An open house hosted by PUC on Tuesday night sought to inform the public about a pair of proposed solar projects in the city’s west end.
The utilities distributor says the two projects are being submitted to the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO), which is accepting bids as part of its long-term procurement process in order to secure new, reliable supplies of electricity in Ontario.
If all goes according to plan, PUC and Axium Infrastructure are looking to begin construction on the two solar generation projects as early as 2028, with the goal of having both up and running by 2030.
“We know that by 2050, the province is forecasting that we’re going to need 75 per cent more electricity,” said Katie Elliott, director of enterprise strategy at PUC.
“In Sault Ste. Marie, we know for economic development we’re going to need more power generated here — and that’s really the purpose behind these projects.”
PUC acquired the parcels of land for the projects this past June, with the deadline for submissions to IESO coming up in October.
“There’s a tight timeline for this procurement, absolutely, but we know how important it is to continue to be a leader with clean energy — not just locally, but provincially — and that’s exactly what we’ll continue to do,” Elliott said.
Paul Goodmurphy lives on Leigh’s Bay Road and says one of the proposed projects is practically in his backyard.
He was initially concerned about PUC using herbicides and pesticides to keep the weeds down because of the potential for contaminated water, as homeowners living north of Second Line W. use wells for their water supply.
“They assured me they’re not going to be using this stuff, though. I hope they’re telling the truth,” Goodmurphy told SooToday. “Other than that, they pretty much answered all my questions.”
But a small group of disgruntled residents living near the proposed projects didn’t exactly share that same satisfaction.
“It’s the home value I’m worried about,” said one of the residents, who didn’t want to be identified in this article due to their involvement in the energy sector.
“Living across from a solar farm? That’s not really a desirable place to live when your front view is a pile of glass, basically.
“I don’t really want to lose that value in my home.”
Another concerned resident who wished to remain anonymous for “professional reasons” was upset by the fact that she didn’t receive an invite to Tuesday’s open house until late last week.
She believes that PUC will go ahead with the projects if they’re selected, regardless of opposition from residents living nearby.
“It’s not good enough,” the woman said. “This is not fair. It feels very dirty.”
Elliott says PUC is committed to working with those residents to mitigate any impacts to adjacent property owners throughout the duration of the projects.
“It’s finding that balance,” Elliott said. “It’s crucial that we look at clean power generation here locally, and that’s why we’re out here with these proposed projects, talking to people about them early on.”
Christine Millward was one of the people who spoke with PUC representatives about the projects on Tuesday night.
She lives on Nokomis Beach Road near one of the parcels of land secured by PUC for the proposed West End Solar Generation Project.
“I think it’s always a great idea to find different ways of accessing energy — and I think the more we can do it, the better it is,” said Millward, after she had a chance to learn more about the projects.
“I say go ahead. I mean, we have to move on and be modern, and I think they’re looking at the whole picture.”
