TATAMAGOUCHE: For more than two years a tall thin tower has been measuring the wind on Spiddle Hill, between Tatamagouche and Earltown.
This is a sign of things to come on the Hill, for in 2011 there will be a wind turbine in operation at the site, creating clean electricity for the homes and business in the Tatamagouche area.
The turbine is to be built on Spiddle Hill by Colchester-Cumberland Wind Field, a locally-owned company including more than 70 Nova Scotians as investors. Of these shareholders, 58 per cent come from Colchester and Cumberland Counties, 30 per cent from the Tatamagouche area alone.
The company has a nine-person Board of Directors and the driving force behind its success is David Swan, a native of New Annan pursuing interests in a range of ‘electrical connections.’ David returned to the area with his electric car, only to have to plug it into “coal” to recharge the batteries.
As Swan put it, “I have dreamed for years of running my electric car using wind power. That day is getting closer. The Directors are working hard to have the turbine in operation as soon as we can.”
There is considerable work to be done before power will flow to customers in the area.
Swan tells with enthusiasm about the turbine that will be ordered, of the roads that will be upgraded to allow the tower and blades to be transported to the top of the Hill, and of the power line that will stretch more than a kilometre to join the distribution system at Route 311.
Perhaps the most massive part of the construction will be the foundation of concrete that will anchor the tower against the push of the wind in all types of weather.
Colchester-Cumberland Wind Field has been active since 2006. It has a land lease on top of Spiddle Hill. The tower and turbine on that site will be a visual reminder for travellers going toward Earltown of the progress that has been made in moving toward electricity that is clean and renewable – from the wind that blows rather than coal that is burned.
The electricity will be sold to Nova Scotia Power through a long-term fixed-price purchase agreement, a method designed to stabilize energy cost.
The turbine will generate power at a range of levels, depending on the strength of the wind. On average, the turbine will run about 300 homes that are supplied electricity from the Tatamagouche sub-station. On days when the turbine blades are rotating at full speed as many as 800 homes could receive power from Spiddle Hill.
The office of the company is co-located with DHS Engineering in West New Annan (657-2933). In addition to David Swan, the Board of Directors includes Dale Aitchison, Wilf Bean, Shelley Byers, Reg Forbes, Chuck Hunziker, Mike Latinski, David Stevenson and Lukas Swan.
More information about the company and its operations is available from any of the directors.