The vote was met with intense criticism from citizen groups.
— Staff // Video by Roger Klein
“I’ve never been a big fan of this particular project,” said Meaford Mayor Ross Kenter in a speech prior to a vote in which Meaford council opted 5-2 in favour of a controversial electricity storage proposal utilizing the waters of Georgian Bay. “But…I don’t think we’re really in a good position if (the project) does go ahead, and for that reason I think it’s very prudent of us to begin discussing the future with TCE (TC Energy).”
The project has been met with intense criticism from local environmental groups, while others welcome the multibillion-dollar investment by TCE. When completed, the project will see 200 million cubic metres of water extracted out of Georgian Bay daily during nighttime off-peak electricity hours, pumped up the Escarpment to a 374-acre reservoir located on Meaford’s military base—then released during peak hours back into Georgian Bay through power-generating turbines, capitalizing on the significant difference in pricing between peak and non-peak hours.
Meaford council’s vote of conditional support to be a willing host of the project moves it one step closer in its approval process.
Watch the vote above.
