The British Columbia Environmental Assessment Office sent a May 10 letter to Northland Power acknowledging that the company has dropped its pursuit of an approval for the 160-MW Mount Kathleen Wind Park project.
The company had in 2007 entered the pre-application process for an Environmental Assessment approval for this project, but that review process largely went on hold from there. in April, the office sent a letter to the company saying it needed to move this pre-application along or drop it.
Said the May 10 letter from the office: “This letter is in response to your recent correspondence with Kate Haines, Project Assessment Manager, (emails dating May 9, 2016) regarding the Environmental Assessment (EA) of Mount Kathleen Wind Park (Project). I very much appreciate receiving the update on the status of the Project. In your email you indicated that Northland Power Inc. does not plan to proceed with the EA of the Project. Please be advised that EAO considers your email as confirmation of your intention to withdraw the Project from the EA.”
In the 2007 pre-application, Fred Olsen Renewables (Canada) Ltd. (FORCan) said it wanted to investigate opportunities which may exist in British Columbia for the progression of renewable energy projects. It offered its Mount Kathleen Wind Park, a proposed wind farm near Summerland, British Columbia on provincial crown land. The preliminary design assumed a nominal site capacity of 160 MW. Said the 2007 document: “Based on data collected to date, Mount Kathleen appears to have a competitive wind regime for a future BC Hydro Call for Power. There is also a possibility that the power could be sold to Fortis BC via tie in at the Fortis substation in Summerland.”
It said FORCan was a wholly owned subsidiary of Fred. Olsen Renewables AS (FORAS), subsequently owned by Bonheur ASA and Ganger Rolf ASA, both listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange.
The May 10 office letter was sent to: Michael Margolick, Senior Developer, Northland Power Inc., Michael.Margolick@Northlandpower.ca.
