Six Nations of Grand River Territory – Six Nations Elected Council is pleased to announce the approval of two (2) proposed wind projects: Gunn’s Hill Wind Farm and Port Ryerse Wind Project.

Gunn’s Hill Wind Farm is anticipated to generate up to 25 megawatts in renewable energy which will be sold to the Ontario Power Authority under the Feed in Tariff (FIT) Program. This project will be owned and operated by Gunn’s Hill Windfarm Inc. and will be located in the Township of Norwich, Oxford County. The proposed benefits include a potential 10% equity investment in the project which is estimated to generate revenue in excess of $3 million over 20 years, or a default royalty payment of $1,000 per MW/year for the 20 year term of the FIT Contract ($360,000). In addition, the developer is offering two (2) $4,000 annual post-secondary bursaries for the 20 year term of the FIT contract.

Port Ryerse Wind Project is anticipated to generate 10 megawatts in renewable energy which will be sold to the Ontario Power Authority under the FIT program. This project will be owned and operated by Port Ryerse Wind Farm Limited Partnership and will be located east of the hamlet of Port Ryerse in Norfolk County. The proposed project benefits include a Royalty Payment of $750/MW/year for 20 years ($150,000); mentorship of an on-reserve Small FIT solar development and a proposed Joint Venture development of future non-contracted renewable energy projects within which Six Nations could potentially own up to 15% in each contemplated project.

The community engagement process ran from January 13th to February 14th, 2014; the community meetings were scheduled for January 23rd, February 1st and 12th. The community meetings provided further information and included the opportunity for community members to have one-on-one discussions with staff.

Input gathered throughout the process indicates that there is generally support for the projects, although community members would like to see a greater commitment in future projects to sustainable employment opportunities and for a higher commitment to education and training initiatives.

The community engagement process has been designed to educate the Six Nations community about the financial, economic, and environmental impact associated with the project, and provides a community wide mechanism to gather feedback that will help guide the Six Nations Elected Council now and in the future.