Canadian Press - ONLINE EDITION
N.S., N.L. exploring way to ship power to U.S. that would avoid N.B.
By: John Lewandowski, THE CANADIAN PRESS
9/12/2009 3:46 PM | Comments: 0
Print E–mail Share ThisReport Error HALIFAX, N.S. - Concerns over access to the lucrative and energy-hungry markets south of the border have led Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador to consider alternative ways of shipping electricity that would bypass New Brunswick, Premier Darrell Dexter said Wednesday.
The two provinces are worried the proposed sale of NB Power to Hydro-Quebec could prevent them from shipping electricity from a potential hydro project in Labrador and tidal power from the Bay of Fundy through New Brunswick.
"That's why the question of transmission is so important," said Dexter following a speech to the Halifax Chamber of Commerce.
"If there becomes a problem at the New Brunswick border, you have to look at the alternatives. You're not going to rule out anything."
One of those options could include the construction of at least 200 kilometres of underwater cables that would cross the Strait of Belle Isle, Cabot Strait and Bay of Fundy to New England, in addition to transmission lines on land.
New Brunswick has repeatedly rebuffed demands by Dexter and Premier Danny Williams of Newfoundland and Labrador to guarantee in writing their ability to wheel their power through its borders if the proposed sale is finalized.
Earlier this week, New Brunswick Finance Minister Greg Byrne said they were prepared to talk to their neighbours about building new transmission facilities. But he said he would not issue a "carte blanche" letter committing them to something that's not in their best interests.
Dexter said he's not sure where that leaves his province's interests.
"They take the position that what we're asking for already exists, but we feel differently about that," he said.
"We raised the question because we feel it's a fair ask."
As Dexter was speaking in Halifax, a rally of those opposed to the sale was held in Moncton, N.B., that featured academics and organized labour leaders.
Unions in New Brunswick are worried about the possibility of future job cuts if coal-fired plants in Dalhousie, Courtenay Bay and Grand Lake are shut down under the deal with Hydro-Quebec.
Labour groups in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador argue that ceding control to Hydro-Quebec would limit the ability of their provinces to develop new power sources and sell it to the U.S.
If approved, the agreement would see Hydro-Quebec buy NB Power assets such as transmission lines, offices and most generation facilities, including the Point Lepreau nuclear power plant.
It would also relieve New Brunswick of its debt-laden utility as well as freeze residential rates for five years and reduce industrial rates by as much as 30 per cent in some cases - an arrangement Byrne says is worth another $5.5 billion in savings.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Uncoordinated Development of Turbines
A view from Germany
Wednesday, December 09, 2009 ... /////
Wind turbines in Germany: possible blackouts
When I was going through Germany a week ago (the train is mostly moving along the Moldau and Elbe rivers, both in Czechia and Germany), it was impossible not to notice the huge number of wind turbines over there (something that I noticed in France half a year earlier, too).
The number is said to be even higher in Northern Germany.
Germany has brought the percentage of the wind-generated electricity to 7 percent (still below Spain which is above 10%) and this fraction is so large that problems inevitably follow. As the Czech radio reported,
German "pinwheels" overload the Czech power grid (EN)
Every year, a huge excess of wind-generated electricity from Northern Germany causes problems to the grids in Czechia, Poland, Austria, Slovenia, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Switzerland.
A year ago, the wind was really strong and the first problems occurred. So they established a warning system. The problems are repeating in 2009, too. For example, it was planned for the last week that there would be a total of 130 MW of electricity flowing from Czechia to Germany. However, the actual budget was 1300 MW in the opposite direction. The balance was almost 1500 MW different than planned.
Mr Petr Zeman, the CEO of the Czech Power Grid (ČEPS), explained that they have survived so far. In his opinion, the problems are caused by the uncoordinated development of the wind turbines in Germany. They have stated that 20% of the electricity should come from renewable sources but these slovens no longer care what it does with the grids.
It is clear to Mr Zeman that if Germany were not connected to the rest of Europe, it wouldn't be able to survive these moments. The grids could be built to sustain such irregularities. However, it takes something like 10 years to build new power lines (which includes 7 years of the hugely complex EU paperwork).
The blackouts are being avoided by rather ad hoc methods of turning individual stations on and off in an internationally semi-coordinated and semi-predicted fashion. However, the chaotic description makes it likely that the system may collapse at some moment. The tasks for the regulation will be increasingly difficult as Germany wants to inflate the current 25 GW of pinwheels to 50 GW of pinwheels.
Mr Zeman says that this will be a big challenge of the type they can solve but he can't rule out that they will fail on one windy day in the future. ;-) When the problems will be too serious and the international re-dispatching will no longer be enough to balance the network, Mr Zeman is ready to say: "We can't be your saviors forever. Screw you, renewable German PC pinheads." And he will simply disconnect the sick German grid from ours. :-)
Enjoy your schwarz-aus. :-)
Are those 10% of the electricity worth this chaos and risk? I think that irregular sources of energy that cause such problems should be much cheaper (twice cheaper?) than the solid, regular, and predictable sources. In reality, they are four times more expensive. There's way too much subsidized nonsense and way too many idiots in the political and legislative portion of this industry.
from "the reference frame"
Wednesday, December 09, 2009 ... /////
Wind turbines in Germany: possible blackouts
When I was going through Germany a week ago (the train is mostly moving along the Moldau and Elbe rivers, both in Czechia and Germany), it was impossible not to notice the huge number of wind turbines over there (something that I noticed in France half a year earlier, too).
The number is said to be even higher in Northern Germany.
Germany has brought the percentage of the wind-generated electricity to 7 percent (still below Spain which is above 10%) and this fraction is so large that problems inevitably follow. As the Czech radio reported,
German "pinwheels" overload the Czech power grid (EN)
Every year, a huge excess of wind-generated electricity from Northern Germany causes problems to the grids in Czechia, Poland, Austria, Slovenia, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Switzerland.
A year ago, the wind was really strong and the first problems occurred. So they established a warning system. The problems are repeating in 2009, too. For example, it was planned for the last week that there would be a total of 130 MW of electricity flowing from Czechia to Germany. However, the actual budget was 1300 MW in the opposite direction. The balance was almost 1500 MW different than planned.
Mr Petr Zeman, the CEO of the Czech Power Grid (ČEPS), explained that they have survived so far. In his opinion, the problems are caused by the uncoordinated development of the wind turbines in Germany. They have stated that 20% of the electricity should come from renewable sources but these slovens no longer care what it does with the grids.
It is clear to Mr Zeman that if Germany were not connected to the rest of Europe, it wouldn't be able to survive these moments. The grids could be built to sustain such irregularities. However, it takes something like 10 years to build new power lines (which includes 7 years of the hugely complex EU paperwork).
The blackouts are being avoided by rather ad hoc methods of turning individual stations on and off in an internationally semi-coordinated and semi-predicted fashion. However, the chaotic description makes it likely that the system may collapse at some moment. The tasks for the regulation will be increasingly difficult as Germany wants to inflate the current 25 GW of pinwheels to 50 GW of pinwheels.
Mr Zeman says that this will be a big challenge of the type they can solve but he can't rule out that they will fail on one windy day in the future. ;-) When the problems will be too serious and the international re-dispatching will no longer be enough to balance the network, Mr Zeman is ready to say: "We can't be your saviors forever. Screw you, renewable German PC pinheads." And he will simply disconnect the sick German grid from ours. :-)
Enjoy your schwarz-aus. :-)
Are those 10% of the electricity worth this chaos and risk? I think that irregular sources of energy that cause such problems should be much cheaper (twice cheaper?) than the solid, regular, and predictable sources. In reality, they are four times more expensive. There's way too much subsidized nonsense and way too many idiots in the political and legislative portion of this industry.
from "the reference frame"
Labels:
Germany wind turbines
Protecting the Bats
Court constricts W.Va. wind farm to protect bats
Company must apply for special permit to build more turbines
By Maria Glod
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, December 10, 2009
In a rare green vs. green court case, a federal judge in Maryland has halted expansion of a West Virginia wind farm, saying its massive turbines would kill endangered Indiana bats.
U.S. District Judge Roger W. Titus ruled that Chicago-based Invenergy can complete 40 windmills it has begun to install on an Appalachian ridge in Greenbrier County. But he said the company cannot move forward on the $300 million project -- slated to have 122 turbines along a 23-mile stretch -- without a special permit from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
"Like death and taxes, there is a virtual certainty that Indiana bats will be harmed, wounded, or killed imminently by the Beech Ridge Project," Titus wrote in a 74-page opinion. "The development of wind energy can and should be encouraged, but wind turbines must be good neighbors."
The lawsuit in Greenbelt is the first court challenge to wind power under the Endangered Species Act, but as wind and solar farms rapidly expand nationwide, similar battles are playing out. Officials and environmentalists are working to find a balance between the benefits of clean energy and the impact on birds, bats and even the water supply.
David Cowan, 72, a longtime caver who fought to stop the project, said the ruling is a victory for the Indiana bat, a brownish-gray creature that weighs about as much as three pennies and, wings outstretched, measures about eight inches. A 2005 estimate concluded that there were 457,000 of them, half as many as in 1967, when they were first listed as endangered. Local populations hibernate in limestone caves within miles of the wind farm.
"I think this is going to make the wind-power people realize that just picking a place that has the right amount of wind isn't all that needs to be looked at," Cowan said.
The court ruled that if it wants to complete the project, Invenergy must seek a federal "incidental take permit," which sets out conditions to mitigate possible harm to an endangered species. The permit, for instance, could restrict the times turbines operate to avoid the bat migration season, bar turbines in the most sensitive areas or require the company to take other steps to protect the bat population.
Until a permit is granted, Titus said, the 40 turbines nearing completion in the first stage of building can operate only in winter, when the bats are hibernating.
Joseph Condo, Invenergy vice president and general counsel, said Invenergy will apply for the permit. He said the completed project would provide power to an estimated 50,000 homes.
"Invenergy continues to be committed to the Beech Ridge project and bringing clean renewable energy to West Virginia," Condo said. "We are very optimistic that the permit will be granted and the project can reach its full potential."
Cowan and other plaintiffs, including the D.C.-based Animal Welfare Institute, support wind power as one way to mitigate climate change. But they say the harm done to the Indiana bat would outweigh the benefits in this instance. The bats, they say, are likely to fly near the turbines in the fall as they migrate to caves from forests, where they spend spring and summer.
Turbines in other locations have killed tens of thousands of bats. Some strike blades. Others die from a condition known as barotrauma, similar to the bends that afflict divers. It occurs when the moving blades create low-pressure zones that cause the bats' tiny lungs to hemorrhage. Scientists and the industry are seeking ways to lessen the number of bats killed, including stopping the turbines at certain times or using sounds to deter the bats.
Invenergy had argued that there is no sign that Indiana bats fly near the ridge. When a consultant put up nets at or near the site in summer 2005 and 2006 to search for bats, no Indiana bats were captured. The company also stressed that there is no confirmed killing of an Indiana bat at any wind farm nationwide.
Eric R. Glitzenstein, an attorney for the plaintiffs, said the lawsuit makes the case for greater federal government oversight of the fast-growing industry that produces wind and solar power. Although coal and nuclear power are regulated, he said, new renewable sources of power are not subject to the same scrutiny.
"This sends an important message that renewable energy is not necessarily green energy," Glitzenstein said. "We should not be creating new ecological crises by addressing existing ones. All energy sources have potential benefits, but they also have potential risks."
Company must apply for special permit to build more turbines
By Maria Glod
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, December 10, 2009
In a rare green vs. green court case, a federal judge in Maryland has halted expansion of a West Virginia wind farm, saying its massive turbines would kill endangered Indiana bats.
U.S. District Judge Roger W. Titus ruled that Chicago-based Invenergy can complete 40 windmills it has begun to install on an Appalachian ridge in Greenbrier County. But he said the company cannot move forward on the $300 million project -- slated to have 122 turbines along a 23-mile stretch -- without a special permit from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
"Like death and taxes, there is a virtual certainty that Indiana bats will be harmed, wounded, or killed imminently by the Beech Ridge Project," Titus wrote in a 74-page opinion. "The development of wind energy can and should be encouraged, but wind turbines must be good neighbors."
The lawsuit in Greenbelt is the first court challenge to wind power under the Endangered Species Act, but as wind and solar farms rapidly expand nationwide, similar battles are playing out. Officials and environmentalists are working to find a balance between the benefits of clean energy and the impact on birds, bats and even the water supply.
David Cowan, 72, a longtime caver who fought to stop the project, said the ruling is a victory for the Indiana bat, a brownish-gray creature that weighs about as much as three pennies and, wings outstretched, measures about eight inches. A 2005 estimate concluded that there were 457,000 of them, half as many as in 1967, when they were first listed as endangered. Local populations hibernate in limestone caves within miles of the wind farm.
"I think this is going to make the wind-power people realize that just picking a place that has the right amount of wind isn't all that needs to be looked at," Cowan said.
The court ruled that if it wants to complete the project, Invenergy must seek a federal "incidental take permit," which sets out conditions to mitigate possible harm to an endangered species. The permit, for instance, could restrict the times turbines operate to avoid the bat migration season, bar turbines in the most sensitive areas or require the company to take other steps to protect the bat population.
Until a permit is granted, Titus said, the 40 turbines nearing completion in the first stage of building can operate only in winter, when the bats are hibernating.
Joseph Condo, Invenergy vice president and general counsel, said Invenergy will apply for the permit. He said the completed project would provide power to an estimated 50,000 homes.
"Invenergy continues to be committed to the Beech Ridge project and bringing clean renewable energy to West Virginia," Condo said. "We are very optimistic that the permit will be granted and the project can reach its full potential."
Cowan and other plaintiffs, including the D.C.-based Animal Welfare Institute, support wind power as one way to mitigate climate change. But they say the harm done to the Indiana bat would outweigh the benefits in this instance. The bats, they say, are likely to fly near the turbines in the fall as they migrate to caves from forests, where they spend spring and summer.
Turbines in other locations have killed tens of thousands of bats. Some strike blades. Others die from a condition known as barotrauma, similar to the bends that afflict divers. It occurs when the moving blades create low-pressure zones that cause the bats' tiny lungs to hemorrhage. Scientists and the industry are seeking ways to lessen the number of bats killed, including stopping the turbines at certain times or using sounds to deter the bats.
Invenergy had argued that there is no sign that Indiana bats fly near the ridge. When a consultant put up nets at or near the site in summer 2005 and 2006 to search for bats, no Indiana bats were captured. The company also stressed that there is no confirmed killing of an Indiana bat at any wind farm nationwide.
Eric R. Glitzenstein, an attorney for the plaintiffs, said the lawsuit makes the case for greater federal government oversight of the fast-growing industry that produces wind and solar power. Although coal and nuclear power are regulated, he said, new renewable sources of power are not subject to the same scrutiny.
"This sends an important message that renewable energy is not necessarily green energy," Glitzenstein said. "We should not be creating new ecological crises by addressing existing ones. All energy sources have potential benefits, but they also have potential risks."
Labels:
bats and wind turbines
Scotland's Energy Targets
Nation’s green energy assets hailed
scotland has comparative advantage but effort and expenditure will be needed, says report
By Tim Pauling
Published: 10/12/2009
Scotland is well placed to meet and possibly exceed its renewable-energy targets but “significant effort and expenditure” will be needed, according to a new report.
A study commissioned by the Scottish Government says the country has a “comparative advantage” when it comes to green energy. Wind, hydro, wave and tidal power can all play a part, as can carbon capture and storage.
But the technologies do not currently provide the cheapest source of power, and incentives will be needed to encourage investors, it says.
Scotland is committed to providing 50% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2020 and already generates about half the UK’s output from renewables. Earlier this year, the Scottish Parliament agreed to cut carbon emissions in 2050 by 80%, with a target of 42% by 2020.
The report by consultancy Wood Mackenzie says: “Scotland is well placed to meet and potentially exceed its key energy targets, particularly those relating to renewable energy supply in the period to 2020, although others (including longer-term objectives) remain less certain.” The Scottish contribution will be vital in meeting UK climate-energy targets and progress towards European goals, the consultants say.
Onshore wind and hydro are the most developed forms of renewable energy, but carbon capture and marine energy still require “considerable” research and development.
“A significant degree of uncertainty exists around technology costs, particularly in respect to less developed renewable sources,” according to the report. An expanded electricity grid, including connections to the Continent, will be needed. The report says: “Significant effort and expenditure would be required to fully realise this comparative advantage.”
Energy Minister Jim Mather said: “The study shows the impact that renewables can have in reducing emissions and shows that carbon capture could have a huge, positive impact for Scotland when it is fully operational.”
Scottish Renewables chief executive Niall Stuart said there was no disagreement about the potential of renewables. “The argument is around how we deliver the potential,” he said.
“Government now has to focus on the challenge of delivering faster and fairer grid connections, speeding up the planning system, supporting the development of new technology and training the thousands of people that the sector needs to recruit if it is to meet its ambitions to grow.”
The report did not look at nuclear power and SNP ministers have said they will reject any applications to build new plants in Scotland.
Tory energy spokesman Gavin Brown said: “It is the SNP’s blinkered dogma which is threatening to turn out the lights across Scotland by refusing to consider continued nuclear power as part of the energy mix.”
Read more: http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/1519902?UserKey=#ixzz0ZKzsBgfT
scotland has comparative advantage but effort and expenditure will be needed, says report
By Tim Pauling
Published: 10/12/2009
Scotland is well placed to meet and possibly exceed its renewable-energy targets but “significant effort and expenditure” will be needed, according to a new report.
A study commissioned by the Scottish Government says the country has a “comparative advantage” when it comes to green energy. Wind, hydro, wave and tidal power can all play a part, as can carbon capture and storage.
But the technologies do not currently provide the cheapest source of power, and incentives will be needed to encourage investors, it says.
Scotland is committed to providing 50% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2020 and already generates about half the UK’s output from renewables. Earlier this year, the Scottish Parliament agreed to cut carbon emissions in 2050 by 80%, with a target of 42% by 2020.
The report by consultancy Wood Mackenzie says: “Scotland is well placed to meet and potentially exceed its key energy targets, particularly those relating to renewable energy supply in the period to 2020, although others (including longer-term objectives) remain less certain.” The Scottish contribution will be vital in meeting UK climate-energy targets and progress towards European goals, the consultants say.
Onshore wind and hydro are the most developed forms of renewable energy, but carbon capture and marine energy still require “considerable” research and development.
“A significant degree of uncertainty exists around technology costs, particularly in respect to less developed renewable sources,” according to the report. An expanded electricity grid, including connections to the Continent, will be needed. The report says: “Significant effort and expenditure would be required to fully realise this comparative advantage.”
Energy Minister Jim Mather said: “The study shows the impact that renewables can have in reducing emissions and shows that carbon capture could have a huge, positive impact for Scotland when it is fully operational.”
Scottish Renewables chief executive Niall Stuart said there was no disagreement about the potential of renewables. “The argument is around how we deliver the potential,” he said.
“Government now has to focus on the challenge of delivering faster and fairer grid connections, speeding up the planning system, supporting the development of new technology and training the thousands of people that the sector needs to recruit if it is to meet its ambitions to grow.”
The report did not look at nuclear power and SNP ministers have said they will reject any applications to build new plants in Scotland.
Tory energy spokesman Gavin Brown said: “It is the SNP’s blinkered dogma which is threatening to turn out the lights across Scotland by refusing to consider continued nuclear power as part of the energy mix.”
Read more: http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/1519902?UserKey=#ixzz0ZKzsBgfT
Broadband Slow to Cover Nova Scotia
Broadband linkup falls behind schedule
EastLink, Seaside Communications may face $2 million in penalty charges
By JEFFREY SIMPSON Provincial Reporter
Thu. Dec 10 - 4:46 AM
Chuck Porter, Conservative MLA for Hants West, says he often gets calls from residents of his riding asking when they can get broadband service.
The province’s ambitious plan to provide high-speed Internet access for everybody is well behind schedule and probably over budget.
Ian Thompson, deputy minister of Economic and Rural Development, told a legislative committee Wednesday that the project won’t meet its end-of-year deadline. That will leave thousands of rural residents relying on dial-up service for their businesses and homes well into 2010.
"We’re not going to be 100 per cent complete," Mr. Thompson told the public accounts committee.
"I understand there are Nova Scotians who are disappointed they’re not going to have it."
There remains about six per cent of the province waiting for broadband access, which should be available by May, he said.
Mr. Thompson also suggested taxpayers could be on the hook for more than the original $19.6 million it was supposed to cost the province.
"We won’t know the cost until it’s completed," he said. "It could be thousands; it could be millions. The important thing . . . from our perspective is that we get this done."
Mr. Thompson said there are penalty clauses in the contracts that penalize the private firms working on the project for failing to finish by the end of this month.
He told the committee that EastLink faces a $2 million penalty, but outside the chamber claimed to have made a mistake. He refused to clarify what punitive measures the firms behind schedule — EastLink and Seaside Communications — are facing and even suggested the province may decide against using that clause.
"The penalty clause is sufficient to give us the sort of commercial leverage that we believe we need to have," he said. "We’ll use the penalty clause to the extent that we believe it’s helpful."
A spokeswoman for his department later confirmed that each firm faces penalties of up to $2 million for being behind schedule.
Seaside was responsible for providing service for about 48 per cent of the rural parts of the province in need — it’s about 94 per cent complete. EastLink was tasked with covering 51 per cent of the area without broadband and is only 48 per cent finished.
The other company involved is OmniGlobe, which is on target to meet its deadline.
Vanessa Lentz, who runs a photography business from her home in Hillsvale, Hants County, was disappointed to learn she’ll have to wait a lot longer for broadband service.
"I am upset," Ms. Lentz said. "It’s frustrating. I’m trying to provide service to my clients."
She has to make a 50-kilometre round trip to use computers at a library in Windsor to upload her photos to a Toronto company that processes them for her, because it won’t allow her to tie up its server using dial-up.
That’s time consuming and costs money, making her business less efficient and cutting into her family time, she said.
Ms. Lentz said she feels cheated because she began her business two years ago with the understanding she’d be connected to broadband by now.
"That was a huge consideration in me actually opening this business," she said. "If something is promised to me I expect it to be delivered."
Chuck Porter, the Conservative MLA for Hants West, said the project was on schedule when his party left office and he’d been assured until recently from Mr. Thompson’s department that it’d be wrapped up on time.
Mr. Porter said he receives about five phone calls a week from residents and business owners in his riding who are wondering when they’ll have access to broadband service.
"They’re quite frustrated," he said. "I would like to think we’re doing everything we can to be on time."
But he’s not convinced the project will be completed by May as Mr. Thompson suggested, he said.
Mr. Porter said the Internet providers should have to pay the penalties outlined in their contracts.
"Ask the taxpayers — they’d be more than happy to get $2 million of their money back," he said. "We’ve invested hugely as taxpayers in this."
In 2007, the province announced the $74.5-million initiative to bring broadband to all parts of the province by 2010. The province committed $19.6 million to the initiative while the federal government contributed $14.5 million, with the companies putting up the rest.
( jsimpson@herald.ca)
EastLink, Seaside Communications may face $2 million in penalty charges
By JEFFREY SIMPSON Provincial Reporter
Thu. Dec 10 - 4:46 AM
Chuck Porter, Conservative MLA for Hants West, says he often gets calls from residents of his riding asking when they can get broadband service.
The province’s ambitious plan to provide high-speed Internet access for everybody is well behind schedule and probably over budget.
Ian Thompson, deputy minister of Economic and Rural Development, told a legislative committee Wednesday that the project won’t meet its end-of-year deadline. That will leave thousands of rural residents relying on dial-up service for their businesses and homes well into 2010.
"We’re not going to be 100 per cent complete," Mr. Thompson told the public accounts committee.
"I understand there are Nova Scotians who are disappointed they’re not going to have it."
There remains about six per cent of the province waiting for broadband access, which should be available by May, he said.
Mr. Thompson also suggested taxpayers could be on the hook for more than the original $19.6 million it was supposed to cost the province.
"We won’t know the cost until it’s completed," he said. "It could be thousands; it could be millions. The important thing . . . from our perspective is that we get this done."
Mr. Thompson said there are penalty clauses in the contracts that penalize the private firms working on the project for failing to finish by the end of this month.
He told the committee that EastLink faces a $2 million penalty, but outside the chamber claimed to have made a mistake. He refused to clarify what punitive measures the firms behind schedule — EastLink and Seaside Communications — are facing and even suggested the province may decide against using that clause.
"The penalty clause is sufficient to give us the sort of commercial leverage that we believe we need to have," he said. "We’ll use the penalty clause to the extent that we believe it’s helpful."
A spokeswoman for his department later confirmed that each firm faces penalties of up to $2 million for being behind schedule.
Seaside was responsible for providing service for about 48 per cent of the rural parts of the province in need — it’s about 94 per cent complete. EastLink was tasked with covering 51 per cent of the area without broadband and is only 48 per cent finished.
The other company involved is OmniGlobe, which is on target to meet its deadline.
Vanessa Lentz, who runs a photography business from her home in Hillsvale, Hants County, was disappointed to learn she’ll have to wait a lot longer for broadband service.
"I am upset," Ms. Lentz said. "It’s frustrating. I’m trying to provide service to my clients."
She has to make a 50-kilometre round trip to use computers at a library in Windsor to upload her photos to a Toronto company that processes them for her, because it won’t allow her to tie up its server using dial-up.
That’s time consuming and costs money, making her business less efficient and cutting into her family time, she said.
Ms. Lentz said she feels cheated because she began her business two years ago with the understanding she’d be connected to broadband by now.
"That was a huge consideration in me actually opening this business," she said. "If something is promised to me I expect it to be delivered."
Chuck Porter, the Conservative MLA for Hants West, said the project was on schedule when his party left office and he’d been assured until recently from Mr. Thompson’s department that it’d be wrapped up on time.
Mr. Porter said he receives about five phone calls a week from residents and business owners in his riding who are wondering when they’ll have access to broadband service.
"They’re quite frustrated," he said. "I would like to think we’re doing everything we can to be on time."
But he’s not convinced the project will be completed by May as Mr. Thompson suggested, he said.
Mr. Porter said the Internet providers should have to pay the penalties outlined in their contracts.
"Ask the taxpayers — they’d be more than happy to get $2 million of their money back," he said. "We’ve invested hugely as taxpayers in this."
In 2007, the province announced the $74.5-million initiative to bring broadband to all parts of the province by 2010. The province committed $19.6 million to the initiative while the federal government contributed $14.5 million, with the companies putting up the rest.
( jsimpson@herald.ca)
Labels:
Nova Scotia broadband internet
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
