Higgins Mountain Wind Project Gets Approval

The Higgins Mountain Wind Farm proposed for the Wentworth area is one of five major wind projects given approval in Nova Scotia.

The five projects will contribute about twelve percent of the province’s energy needs, a major shift to renewable or green energy.

The Higgins Mountain project met with overwhelming opposition in the Wentworth community. People were concerned about the visual impact on the pristine nature of the popular and growing community. Noise, radio interference, and an overall impact on property values were big concerns, while environmentalists feared the disruption to wildlife.

Public meetings throughout the application process only exacerbated the concerns as the company proved to be weak in communications.

The Municipality of Cumberland also had concerns, largely from unfulfilled promises by earlier projects which left motionless turbines atop the mountain.

Cumberland proposed that no windmills be located within five KM of the highway running through the Wentworth Valley. A last minute compromise to reduce that limitation to 3.5 KM allowed a new bylaw to pass council, though it was not unanimous.

While the Procurement Administrator has approved the projects, a lot more discussion will take place before any construction begins.

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