Green Projects are springing up around the province, thanks to the Community Feed In Tariff (ComFIT) program, and Craig Chandler hopes one of those projects might get started in Queens.
Chandler is hosting an information session on the program at the Liverpool Lions Hall on June 7 at 7 p.m.
"My interest is to see Queens County have a project to take advantage of this," he says.
Chandler says if a project got going, he would be interested in taking part.
On the evening of June 7, he will have a short presentation on how the program works and what is already underway. He hopes this presentation will spark interest to create a group to take on a project.
Chandler says renewable energy is a good fit for Queens County, which has a fair bit of renewables already. The Mersey River has six hydroelectric dams, and Brooklyn Power Corporation generates electricity through biomass burning.
There is interest out there in the community in creating a small scale project he says. He's heard from several people within the community that were interested in getting a green project going, and is hoping those people will come out for the presentation to share their ideas.
Typically when we think renewable electricity it is through wind and solar, however it also applies to biomass and run-of-river power generation. Run of river generators use the natural flow of the river instead damming the river.
Chandler says about 100 projects have gone through the application process so far, and he will give a rundown of what those communities are looking to build. They range in anything from small turbines and solar projects all the way up to full sized turbines.
What sets this program apart is that it has to be a community based group or company. For example an organization under the Community Economic Development Investment Fund (CEDIF) could propose a project. It can also be a regular non-profit group, and not necessarily one that is mandated to create green energy. For example the Nova Scotia SPCA has proposed several projects as a way of generating income.
Co-ops, municipalities and first nations can all take part in the program as well.
ComFIT doesn't provide funding for the projects, however it does guarantee those groups a fixed rate on power for the next 20 years. Chandler says it could also become an economic driver in the community as well.
Chandler lives in Halifax, however he has strong roots to Queens County. He grew up in the area and is still involved in several aspects of the county, such as the historical society.
Though Chandler's engineering background has some experience with green energy projects, this is something he is presenting on his own. He says he wants to let the community know about the program and how they can take advantage of it.
