Neweg

Welcome to the website for the Neweg Energy Project. This website has been created to provide information to community members, First Nations, government, and other stakeholders about the proposed project. Natural Forces is committed to meeting with stakeholders about our projects. Open houses and other community engagement activities are planned for this project and the website will be updated as information is available.

About the project

The proposed project is located in the traditional and ancestral land of the Mi'kmaq and the Wolastoqey. Natural Forces acknowledges that working on these lands is a privilege that comes with a great deal of responsibility. We believe that private companies have an important role to play in the decolonization of the energy sector and, ultimately, the path towards reconciliation through partnerships and meaningful engagement. To honour and achieve this, we must look forward for generations and integrate the practices and knowledge of the original land stewards, the Mi’kmaq and the Wolastoqey, into project planning.

The Neweg Energy Project is located in Kings County, New Brunswick approximately 20 km northeast of the Town of Sussex. The site lies between Route 114 and Portage Vale on Provincial Crown Land. The project is just north of the existing Wocawson Energy Project. The proposed project can have up to 6 wind turbine generators, with an installed capacity of approximately 25 MW which could power an estimated 6000 New Brunswick homes.

Project updates

As we develop the project, we are committed to providing the public with frequent updates and the results of our environmental studies in this section.

Project milestone timeline

Who is proposing the project?

Amlagog (Fort Folly) First Nation

Oinpegitjoig (Pabineau) First Nation

Natural Forces

Natural Forces is an independent power producer that develops, owns, and operates renewable energy projects. Natural Forces was established in 2001 and has its head office in Halifax, NS, as well as regional offices in Chetwynd, British Columbia; Quispamsis, New Brunswick; Dublin, Ireland; and New York State. Collectively, Natural Forces has close to 300 MW of renewable energy projects in operation across Canada, with several ongoing projects at various stages of completion in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Labrador, Saskatchewan, British Columbia, Ireland, and New York.

The senior management team at Natural Forces has over 70 years of combined renewable energy experience encompassing all project life cycle activities in a range of international locations including Canada, Ireland, Poland, the UK, and Australia. Natural Forces is an integrated developer and operator of renewable energy assets. The in-house team undertakes all activities from initial site selection, development, financing, construction, operations, and asset management. Our vision is to develop, construct, operate, and own clean renewable energy projects across Canada in partnership with local and Indigenous communities.

Why here?

When developing a wind project, it is crucial to find the most suitable location and community to host it. To do so, there are four main factors to consider during the site finding phase of development:

Wind resource
Distance to existing electrical and civil infrastructure
Environmental sensitivity
Socio-economic concerns

New Brunswick has excellent wind resources, so generating electricity is feasible in many locations around the province. Factors other than the strength and consistency of the wind must be taken into account when considering a site, such as proximity to the electricity grid, road access, ecology, archaeology, and cultural significance, proximity to residential dwellings, and health concerns.

The location of the Neweg Energy Project was selected after a thorough review of all of these factors.

Stakeholder engagement

The development of wind energy in New Brunswick provides a clean and stable source of energy and positively impacts local communities in a variety of ways. These include economic spinoff through the increase in demand of local goods and services, and job creation mostly notably during the construction phase. Natural Forces is committed to engaging with all stakeholders and stakeholder groups throughout the lifetime of the project, as we value community input greatly. Below are details on the newsletters that have been sent to our stakeholders, as well as summaries of the information that has been shared at our open houses. Interested in receiving our newsletters? Sign up here!

Newsletters

Natural Forces has engaged with, and continues to engage with, stakeholders through a number of avenues, including newsletters. Each of the newsletters circulated to date are linked below:

Open houses

Natural Forces will hold open house to provide an opportunity for the community to engage with Natural Forces staff. All of the information that will be presented at these open houses will be uploaded here.

What is the proces?

1 - Development: Current Stage	2 - Construction	3 - Operation	4 - Decommission or Retrofit
Assess the wind resource Survey for environmentally sensitive features Optimize turbine location to capture the wind efficiently and minimize impact on sensitive features Begin consultation with regulators and the public Conduct and present the Environmental Impact Assessment for environmental approval Apply for road, work and construction permits	Clear trees for roads and turbine pads Build access roads and pad areas Pour the turbine foundation Assemble the wind turbine Connect to NS Power's electrical grid	Commission the wind turbines to start producing power Conduct post-construction wildlife monitoring Monitor remotely for real time alerts when additional maintenance is needed Operate for 30 years	Assess wind turbine after 30 years Decommission wind turbines in 3-6 months Reclaim the site to its former state OR Receive approvals and permits to retrofit the turbine to continue harnessing energy

Environmental impact assessment

The New Brunswick Clean Environment Act, Environmental Assessment Regulations states that any wind farm project exceeding 3 MW of installed capacity must undergo an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). As the Neweg Energy Project will produce more than 3MW of electricity it is subject to an EIA.

To fully assess the potential environmental and socio-economic impacts of the project, the following comprehensive studies will be conducted:

Wind resource assessment
Wetlands and watercourses surveys
Bird and bat surveys
Mainland moose surveys
Vegetation and habitat surveys
Noise and visual assessments
Radiocommunication impact assessment
Archaeological assessments
Electromagnetic interference assessment

Frequently asked questions

Question	Answer
Will there be an impact to the environment?	Natural Forces undertakes rigorous environmental impact assessments ahead of construction to determine existing environmental sensitivities and potential impacts on the project to the environment. This information will be reviewed by provincial government officials and will be open for public comment.
How close are the turbines to residences?	The proposed turbines will be set back at least 1.0 km from all cabins and houses.
Are wind turbines bad for my health?	No. A study done by Health Canada in 2014 investigated the health effects of wind turbine noise. This study found that wind turbine noise was not associated with negative health impacts. The summary of these results can be reviewed on the Health Canada Environmental and Workplace Health page and links to additional studies can be found in the following section.
How did Natural Forces get the land for this project?	For this project, Natural Forces leases land from private landowners. Over the course of several years, we have developed trusted relationships with the landowners and in all instances the land remains in the ownership of the landowner and is leased for the duration of the project. No land has been leased from unwilling landowners.

Natural Forces - Halifax Office
1801 Hollis Street, Suite 1205
Halifax, NS
B3J 3N4

902-483-9592 | community[at]naturalforces.ca

Neweg Energy Project