News that Hamilton would be a main beneficiary of a  $1.5 billion off-shore wind project proposed for Lake Ontario near Kingston was a welcome breath of fresh air.
But before Hamilton’s skilled workforce starts standing in line for the nearly 1,000 jobs the project could generate in the city, they should remember the proposal faces a major stumbling block in the form of the Ontario government’s  current moratorium on offshore windfarms.
Unless the provincial government overturns the moratorium, celebration over last week’s announcement  by Windstream Energy in Hamilton is a little premature.
As announced, the project would be a positive boost to the local economy and its workforce. Four Hamilton companies would build, assemble and ship the giant wind turbines across the lake to Kingston.
The companies are part of a local consortium called the Lake Ontario Offshore Network, formed to lobby the provincial government about the economic benefits of wind energy.
We have to wonder whether last week’s announcement was made to pressure the Ontario government to lift its moratorium.
Many have argued the moratorium was a political move intended to boost the Liberal government’s prospects in the provincial election rather than protecting the environment.
Since the moratorium doesn’t cover land-based wind farm projects, we tend to share this cynicism.
Although the Liberal government indicated the moratorium was imposed pending further study of the effects of offshore windfarms, there has been no indication on whether the province is actively pursuing a study or when it would be completed.
The City of Hamilton would be well-advised to show its support for the project and help push the province in the right direction by lifting its own moratorium on any new wind turbine developments within the city limits.
Flamborough Coun. Judi Partridge, has proposed just that by introducing a motion which would lift the ban except for the Glanbrook area where residents are concerned about about the possible health effects of a wind turbine development in West Lincoln.
The local ban sends a mixed message to Queen’s Park.
Hamilton stands to benefit from a sustainable green energy project and we need a unified voice to push the province to lift its politically-inspired moratorium on offshore windfarms.