Proposed wind farm near Okanagan Connector gets regional district nod

PENTICTON – A 10 metre height limit just doesn’t cut it when it comes to installing a wind farm.

Elkhart Wind GP Ltd approached the Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen’s board of directors yesterday, Oct.19, seeking and acquiring a variance permit to allow for maximum height from 10 m to 150 m.

The company is developing a wind farm of up to seven wind turbine generators in the Elkhart Lodge area on Highway 97C, a portion of which is in the regional district Electoral Area H.

Elkhart Wind intends to construct the electricity generation project on 886 hectares of Crown land that straddles the Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen and the Thompson-Nicola Regional District.

It is anticipated two or three of the turbines will be located in the Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen portion of the property.

A staff report noted the remote location of the development site would make it unlikely adverse impacts would be experienced by adjacent property owners, with the nearest privately held parcel of land approximately five kilometres to the southeast.

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