Economic Benefits from 100 MW Wind Project

Supports local economy by:
  • Purchasing goods and services
  • Increasing revenue for service businesses such as local restaurants and hotels

Contributes to community with commitments for the life of the project:

  • Belle River Wind established a community benefit agreement with the Town of Lakeshore.  It provided and initial payment of $2 million with an annual payment of $200,000 for the next 20 years, which adds up to an additional $4 million. The initial and annual contributions are available to fund projects and initiatives owned and administered by the Town of Lakeshore that benefit the residents. Examples of projects include:
    • Roads, airport and municipal servicing infrastructure; 
    • Land stewardship initiatives, including but not limited to natural habitat creation and improvement, tree planting, and shoreline rehabilitation;
    • Public recreational facilities, including but not limited to the construction, renovation or rehabilitation of public arenas, parks and trails;
    • Education and job training programs; and 
    • Other community related activities sanctioned by the community through approval by the Council of the Town of Lakeshore.
Significantly contributes to tax base with estimated $220,000 annually benefitting:
  • Town of Lakeshore
  • Essex County
  • Local Schools

Creates job opportunities:

  • Ontario-based subcontractors were utilized for construction of the wind project
  • Approximately 200 workers on-site during project construction and 10 permanent positions during operations
  • Local contractors for maintenance activities 
  • Maintenance personnel generally need to be proficient mechanics or electrical/electronic technicians