adjustments to the Project to avoid or reduce potential impact on wildlife.

By using existing roads and cleared areas as much as possible, we believe that we would need to clear 3 to 4 hectares per turbine, rather than the previously stated 5 to 6 hectares.

As part of the regulatory approval process, an environmental assessment will be undertaken to understand the relationship between wind turbines and the local environment. This includes wetlands, watercourses, fish habitat and groundwater. This is a requirement of the province of Nova Scotia. Through this analysis, the Proponent will make the necessary adjustments to the Project to avoid or minimize potential impact on water resources to the extent feasible.

Depending on the turbine selected for the project, the concrete foundation for the turbine will range from 22 metres to 25 metres in diameter. Most of the foundation will be below ground and backfilled with soil.

If the Project proceeds, the Proponent is required to submit an application detailing the impact on the local environment to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change. These requirements are set out in provincial legislation and regulations, specifically the Environment Act and the Environmental Assessment Regulations. This will include impact on local wetlands, birds and threatened and protected species, such as mainland moose and bats.

Detailed studies, including multiple field surveys, supporting this application will be carried out by independent environment consultants. As of now, the Proponent has carried out initial desktop studies regarding the environment and species in the Project area, supported by field reconnaissance.

Rates for use of Crown Land are set by legislation and regulations. Please refer to: https://novascotia.ca/natr/land/clo/, for more information regarding the applications for the use of Crown Lands.

The visibility of each turbine depends on the viewpoint. On the Project website there are preliminary visual simulations prepared by a third party. During development, we will ask community representatives to offer more viewpoints for more detailed visualizations.

The proposed layout and turbine technology will likely change based on stakeholder, environmental and technical input. We will update the visual and sound assessments to reflect the most up-to-date plan as part of the environmental assessment process.

A few factors contribute to the choice of wind turbines, such as the wind profile and the height of nearby vertical obstacles. The Project is still at a preliminary stage. Once we have more wind data to tell us where the wind blows the strongest, we can choose a turbine. We anticipate that the hub height will range from about 100 metres to 120 metres with an approximate blade length between 60 metres and 85 metres.

Aviation warning lights on wind turbines are required by Transport Canada regulations. However, the Project is exploring the feasibility of light mitigation options to reduce the visibility to those on the ground.

During development, we will prepare a noise impact assessment with a map showing predicted sound emissions in relation to nearby residential properties. As the Project team gains more information about the wind, the engineers adjust their recommendations about turbine models. Once we have selected a model, more information will be made available related to sound.

Infrasound can be defined as sound waves with frequencies below the lower limit of human hearing. We will design the Project to meet Nova Scotia’s regulations regarding audible sound criteria.

Humans are exposed to infrasound on a regular basis from several natural and engineered sources, at levels that generally exceed those produced by wind turbines.

We will prepare Visual Impact Assessments from several viewpoints around the Project as advised by the community. We will prepare a Noise Impact Assessment with a map showing sound emissions in relation to all nearby residential properties.

We respect that some individuals may have concerns regarding health. The Project will be designed to meet or exceed all provincial regulations and guidelines currently in place to protect human health.

Health Canada with Statistics Canada and other external experts conducted a Community Noise and Health Study on wind turbines. The results, which were released in 2014, indicated that wind turbine noise was not linked to self-reported medical illnesses and health conditions.

The Project is planned to produce approximately 80 megawatts of electricity from no more than 14 turbines, depending on technology. This is enough electricity for more than 23,000 Nova Scotian homes -- nearly all the homes in Yarmouth, Shelburne and Queens counties.

ABO Wind Canada will submit a proposal in the Green Choice program issued by the Province of Nova Scotia. The submission deadline is expected to be in December 2023. For more information:  https://novascotiarbp.com.

Several factors contribute to the size of a project such as Rhodena Wind

• available lands under contract
• local electrical grid capacity
• wind profile
• local environmental features, and
• any applicable criteria outlined in the RFP

ABO Wind strongly values positive community relations. It will be our practice to provide updates to the project at key milestones ensuring that First Nations and those living and working in the area have opportunities to discuss and comment through a variety of methods, including, phone, email, video meeting, and face-to-face meetings.

We want to hear from the community. Please contact us anytime through the form at www.rhodenawind.ca.

ABO Wind recognizes that the proposed Project is is in Unama’ki, the ancestral, unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq people. We are grateful for the Treaties of Peace and Friendship with the Mi’kmaq people, which set out long-standing promises, mutual obligations, and benefits for all parties involved. We have active ongoing communication First Nations Communities communities. Eskasoni First Nation has provided a letter of support for the Rhodena Project. 

ABO Wind will send out updates on the Project via mail to addresses located in the areas surrounding the proposed Project. Updates will also be added to our website (www.rhodenawind.ca) so that those outside of the immediate Project area can remained informed. Advertisements in the local paper will also announce the release of these updates.

ABO Wind is working to establish a Community Liaison Committee. The committee would meet regularly to bring forward community concerns throughout the construction and life cycle of the wind site. If you are interested in possibly joining the CLC, please contact heidi.kirby@abo-wind.com. 

The aim of the open house is to provide Project information and respond to questions or concerns in a safe and comfortable environment. Through experience, we have found that one- on-one or small-group conversations with posters allows people to learn about the project at their own pace, and to voice their questions and concerns without feeling the pressure of an audience.

Please send questions and/or concerns to us through the form at www.rhodenawind.ca.
We will continue to update visualizations, maps and other information on the website. For general information, visit the Canadian Renewable Energy Association website: Canadian Renewable Energy Association - Wind. Solar. Storage. (renewablesassociation.ca)

There are many factors to consider in siting wind turbines, such as the following: our ability to keep setbacks to at least 1,000 metres from homes; the wind resource; environmental features; access to transmission lines; and the ability to access and build turbines at the location.

We will require approximately 4 km of new roads and upgrading of 12km of existing roads for the Project. A 6-metre-wide road will be built for both construction and operations. New and existing road intersections will be widened temporarily for turbine delivery and reclaimed once turbine installation is completed.

The lifecycle of a turbine is typically 20 to 30 years. The life expectancy of this Project will be subject to the requirements set out by Nova Scotia Power within the Power Purchase Agreement, which we expect to be 25 years.

The current Project schedule is subject to change depending on the criteria in the upcoming Request for Proposals (RFP).

The proponent will have a local operations team, including an operations manager who will be responsible for the wind farm’s maintenance program. Depending on the project’s turbine contract, the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) may be responsible for turbine maintenance and any required repairs for an agreed term of the project life. Local contractors are typically hired for maintenance items, such as road maintenance, snow removal, equipment service, etc.

Power generated from this project will feed into the Nova Scotia grid.

In a power grid, the power from a generator will flow to the needs of the local load first. So, if your home or business is connected to a local distribution grid where there is a wind turbine operating, the power from that turbine would first meet the local need on that distribution network. We can’t say exactly where the power goes. However, when the wind is blowing and you turn on your lights, power from the turbine would flow to your home.

Project planning will be done to minimize restrictions on land use. Typically, most activities underway before construction of a wind site can continue afterwards.

For confidentiality reasons, all we can say is we propose contracts that are typical and competitive within this region and within the renewable energy industry.

An option, or option period, is an agreement signed by a landowner that provides a company with the ability to perform certain activities on lands (soil studies, environment studies, site visits). It also grants the ability to execute a lease on a portion of the lands for a specific purpose, such as wind development.

A lease is the agreement executed if a company chooses to proceed with actions outlined under the option agreement (such as building a wind turbine). A company may option an entire property yet end up leasing a smaller portion of those lands.

Under the rare circumstance of a renewable energy company going bankrupt, the inherent value in the operating wind facility remains. Typically, the major investors in the project will buy out the bankrupt company to ensure their investment is protected. A bankruptcy would not typically affect the operations of a wind facility, as the investment community understands the economic value of an operating electricity generation asset.

Project land contracts and regulatory approvals will contain requirements for reclamation and decommissioning. The Project will also complete a salvage value study before decommissioning turbines – to evaluate potential costs of salvaging compared to decommissioning costs. ABO Wind anticipates the salvage value of recovered metals (for example, copper, steel, rare earth metals) will cover a portion of decommissioning costs.

ABO Wind Canada has contracts in place with landowners who will have infrastructure on their property.

We have made the commitment that turbines will be located at least 1,000 metres away from any existing active dwelling unless the property owner has agreed otherwise. This commitment exceeds those of the municipality where the required setbacks are 500 metres from a habitable dwelling, 1 x turbine height from the property line (unless adjacent property owner has signed a lease), and 220 metres from a public road.

Studies have been conducted on property sale data in and around wind farms in Canada, the United States, and internationally. Data gathered cannot support or disprove the impact on property values.

In Ontario, the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) examined assessments of properties located at 1 kilometre, 2 kilometres and 5 kilometres from wind turbines. The studies found that for 2012 and 2016, there were no conclusive findings on the prices of residential properties resulting from the proximity to a wind turbine. See https://www.mpac.ca/en/PropertyTypes/SpecialStructuresProperties/Windturbinesnearorproperties 

ABO Wind has a Local Content and Indigenous Policy that emphasizes opportunities to surrounding communities. ABO Wind has preferential weighting to local businesses that meet safety and capacity requirements. We will work with local contractors and businesses to let them know of opportunities and will hire local contractors whenever possible. The Proponent anticipates much of the work during the 12- to-18-month construction period could be carried out by local businesses.

There would be some specialized tasks (e.g., provision of large cranes, installation of turbines) that could require contractors from outside the region or elsewhere in Canada. We expect the construction and installation of the Project would provide approximately 100 person-years of employment opportunities.

The Project will require 2 to 3 full-time wind turbine service technicians during its operating life. Training for this position is available for these positions at Holland College in Prince Edward Island.