Cape Breton University to officially open its own wind farm
HALIFAX - - The official opening of Cape Breton University's wind farm on Saturday recognizes not just the green initiative, but also marks a major achievement, according to the university's president.
"It sends a signal to the world what's possible. We're gonna need a lot more of these kinds of projects in a carbon-constrained world," says David Wheeler.
The facility began generating power in mid-January. The project cost CBU more than $17 million, but the plan is to turn the turbines into a money-maker by selling excess electricity to Nova Scotia Power.
Money-maker
The electricity from the 98-metre-high turbines will be fed into NSP substations at Victoria Junction and Glace Bay.
The arrangement was made possible by a community feed-in tariff program introduced by the province in 2010. The program was closed last year to new applications.
The program pays a premium rate per kilowatt-hour for energy fed into the electricity system by small-scale, green energy producers.
Nova Scotia achieves milestone level of wind power generation
Under the terms of a 20-year contract with the province, the university will receive 13.1 cents per kilowatt hour for the electricity, which adds up to about $2.1 million in annual revenue, according to a CBU news release.
Wheeler and university chancellor Annette Verschuren will officially open the CBU wind farm at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday. They'll be joined in the ceremony by Nova Scotia Energy Minister Michel Samson.
Related News
Gas-electric hybrid vehicles get a boost in the US from Ford, others
NEW YORK - Hybrid gasoline-electric vehicles may not be dying as fast as some predicted in the auto sector’s rush to develop all-electric models.
Ford Motor is the latest of several top automakers, including Toyota and Stellantis, planning to build and sell hundreds of thousands of hybrid vehicles in the U.S. over the next five years, industry forecasters told Reuters.
The companies are pitching hybrids as an alternative for retail and commercial customers who are seeking more sustainable transportation, but may not be ready to make the leap to a full electric vehicle.
"Hybrids really serve a lot of America," said Tim Ghriskey,…