Pathfinder Clean Energy (PACE) has approached the Town of Hanna to allow installation of the Harvest Sky Economic Development Corporation’s (HSEDC) proposed solar farm in the Urban Reserve district next to the Hanna airport.
Coun. Sandra Murphy questioned if Aviation Canada could overrule the proposed project if the Alberta Utilities Commission approved its installation.
Coun. Kyle Olsen pointed out that, if the project proceeds, the Hanna airport would be the first and only airport in North America to have a solar farm next to its runway.
Olsen referenced a report from Aviation International News (AIN): “There’s two hours every day when you fly in your circle around that paved runway, that you get glare bad enough that when you look away you see spots.
“Hanna will be, I hope not, but potentially, Hanna will be the first airport with solar panels around it ever, that’s not controlled.
“This is a big concern, that we’re going to be the example.”
Olsen concluded that the impact of solar panels along a runway is unknown but a potentially huge, hazardous risk, if the project were to proceed.
“One loss of life, it will be a very bad day,” stated Coun. Murphy.
Coun. Fred Crowle motioned to remove solar power plants from discretionary use in the Urban Reserve Land Use by-law, meaning a solar power plant would no longer be permitted.
However, during council discussion, it was pointed out the difficulties with this approach, as the Alberta Utilities Commission could override the decision.
The motion was defeated.
Coun. Angie Warwick moved Hanna administration draft a letter to PACE, listing the objections council has with the project, including the concern about pilots being visually impaired by sunlight reflected from solar panels near the runway.
Chief Administration Officer (CAO) Kim Neill agreed administration would write the letter but the letter would need council’s final approval to be sure all councillors were agreeable to the wording.
The motion passed.
Wind turbine report
Mayor Danny Povaschuk reported that the storage yard at Cactus Corner will be used again for storing wind turbine blades for upcoming projects.
“Wind turbine projects are not going to be going away anytime soon,” Povaschuk said.
“The conversation I had about a year and a half ago with one of the guys was there could be as many as 550 wind turbines within 50 miles of Hanna in five years.”
Povaschuk commends these projects as good for Hanna, as about 50 installation workers are residing in Hanna, from where they currently travel north daily on Highway 36 for work.
Lane Koster
ECA Review
