GUYSBOROUGH — Confirming a “significant” reduction in the number of wind turbines in the Municipality of the District of Guysborough (MODG) and other “improvements” to its industrial footprint, EverWind Fuels says it will file the environmental assessment for its multi-thousand-hectare megaproject by summer’s end.
The news came during a public meeting on June 19 at the Chedabucto Lifestyle Complex, where approximately 70 people – including members of the wind-energy company’s community liaison committee (CLC) and several MODG councillors – gathered to hear the latest on Wind Farm #1, EverWind’s flagship development near Boylston, Pirate Harbour and Sand Point.
The company now says the number of turbines will drop from 84 to 54 – a 36 per cent reduction – lowering density from one per 105 hectares to one per 165, while maintaining total capacity at 432 megawatts. As a result, it plans to register its environmental assessment “later this summer.”
The reduction follows earlier signals from EverWind that the change was only under consideration. In March, Sean O’Connor, MODG’s director of economic and community development – and a member of the CLC – told council that the final layout hadn’t been released, but that the turbine count was expected to be somewhere in the fifties.
“Originally, everyone was looking at a [certain megawatt] turbine,” he said at the time. “Now it’s likely that, as technology changes, you’re going to see that [turbine capacity] get larger.”
In a separate email to The Journal, EverWind Director of Engagement Mark Stewart confirmed that the company was “exploring the reduction” and considering upgrades from 5–6 MW turbines to 7–8 MW models.
“We expect to have a detailed site layout ready to share with the community in the coming months,” he wrote. “Having the community liaison committee involved early in the process has been invaluable, and we remain committed to actively listening and responding to public feedback.”
At the June 19 meeting, EverWind representatives said the revised layout is designed to reduce environmental impact, avoid conflicts with a nearby private airstrip and rail corridor, and minimize wetland and watercourse crossings through optimized access and collector systems. Two turbines – T53 and T54 – will be located on private land.
The model under consideration is the Goldwind GWH182-8.0 – a Chinese-manufactured turbine with a hub height of 120 metres, a blade diameter of 182 metres, and a total blade-tip height of 211 metres.
The company also outlined its proposed $460,000 annual community benefit package. It includes $280,000 for vibrancy grants administered through the CLC, $130,000 in proximity payments to homeowners, and $50,000 in scholarships for students pursuing renewable energy studies. A decommissioning bond will be in place. EverWind says 90 per cent of turbine materials are recyclable and that industry-wide work is underway to address blade disposal.
Controversy in the air
As previously reported, Wind Farm #1 is part of a broader plan to erect hundreds of turbines across mostly Crown land in Guysborough County, generating up to 2,000 megawatts of renewable energy to power the company’s green hydrogen and ammonia production facility in Point Tupper – most of which is destined for export to international markets.
The export-driven nature of the project has drawn pointed criticism from residents and advocacy groups. At a public meeting in St. Francis Harbour last September, members of Protect Guysborough and Green Nova Scotia First argued that the scale and purpose of Wind Farm #1 were out of step with local needs and rural land use.
“These are not providing power for the Nova Scotia grid; it’s for production of hydrogen and ammonia,” Protect Guysborough co-founder Lesley Hartt said at the time. “This is [always] in rural areas, by the way. They don’t do this in the cities.”
Others have questioned the approval process. Speaking to MODG council earlier this year, Hadleyville resident Steven Henley urged councillors to revisit turbine setbacks and noise regulations, and criticized what he described as limited municipal oversight.
“I don’t imagine when this was first discussed, you thought they’d be this tall or that there’d be so many,” he said. “It’s like asking the fox to watch the chicken coop.”
A lively Q&A session followed last week’s presentation, with questions raised about noise, lighting, power lines, land clearing, and fire risk. One attendee described significant noise issues at Glen Dhu Wind Farm near Merigomish. Though he lives 1,440 metres from the turbines there, he said he hears them over his television and struggles to sleep.
EverWind responded that all turbines would comply with provincial regulations and be set back more than 1,000 metres from homes. It also confirmed it would follow provincial well-monitoring rules, including baseline and post-blasting testing within 800 metres of construction activity.
In a follow-up email to The Journal, Stewart said the June 19 presentation reflected the company’s “ongoing commitment to community feedback and the work happening through the Environmental Assessment,” noting the revised layout was “met with positive feedback from both the community and [MODG] council.”
“Attendees asked engaging and thoughtful questions about the new layout and its environmental impact,” he wrote, “reflecting the strong community interest and support.”
MODG Warden Paul Long shared a similar view.
“The open house hosted by EverWind Fuels was an informative and greatly appreciated opportunity for local residents to ask questions and receive updates on the pending project,” he wrote in a separate email. “Direct communication with project personnel goes a long way in addressing concerns, clarifying possible misunderstandings, and sharing up-to-date information.”
He added: “Having multiple project directors present from the various levels of the project gave community members a sense that their voices were being heard and respected. It’s essential that diverse opinions, both supportive and critical, are acknowledged in any industrial development. I hope sessions like this continue as the project evolves.”
Local resident and CLC member Tori Evans – a long-standing critic of the green hydrogen export plan – said in an email that EverWind also indicated it is negotiating with private landowners for additional turbines that would be submitted under a separate environmental assessment.
EverWind, which reiterated its commitment to Nova Scotia during the meeting, is targeting operational startup by 2029.
