Environment minister approves 2 more wind farms

Nova Scotia's environment minister has approved two new wind farms — one in the Cobequid hills and the other in southwestern Nova Scotia.

The Higgins Mountain wind farm project will see up to 17 turbines erected near Wentworth, N.S., while the Wedgeport wind farm project in Little River Harbour, south of Yarmouth, will include up to 13 turbines.

Construction on the Higgins Mountain project is slated to begin next year and the Wedgeport project will get underway this fall.

A partnership of Sipekne'katik First Nation, Elemental Energy Renewables Inc. and Stevens Wind Ltd. is heading up both wind farms.

Minister Tim Halman issued the approval on Thursday, stating, "I am satisfied that any adverse effects or significant environmental effects of the undertaking can be adequately mitigated through compliance with the attached terms and conditions."

Approvals come with conditions

Those conditions include standard stipulations about providing noise modelling and monitoring or management plans for impacts on water, erosion, wildlife and birds.

The Higgins Mountain conditions include a requirement for the company to develop a monitoring plan for mainland moose, while the Wedgeport conditions require the company to come up with a plan to mitigate possible effects on birds and bats.

An environmental researcher, the Nova Scotia Bird Society and others have raised concerns about the potential risk of the Wedgeport project to migrating birds.

Some residents in the Wentworth Valley have expressed worries about the impact of the Higgins Mountain project on economic development, growth and biodiversity.

The two projects are among five selected by the Nova Scotia government in a procurement process aimed at supplying the province with about 350 megawatts of renewable energy.

The procurement is part of a strategy to help the province reach its goal of having 80 per cent of its power needs met by renewable energy by 2030. Once up and running, the five projects are expected to meet 12 per cent of Nova Scotia's electricity needs.