Your Local News

SOLAR PARK:It's a first for canada, and it's located just north of Napanee in stone mills township.

October 14, 2009

IT'S A FIRST FOR CANADA, AND IT'S LOCATED JUST NORTH OF NAPANEE IN STONE MILLS TOWNSHIP.

AND AS NEWSWATCH'S CHRIS HARVEY EXPLAINS, THE OWNERS OF "FIRST LIGHT" SAY THIS IS ONLY THEIR "FIRST STEP".

IT'S HUGE.

ROW UPON ROW OF SOLAR PANELS COVER 90 ACRES OF THIS CONVERTED FARMLAND JUST NORTH OF NAPANEE.

ENOUGH SOLAR PANELS TO COVER 50 FOOTBALL FIELDS.

AND IT'S NOW OFFICIALLY UP AND RUNNING AND PRODUCING ELECTRICITY.

GEORGE SMITHERMAN:

"WHEN I MAKE THIS SNIP I WILL OFFICIALLY DECLARE THIS FIRST LIGHT PROJECT OPEN TO SUPPLY A THOUSAND HOMES WITH WHAT THEY NEED."

THIS 40 MILLION DOLLAR SOLAR ENERGY PARK IS EXPECTED TO GENERATE 10 MILLION KILOWATT HOURS OF POWER A YEAR.

IT'S EQUIVALENT TO TAKING 18-HUNDRED CARS OFF THE ROAD, HELPING OUR ENVIRONMENT BY REMOVING 8-THOUSAND METRIC TONS OF CARBON FROM THE ATMOSPHERE.

GEORGE SMITHERMAN:

"IF WE CAN USE MORE OF WHAT MOTHER NATURE HAS TO OFFER, IT'S BETTER FOR ALL OF US."

THE MINISTER OF ENERGY SAYS MORE AND MORE PEOPLE ARE BECOMING AWARE AND ACCEPTING OF THE BENEFITS OF SOLAR POWER.

GEORGE SMITHERMAN:

"SOLAR WILL BECOME MORE AND MORE PRESENT IN OUR LIVES NO MATTER IF WE LIVE IN A RURAL AREA OR IN A MORE SUBURBAN OR URBAN ONE.

SO I THINK THAT SOLAR IS CATCHING ON AT A VERY VERY RAPID RATE."

THE ENERGY MINISTER SAYS HE'D LIKE TO SEE SOLAR POWER RIVAL COAL POWER -- WHICH STILL PRODUCES ABOUT 20 PERCENT OF THE PROVINCE'S ELECTRICITY NEEDS.

CHRIS HARVEY:

"IT'S TAKEN THREE YEARS TO GET THIS SOLAR FARM UP AND RUNNING.

STONE MILLS HAS BENEFITED FINANCIALLY THROUGHOUT THAT TIME AND THAT BENEFIT WILL CONTINUE IN THE FUTURE."

THERE ARE 120 THOUSAND THIN FILM SOLAR PANELS IN THIS FIELD AND MUCH OF THE INSTALLATION WORK WENT TO LOCAL CONTRACTORS.

DEB THOMPSON:

"WE'VE EXPERIENCED LOCAL CONTRACTORS HAVING THEIR WORK HERE AT THE FACILITY AND FUTURE JOBS, AND ALSO IT WILL BE AN INCREASED REVENUE IN OUR TAX BASE."

BUT WHY BUILD THIS HUGE SOLAR FARM IN STONE MILLS TOWNSHIP.

KERRY ADLER

"THE AREA WAS IDEALLY SUITED, THE SUN IS GREAT, THE COMMUNITY WAS VERY WARM AND ACCEPTING.

AND WE FELT THAT IF WE'RE GOING TO SET AN EXAMPLE AND BUILD ONE, WE MIGHT AS WELL BUILD ONE IN A WARM COMMUNITY WHERE WE CAN GIVE JOBS TO LOCAL PEOPLE AND REALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE."

TWO PRIVATE GREEN ENERGY COMPANIES -- SKY POWER AND SUN EDISON -- ARE BEHIND THE "FIRST LIGHT" SOLAR PARK.

AND THEY SAY IT WON'T BE THE LAST.

KERRY ADLER:

"NO, WE HAVE DOZENS OF OTHER PROJECTS PLANNED AND THIS IS THE FIRST OF MANY TO COME."

THEY HAVE A LONG-TERM CONTRACT TO PROVIDE SOLAR POWER TO THE ONTARIO HYDRO GRID.

THE KINGSTON REGION NOW HAS TWO RENEWABLE ENERGY FARMS -- THE NATION'S BIGGEST SOLAR PARK TO GO ALONG WITH ONE OF THE LARGEST WIND TURBINE SITES.

CHRIS HARVEY, CKWS NEWSWATCH, STONE MILLS TOWNSHIP.

Return to News