New wind farm generates money and hope for Neqotkuk First Nation

Source: Rachel Cave · CBC News · | November 2, 2021

Chief says clean energy will help pay for much-needed development, including housing

Source: Neqotkuk First Nation Chief Ross Perley says he’s working to create sources of revenue for his community that will allow it to be self-sustaining in the future. (Mike Heenan/CBC)

Neqotkuk First Nation, formerly known as Tobique First Nation, in western New Brunswick has started making money from its wind farm in the southern part of the province.

The first payment came to about $430,000 and Chief Ross Perley expects returns will only get better.

"We had some mishaps with one of the turbines, which was down for a number of months, and we had some expenses," he said. "But put it this way: The community should see on an annual basis around $800,000 to $1.2 million going forward."

Perley says he's going to invest the money in much-needed infrastructure, including new housing and road repairs. He's also contemplating a wind power bonus cheque that would go out to families, possibly just before Christmas. "So they can do something for their kids," he said.

The Wocawson Energy Project, near Sussex, is named for a Wabanaki legend, a giant mountaintop spirit bird whose wings make the wind.

The namesake mechanical turbines also inspire some awe. 

Each tower rises 131 metres, about the height of the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt, and each blade is equivalent in length to the wing of a Boeing 747. 

The blades make a swishing sound that some compare to a computer server room. Others say it's more like the sound of sea waves, tumbling over a pebbly beach. 

They've been turning since December 2020, about 21 months after the project broke ground.