Deadline for submissions to IESO for new projects is next week, but the majority of proposals failed to win support

Adelaide-Metcalfe put the final nail into a project proposed that would have involved at least three municipalities, with a NO vote October 8.

October 9, 2025

With 13 of 19 grid-scale wind power projects proposed but now rejected by the “host” municipalities, the verdict is in: Ontario’s rural communities do not support industrial-scale wind power development.

Ontario’s municipal councils voted against wind power projects and in support of the need to protect Ontario’s farmland, and to support agriculture, as put forward in the province’s Provincial Policy Statement or PPS.

“Communities throughout the province, from the North to the South and all across, said they wanted farmland to be preserved,” says Jane Wilson, president of Wind Concerns Ontario. “But the wind power lobby and frankly, the IESO did not seem to take that seriously—they preferred to talk about how we need power for data centres and urban growth, while rural citizens were talking about food.”

The core of the PPS is that protection of agricultural land is important, and any proposed land uses cannot hinder agriculture. The IESO or Independent Electricity System Operator, however, reduced the protection of farmland to a rated criteria point system. IESO insists the final authority is the municipality and its Official Plan, not the PPS. That indicates a lack of understanding of the hierarchy of authorities, and planning principles in Ontario.

Municipal councils heard many citizen delegations and it was clear that the people of Ontario are concerned about the future of agriculture and the security of our local food supply.

Other concerns were related to the industrialization of rural communities, and risks to wildlife, water, and other businesses in the area.

No respect

At the Council meeting in Chatham-Kent this week, several farmers spoke, including one who alleged, “The IESO has no respect for agriculture or for farmers.”

Another said, “We feed Chatham-Kent, Ontario, and Canada.”

Farmers said that more wind turbines would affect their own farm operations, and again in the case of a risk of harm to the aquifer, could mean destruction of their farms.

A few weeks ago, the Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario published a commentary titled “Windy Business”, which was also published in Ontario Farmer news.

The municipalities objecting to new wind power projects are doing so “not out of fear but out of experience,” the commentary stated.

“Those who oppose Industrial Wind Turbines argue that the costs—both hidden and visible—far outweigh the benefits. While proponents often promote turbines as a clean energy solution, the reality is more complicated. The environmental footprint of their construction, the destruction of prime farmland, the disruption to wildlife habitats, and the sheer scale of industrialization on rural landscapes cannot be ignored.”

The author, Charlotte Cuthbert, said the loss of farmland was not all:

“Even more concerning is the human cost. Studies and lived experiences point to a pattern of health complaints for those who live near turbines. The symptoms—sleep disturbance, chronic stress, headaches, depression, and cognitive impairment—are not isolated anecdotes, but recurring reports across jurisdictions. To dismiss them as insignificant is to disregard the lived reality of rural families whose only mistake was choosing to make their homes in the wrong proximity to a towering machine. Noise has been described as piercing and unpredictable—an intrusion that residents cannot escape. In fact, a 2011 Ontario Environmental Review Tribunal recognized that wind turbines can cause harm to human health if placed too close to homes.”

Cuthbert described Ontario’s wind power push as an “experiment” on rural Ontario.

Slide from citizen presentation outlining community concerns

Patronizing attitude not appreciated

At the Adelaide-Metcalfe Council meeting October 8th, the wind power developer patronizingly advised as part of his presentation, that the people of Adelaide-Metcalfe must “do their part” for green energy and climate change. The mayor retorted, “We already have 57 turbines… we have done our part!!!”

In one municipality after another, comments were made about the nature of the IESO procurement process, which forced municipalities to vote for support based on very little information. Again in Adelaide-Metcalfe the developer explained that he wouldn’t go ahead and spend money on complicated studies if he didn’t know there would be support; on the other hand, support would only be granted on the barest of facts, councillors said.

“We have questions and they don’t have answers,” said a Chatham-Kent councillor. “I am not comfortable voting on this.”

Without enough information, said the CAO of Chatham-Kent, the vote on municipal support was strictly “political.”

(Our summary of the criticism of IESO process is in a recent story here)

To the best of our knowledge this is the current status of proposed project:

Summary of Wind Turbine Projects proposed for 2025        

Approved                       3*

Crown Land                   1 (no public input required)

Withdrawn                    2

Rejected                     13

Total                            19

October 14: Harris and Harley Townships have voted no to ABO proposal, not certain what the effect will be on the project

A list of proposed projects, links to descriptions and status is here.

contact@windconcernsontario.ca