Group to build second wind turbine

A community group in Tatamagouche plans tobuild asecondwind turbine after it received permission to do so from the province Monday.

When Energy Minster Charlie Parker announced five new community renewable energy projects, Spiddle Hill Wind Farm was on the list for a 50-kilowatt turbine.

The new turbine will join the original,800-kilowatt turbine, owned by the Colchester-Cumberland Wind Field Community Economic Development Corporation,that started producing electricity in August.

The group has already raised enough money to build three more turbines, with investment from local residents.

The turbines are part of the COMFIT program, where community groups get a guaranteed price for power they supply to the grid.

"The energy that is produced by the wind field on Spiddle Hill is actually coming to Tatamagouche before it goes to the substation in Sackville," said investor Debbie Plestiv.

"It's our energy. And that makes a huge difference."

Projects like this keep money in the province and away from buying coal and oil, said project manager David Swan.

The plan is to have the three new wind turbines in place by the end of next year.

More than 20 community groups have submitted more than 90 proposals under the COMFIT program, which hopes to help Nova Scotia hit targets of 25 per cent renewable electricity by 2015 and 40 per cent by 2020.