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Leading the way -in competitve solutions
Leading the way -in competitve solutions
Solar power to create 50 new jobs By BOB BOUGHNER, THE DAILY NEWS
DIANA MARTIN photo@chathamdailynews.ca Andrew Steele, far right, a master electrician for Northwind listens to questions from Wayne D'Hondt, of Muirkirk, centre, on how the base will help balance the multi-directional solar panel being used in the Agris Solar co-operative following the stakeholders update meeting Monday.STANDALONE
An aggressive plan to place at least 1,000 ground-mounted solar units on farms in southwestern Ontario is right on target.
More than 700 farmers have signed up with Agris Solar Co-Op, a divison of Agris Farmers Co-Op, to purchase the $70,000 units. Officials of Agris Solar held an information meeting Monday to update farmers and municipal officials on its construction plans.
The organization has joined forces with Northwind Solutions of Oshawa to build the on-farm units.
Northwind president Greg Duke said more than 50 Chatham-Kent residents are about to be hired by his company.
He said the number of employees could easily increase as more orders are received. The hope, he said, is to construct units right across the province.Northwind has acquired a Chatham site at 744 Grand Ave. E. Jim Campbell, secretary of Agris Solar, said $20 million in equity and land commitments have been received from 1,000 farmers.
He said $55 million has been committed toward the project by the Farm Credit Corporation and Rabobank.
"This is an exciting day for FCC,'' said spokesman John Guertjens. "The FCC wants to be part of advancing the business of agriculture.''
Agris board chairman David Mallott of Muirkirk described Monday as an historic day for the co-operative.
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"Today is the day the rubber hits the road,'' he said.
"Today is the day the rubber hits the road,'' he said.
He said more than $14 million in equity has been raised and more than 700 farmers are now committed to the program.
Mayor Randy Hope congratulated the co-operative on the fast and efficient manner in which it moved from the planning to the building stage.
The mayor expressed surprise that only 200 area residents applied for work with Northwind -"especially considering the large number of skilled workers in the area.''
The mayor called the project as a "positive step forward.''
Also involved in the project with the co-operative is Hatch Engineering and Sparks Solar.
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Brant Positive Action Group
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3 comments:
Many high profile business leaders have signaled their support for clean energy including former Premiers Mike Harris and Erne Eves. (http://bit.ly/r0NUfZ)
And now, the Pembina Institute, an independent organization, has released a study which says the wind, solar and biogas power producers under Ontario’s feed-in tariff program are being blamed unfairly for rising power prices.
The alternatives are no cheaper. The FIT program would never add more than 1.5 per cent, or about $2 a month, to the typical consumer hydro bill, the study says.
Read it here: http://bit.ly/r0NUfZ
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