According to the information Trillium Wind Power Corp., Toronto, is proposing a 142-turbine project in the shoals southwest of the island to produce up to 710 megawatts of power. John Kourtoff, CEO of Trillium Wind, told that they purposefully went out on the water and chose this unique site because of its attributes.
It is said that the Main Duck Island was bought by the Canadian government in 1978. It had been in private hands, including those of former U.S. Secretary of State John Foster Dulles, who bought it in 1941. The shoals are a popular fishing spot. Fishing and sailboats would still be allowed in the area. And fish populations could increase as a result of the project.
According to the research conducted by Ontario’s government it is indicated that turbine foundations would create a “reef effect,” giving young fry shelter from storms that roll across the lake. That would regenerate their populations by up to eight times the natural rate. Commercial fishing once thrived on American eel and lake trout in the area, but commercial fishing is no longer legal there.
Trillium Wind leadership has worked on renewable energy development since the 1980s. Kourtoff said it might switch to 6-megawatt turbines instead of the 5-megawatt turbines currently planned. That would cut down on the number of turbines, decreasing the installation and maintenance costs.
