Transcript LAND VALUES - Niagara Escarpment

www.bhcc.ca
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Local Control
Informed Decision-Making
Responsible Decision-Making
Blue Highlands Citizens Coalition
PROPERTY VALUES
Blue Highlands Citizens Coalition
Study of 22 large wind parks
located in 13 counties throughout
the U.S. showed that values of
neighbouring properties were not
adversely affected.
Source: Superior Wind Energy Power Point Presentation May 12, 2003
Blue Highlands Citizens Coalition
“As the pace of wind power development
has increased, opponents have raised
claims in the media and at siting hearings
that wind development will lower the
value of property within view of the
turbines. This is a serious charge that
deserves to be seriously examined.”
Source: The Effect of Wind Development on Local Property
Values Renewable Energy Policy Project
Analytical Report, May 2003
Blue Highlands Citizens Coalition
“Although there is some variation …, the
results point to the same conclusion: the
statistical evidence does not support a
contention that property values within the
view shed of wind developments suffer or
perform poorer than in a comparable region.”
Source: The Effect of Wind Development on Local Property Values
Renewable Energy Policy Project Analytical Report, May 2003
Blue Highlands Citizens Coalition
RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CALIFORNIA
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“desert flats and arid mountains”
five miles from western edge of Palm Springs
3,067 turbines installed from 1981 to 2001
new project installed a further 130 modern
turbines
turbines follow the route of Interstate 10
sales data from 1996 to 2002
24% of population below poverty level
17,000 housing units
median value: U.S. $87,900
Blue Highlands Citizens Coalition
CARSON COUNTY, TEXAS
• Large agricultural farms
• 80 turbines @ 230 feet
• “area is just about dead flat”, right on the edge of the
Texas High Plains
• county tax officer said that “most of the land in the
view shed are farms, and most residents work on the
farms. Therefore, interest in housing values was
wholly dependent on their proximity to farms with no
concern for the wind towers”
• the County’s main claim to fame is the home of
Pantex, the only nuclear armament production and
disassembly facility in the U.S.
• median value: U.S. $53,150
Blue Highlands Citizens Coalition
SOMERSET COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
• 6 turbines @ 210 feet
• 10% of properties can see the turbines
• County assessor: the “turbines outside
Garret were noticeable, but because
there were so few people residing there,
he hasn’t seen much housing turnover to
base an opinion”
• median value: U.S. $45,950
Blue Highlands Citizens Coalition
KERN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA
KERN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA
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region is known for its extensive wind farm development,
which has been ongoing for over 2 decades
3,569 turbines installed from 1981 to 2002
sales data reviewed for period from 1996 to 2002
assessor said “over 30 years of wind development an
industrial cement manufacturer, among other projects, was
built close to site. The cement plant spewed out dust for 10
years or more until county and federal government
inspectors required upgrades 15 years ago”.
area is billed as having the “busiest single-tracked
locomotive mainline in the world”
assessor: “the area was so agricultural or lightly populated
that it would be hard to isolate price changes due to the
wind projects”
Blue Highlands Citizens Coalition
FAYETTE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
• much of the area is “low income and rural”
• 10 turbines @ 230 feet
• land is owned primarily by one family who
also rents to a petroleum pumping
company
• local economy is primarily agricultural or
tourism related; ski lodges in the vicinity
• only 10% to 20% of residents have views
of the turbines
• median value: U.S. $60,700
Blue Highlands Citizens Coalition
There may be some support for the proposition that
turbines have not materially impacted property values
in areas where turbines have been installed.
But this appears to be a reflection of the sorts of
areas in which the studied wind farms were located:
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low density
little to no scenery
many houses couldn’t see the turbines anyway
industrial land uses (railway, nuclear weapon
disarmament, cement manufacturing)
lower turbine heights
Blue Highlands Citizens Coalition
In order to help municipalities achieve
environmental and economic benefits, the
provincial
government
is
supporting
Brownfields cleanup and redevelopment. The
Brownfields Statute Law Amendment Act, 2001
offers a framework for the renewal and
revitalization of properties that are underused,
abandoned
or
require
environmental
remediation before redevelopment.
Source:
Ontario Government “Infosheet” (Spring 2003): “Could your
Community Benefit from Wind Energy Development?”
Blue Highlands Citizens Coalition
What are Brownfields?
Brownfields are lands on which industrial or
commercial activity took place in the past.
They may be vacant, underused or
abandoned. The soil and water may or may
not be impacted by contaminants as a result
of past practices and uses.
Source: Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing
Blue Highlands Citizens Coalition
GOVERNMENT SUBSIDIES
Blue Highlands Citizens Coalition
• Wind Power Production Incentive
(Federal Government)
• Renewable Portfolio Standards
(Ontario)
• Capital Tax, Property Tax, Corporate
Tax and Sales Tax Holidays
Blue Highlands Citizens Coalition
Wind Power Production Incentive (Federal Government)
• $260,000,000 over 15 years
• financial support to an eligible developer for the installation
of 1,000 megawatts of new capacity by March 31, 2007
• maximum amount payable to any eligible developer is
$64,000,000
• Natural Resource Canada website lists a large number of
applicants under the Wind Power Production Incentive; of
these developers, Superior Wind Energy Inc. is the largest
at an estimated capacity of 200 megawatts
Should possibly up to $64,000,000 in Federal Government
funding alone be made available for a project in this area
which will have significant and long lasting ramifications?
Blue Highlands Citizens Coalition
NIAGARA ESCARPMENT
Blue Highlands Citizens Coalition
The Niagara Escarpment Planning and
Development Act, R.S.O. 1990, c.N.2:
Section 2: The purpose of this Act is to
provide for the maintenance of the
Niagara Escarpment and land in its
vicinity substantially as a continuous
natural environment, and to ensure only
such
development
occurs
as
is
compatible with that natural environment.
Blue Highlands Citizens Coalition
However, the benefits to the
environment of a renewable, nonpolluting use of wind power is a
consideration as well. The use of
“green”
methods
of
power
generation is an emerging issue,
which the Niagara Escarpment Plan
policies will have to balance
against maintaining the visual
resources of the Escarpment.
Blue Highlands Citizens Coalition
“The Niagara Escarpment Plan is an
environmental land use plan that seeks to
ensure that development is compatible with
the physical, environmental and scenic
resources of the Escarpment.”
“The big, rotating blades of a wind tower
add a significant visual component to wind
generation-type towers.”
Source: April 22, 2003 letter of NEC to Superior Wind Energy Inc.
Blue Highlands Citizens Coalition
“In reviewing the factors that influence the
visual impact the proposed wind tower(s) may
have on the landscape it is apparent that there
would be very little ability to mitigate or
minimize the visual impact of towers of the size,
height and number proposed. It would appear
that they would be visually prominent from
many locations and in many directions. The
policies of the Niagara Escarpment Plan
pertaining to visual impact would not be easily
satisfied.”
Source: April 22, 2003 letter of NEC to Superior Wind Energy Inc.
Blue Highlands Citizens Coalition
“The latest tower designs involve large
structures approximately 300 feet high spaced
about 1,650 feet apart in staggered rows. The
blades are at least 100 feet across. Such
towers, in addition to affecting the use of a park
or open space area, will visually intrude on the
landscape. The tower designs shown to staff
were white in colour. An Escarpment park could
be irrevocably altered by a wind farm
development. Even a single tower could have
far-reaching negative visual impacts.”
Source:NEC Staff Report dated May 15, 2003: Wind Power Development on Crown
Blue Highlands Citizens Coalition
“The negative aspects of wind generation would
appear to far outweigh the need to locate the
facilities on Escarpment parklands. It is therefore
recommended that Crown and The Ministry Natural
Resources lands in the Niagara Escarpment Plan
are excluded as potential candidates for wind
power generation. This can be justified on the
basis of the environmental significance of the
Escarpment and its associated park and open
space areas. These lands, in principle, should be
deemed unsuitable for wind power generation
facilities.”
Source:
NEC Staff Report dated May 15, 2003: Wind Power Development on Crown
Blue Highlands Citizens Coalition
THE LEASE
Is it a good deal?
Blue Highlands Citizens Coalition
• 50 year term
• All of your land is leased
• number and siting of towers is not specified
• rights of first refusal, both in terms of:
(a)
lease renewal upon expiry of term
(b)
sale of land to anyone other than a spouse, brother,
sister, child or grandchild (and, upon a sale to any of these
people, they become subject to the right of first refusal)
• company can assign the lease, in whole or in part, without
restriction
• company can mortgage its lease rights to creditors of the
company
• if expropriation occurs, the landowner needs to share the
expropriation award with the company
• aggregate removal (@$0.50/ton for 35 years)
Blue Highlands Citizens Coalition
LAND LOCK-UP
$100 per year
• All restrictions apply (including the
company’s ability to mortgage the lease and
exercise right of first refusal).
• What if another developer comes along? 49
developers have applied for Wind Power
Production Incentive funding.
Blue Highlands Citizens Coalition
Mortality Rate Per Year
1999
2000
2001
2.04 birds/turbine
1.45 birds/turbine
1.16 birds/turbine
Source: Avian and Bat Mortality Associated with the Initial Phase
of the Foote Creek Rim Windpower Project, Carbon
County, Wyoming
Blue Highlands Citizens Coalition
The Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing shall
amend the Planning Act by December 31, 2003 to
apply a provincial standard to zoning for
windfarms/wind turbines and solar energy systems
to make them immune from local municipal
prohibition, and thereby allowed across Ontario “as
of right”. Municipalities shall be allowed to specify
reasonable conditions, such as spacing of turbine
units….as part of site plan approval.
Source: Report of Select Committee on Alternative Fuels, 2002
Blue Highlands Citizens Coalition
utility-scale wind power
plants require minimum
average wind speeds of 6
metres per second
Source:
AWEA FAQ’S
Blue Highlands Citizens Coalition
CONTRIBUTION TO TOTAL ELECTRICAL GENERATION
A 1.8 MW turbine can produce more than 5.2 million kWh in a year
Source: AWEA FAQ’S
Therefore, a 100 MW wind farm can produce 289 million kWh in a year.
Total 1999 Ontario Electricity Generation:
149,858,000,000 kWh
Source: Ontario Energy Board, 2001
289 million kWh
149,858 million kWh
=
0.19% of total Ontario electricity generation
Blue Highlands Citizens Coalition
BALANCE
“Green”
Power
Development
Conservation
of Natural
Habitat and
Beauty
Blue Highlands Citizens Coalition
BALANCE
Business
Interests/
Profitability
Local Residents
Interests and Local
Issues
Blue Highlands Citizens Coalition
Blue Highlands Citizens Coalition