EDPR assessing legal action after permit revoked for 100 MW Nation Rise Wind Farm in North Stormont

EDP Renewables Canada Ltd. (EDPR) is assessing all potential legal actions following the Ontario Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks’ recent decision purportedly to revoke Nation Rise Wind Farm’s Renewable Energy Approval (REA). This unprecedented decision means the REA that was issued by the Minister’s own staff, defended by Ministry legal counsel and subsequently ratified by the Environmental Review Tribunal (Tribunal) is no longer in effect. As a result, EDPR has been forced to halt all construction activities.

The minister revoked the REA following a full appeal by community group Concerned Citizens of North Stormont, which raised serious issues of concern about human health and the environment.

The Minister’s decision effectively overturned previous findings of both experts and the Tribunal, which had both concluded based on a significant investigation, expert evidence, and due diligence, that the project has no material adverse effects on the natural environment.

The Nation Rise Wind Farm is a 29-wind turbine, 100-megawatt wind energy project in the Municipality of North Stormont within the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas, and Glengarry in eastern Ontario, Canada. Nation Rise began construction in May 2019 and construction is significantly advanced with numerous wind turbines already fully erected. The project was competitively procured under the IESO Large Renewable Procurement and will produce zero emission electricity.