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Province cancels solar installation at Oro-Medonte airport

Project one of many in area scrapped by government
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(stock photo)

The province has turned the lights out on a solar project at Lake Simcoe Regional Airport.

Construction was about to begin on the 6.75-megawatt solar installation at the Oro-Medonte airport when the government announced recently the cancellation of multiple renewable energy projects across the province.

“There’s obviously an element of disappointment,” said Mike Drumm, general manager of the airport, which leased the 40 acres to Invenergy.

It would have been the second-largest solar installation at an airport in Ontario.

Invenergy approached the airport a few years ago with the idea for the project. It was set to become operational in 2019.

“It seemed like a unique opportunity,” Drumm said.

He added he doesn’t “hold any ill will toward the province for this decision.”

“We appreciate that different governments have different priorities.”

An official with Invenergy was not willing to comment on the cancellation.

In addition to the Lake Simcoe Regional Airport project, the province is cancelling a number of smaller, rooftop and non-rooftop solar installations in the area, most of them in Ramara. Nearly 30 projects are scheduled to wind down in the township.

See the complete list of affected projects here.


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Nathan Taylor

About the Author: Nathan Taylor

Nathan Taylor is the desk editor for Village Media's central Ontario news desk in Simcoe County and Newmarket.
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