Transparency, active participation, and mutual benefits

Dear Editor,

Of the 13 proposals presented to Hydro-Québec’s call for tender for Aboriginal wind farm projects in 2010, Kahnawà:ke Sustainable Energies’ (KSE) proposal, to be located in Saint-Cyprien-de-Napierville, was the only project selected from that category.
We are proud of our project and firmly believe that it will be beneficial to the Kahnawà:ke community and the citizens of Saint Cyprien-de-Napierville. The main technical information of the project is as follows:

Eight wind turbines (capacity of 3MW each) located on private agricultural properties
Underground electric collector system connected to Hydro-Québec’s existing distribution grid (no above-ground transmission lines)
Site located at approximately 6.5 kilometres south of Saint Cyprien-de-Napierville’s urban perimeter
Wind turbines located on average more than one kilometre away from the closest homes
Planned commissioning: December 2015
Sustainable energy production contract with Hydro-Québec for a 20-year period
Single regional promoter: Kahnawà:ke Sustainable Energies

However, Hydro-Québec’s selection of our project does not mean that the project is ready to enter the construction phase; many evaluation and consultation steps have yet to be completed.
All of the interested parties, including the citizens of both communities, will have the opportunity to access information on the projects, express their concerns, and eventually, improve the proposal.
We believe that informing the members of both communities of the project and providing an opportunity for feedback will result in a project that is considered fair for everyone involved. We are making efforts to do so with our community members and those in St-Cyprien-de-Napierville.

Tewatohnhi’saktha is the parent company of Kahnawà:ke Sustainable Energies (KSE), and its mandate is to support community economic development.
Revenue generated by the wind farm project means funding for Kahnawà:ke through extra resources for our community programs such as career and employment training, support to small businesses, youth program development and sports, leisure and cultural activities.
The citizens of Saint-Cyprien-de-Napierville will also gain from the project. While contributing to the development of renewable and clean energy in Quebec, they will reap the economic benefits linked to this new industry, including a contribution of approximately three million dollars that would be paid directly to the municipality over a 20-year period.
Such an investment will have many positive impacts and provide funding for projects the community of Saint-Cyprien-de-Napierville chooses to carry out.
Landowners of the proposed sites for the turbines have indicated their support for the project by providing KSE with written commitments giving KSE the option to lease their lands for the duration of the project.

We understand that there may be question or concerns about the project, and we are willing to hear them out and respond to them. In fact our goal is to meet, inform, and work in partnership with all of the parties involved, starting with the elected officials and the citizens of Saint-Cyprien-de-Napierville.
We will soon begin a comprehensive assessment of our project. This is part of the normal impact evaluation process by the BAPE (Bureau d’audience publiques sur l’environnement). A series of independent studies are required in the coming months to evaluate the project’s potential impacts on people and the environment.
Over and above these normal requirements, we are developing our work plan to directly involve all interested parties in the project evaluation phase and integrate their concerns in the impact study.
We would also like to provide a brief timeline of future phases of the project, all required before the project is finalized and construction can begin.
Spring 2011: Plan for the information, consultation and participation activities
Summer – fall 2011: Impact Study
Summer – fall 2011: Information, consultation and participation activities
We sincerely believe that this project is of great value on many fronts. On top of being economically viable, it boasts many social and environmental advantages. The benefits are undeniable and we would like to share them with our community, the citizens of Saint-Cyprien-de-Napierville, and the surrounding region.

Niá:wen,

Lionel Jacobs,
Chairman, Board of Directors
Tewatohnhi’saktha
Contact us for more information
www.ksenergies.ca
450-638-4280
Amy Rice