Dufferin County has taken the next step to bring wind turbines to the area. A decision was made on Thursday night about connecting the turbines to the power grid.
Dufferin County council held a closed door session Thursday night where they spoke with their lawyer. The issue was whether or not to allow Dufferin Wind Power Inc. easements – meaning the right to use the land - along the railroad corridor for power lines. These power lines would connect wind turbines from Melacthon to Orangeville and would be above ground in some places.
Some residents and community leaders have raised concerns about the space needed for the power lines, since it would encroach on snowmobile and recreation trails.
In the end the county voted to approve the easement agreement by a vote of 14 to 13. This means Dufferin Wind Power will have access to the land on either side of the corridor. But the decision is not final yet. The county does want some changes to the agreement and Dufferin Wind Power still has to accept those recommendations. But for some – the vote leaves a county divided.
“What bothers me more than anything else is that here we have a vote of 14-13 and it’s carried by municipalities in Dufferin County that are not affected by this line whatsoever and I felt that there should have been much stronger support for those municipalities that are directly affect by the turbines,” said Amaranth Mayor Don Macvier.
The changes the county proposed to the agreement were not made public Thursday night but county officials tell CTV News they were expected to be available on Friday and a decision by Dufferin Wind Power is expected soon.
