Brighton Mountain Wind Farm

Frequently Asked Questions

Click on the button below to access the full list of frequently asked questions for the Brighton Mountain Wind Farm project.

• How much power will the wind farm produce?

  The wind farm will produce 200 megawatts in phase 1 and 150 additional megawatts of green energy upon full project completion - enough to power the equivalent of 100,000 homes.

• Why is J.D. Irving, Limited building a wind farm? To whom will it sell the power?

  This new wind project will supply New Brunswick’s grid with more renewable energy. JDI is currently seeking a power purchase agreement with NB Power, which will contribute to decarbonizing the province. Decarbonization of the NB grid aligns with NB Power’s ‘2023 Integrated Resource Plan’ (IRP), which seeks pathways to a net-zero provincial electricity system. In addition, the greenhouse gas emissions in the New Brunswick operations of the Irving Forest Supply Chain will be indirectly reduced due to the overall decarbonization of the grid. This will help support maintaining the company's carbon neutrality.

• How much will the project cost?

  The project will be constructed in multiple phases. The first phase will be an investment of approximately $550 million.

• Will birds and bats be impacted by turbines?

  Through our decades of research and experience, we have been committed to protecting and conserving wildlife in all areas where we operate. The project team has developed plans to protect wildlife during both the construction and operational phases and impacts will be closely monitored going forward. Extensive two-year bird and bat studies are being completed for evaluation as part of the Brighton Mountain Wind Project Environmental Impact Assessment. Research has shown the project property is not a major migration corridor with no major flocks of birds observed and there are no known locations where bats hibernate on or near the project area. We also have a bird and bat post-construction monitoring plan to gather information on the impacts to the species and habitats for two years once the turbines are operational.

• Can I still use the area for snowmobiling/hunting/hiking during and after construction?

  Once construction is underway, there will be an impact to how the land is currently used. We will evaluate impacts to trails and the current level of access could be altered if required. Safety signs will be posted throughout the site where required. Once construction is completed, there are no plans to change the way the land is used or accessed.

• Will the wind farm be loud?

  As the wind turbines turn, they are expected to produce some noise in the direct vicinity of each turbine. However, the turbines will be in a remote area and most local residents will not hear them, while the closest surrounding residents will experience sound levels below acceptable limits. This has been confirmed by modelling and is well below the recommended sound criteria for wind farms.

• Will the wind farm cause shadow flickering?
  Shadow flicker occurs when the sun is low on the horizon and the rotating blades of a wind turbine periodically obstruct the sun’s rays from shining through onto a given location. The Province of New Brunswick has developed specific guidelines for wind turbines that require wind energy projects not to exceed 30 minutes/day or 30 hours/year of shadow flicker at any residence. During operation, surrounding residences will not experience shadow flicker levels at or above the regulated limits. In addition, the majority of residences will not be impacted by shadow flicker at any level due to the remote location of the turbines.
• How far away will turbines be visible?

  The turbines being considered for this project have a maximum height of 200.5m to blade tip from ground level. The visibility of the turbines is quite variable and will depend on where they are viewed from and the presence of vegetation and hills. Photomontages of local areas have been created to provide a general idea of what the landscape will look like once the project is built.

• Will this development affect property values?
  Studies on this topic find that wind turbines generally do not have any widespread, long-term impact on property values. The construction of a wind farm close (~1 mile) to residences in more populated areas can have a short-term impact on property values, however rural wind farms such as this one see no impact. The closest year-round residence to the Project, is greater than 1 km from any of the proposed turbine location.
• Why choose this location?
  The proposed land is already owned and managed by Irving Woodlands. The land will continue to be managed by Irving Woodlands after the completion of the project. The project area is isolated and is not expected to impact local communities and the project area is adjacent to an existing NB Power transmission line.
• How far away is the project located from homes?

  The Project will be situated near Brighton Mountain which is south of Juniper, 26 km East of the community of Florenceville-Bristol, and approximately 20 km East of the community of Hartland.

• Will the project create jobs?

  Yes. During construction, approximately over 200 temporary positions (direct jobs) will be created. Positions will be held by local contractors. Once construction is completed, approximately 10-14 permanent jobs will be created.

• Where can I apply for a job in construction or at the site?

  You can find all our current opportunities and apply at careers.jdirving.com. Should your application be of interest, someone from our Human Resource team will reach out to you.

• When will construction begin? When will it be completed?

  The wind farm will follow a phased development approach. The foundational work for phase 1 is expected to begin in 2025, pending regulatory approval. Phase 1 of the project will be complete in 2027.

• How much land is going to be cleared for the turbines?

  We estimate that only 1.3% of the property where the project is located will be cleared.  The layout is being designed to make use of existing roads, which helps reduce the new clearing that is required.  The property is 17,500 hectares and only a very small area of up to 227 hectares may be cleared for turbines, new roads, transmission/substation infrastructure and quarries. This clearing of new areas is required as the best electricity generation is at the tops of the hills where the wind is strongest.

  We are proud of our award-winning, voluntary conservation program which contains 2,149 sites and a total of over 84,000 hectares across a range of conservation values, including old forests, nesting sites, wetlands and important archeological areas. We added 149 new conservation sites in 2023 which represent 724 hectares of land.

• What is the lifespan of the wind turbines?

  The Project will have a design life of 25-30 years. At that time, decommissioning may commence. Decommissioning would involve remediating the project site and any related costs will be JDI's responsibility. A final Decommissioning Plan will be required for review and approval by the Director of the EIA Branch of NB-DELG prior to decommissioning. Section 2.11 of the EIA Registration Document provides additional information on decommissioning and site restoration. Approximately 85-90% of a wind turbine’s total mass is made from material like steel and can be recycled or reused.

• How will you prevent forest fires?

  During construction, all equipment will have fire extinguishers, and the site will have fire caches established with water tanks and pumps as required. Work Activities will be modified as required during forest fire season to mitigate the risk of fire on site. JDI takes wildfire prevention and response very seriously, and actions may include suspending operations, banning smoking, and restricting access during times of extreme fire risk. Turbines are individually equipped with fire detection systems and extinguishing systems. JDI continues to maintain extensive resources for rapid wildfire response, including trained staff and fire fighters, fire trucks, and bull dozers located in Deersdale, plus a fleet of fire-fighting aircraft stationed just a few miles away in Juniper that are ready for immediate response during the wildfire season.

• Who owns the project property?

  JDI owns this land and these properties were acquired approximately 80 years ago.

• Will the project impact groundwater?

  Mitigation measures to protect groundwater, wetlands, and surface water during all of the Project’s phases are found in the EIA registration document in Section 6.1.1.2 (Table 6-1), Section 6.2.1.4 (Table 6-25) and Section 6.2.2.4 (Table 6-27), respectively. These protections include, but are not limited to,

  • Maintaining setbacks from wetlands and watercourses, which includes limitations on clearing.
  • Installing, regularly inspecting, and maintaining erosion and sediment controls (ESC) to prevent entry of debris and sediment into the watercourse, such as silt fencing, riprap and straw wattles.
  • Restrictions on re-fueling or storing chemicals within 30 m of wetlands or waterways.
  • Following guidance from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO), such as standards, measures and codes of practice to protect fish, and working in or near water.
  • Maintaining stringent water quality guidelines during upgrades and replacement of culverts.
  • Obtaining Wetland and Watercourse Alteration (WAWA) permits (i.e. for any works within 30 m of a wetland or watercourse) from NB-DELG and following all permits conditions.
• Do wind farms impact the health of the communities who live near them?

  Typically, the most common misconception claims adverse health effects resulting from exposure to low frequency electromagnetic fields (EMFs). This has been researched quite extensively  by government and medical agencies, i.e. Health Canada (2012), the World Health Organization (WHO) (2012), the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (2010), the International Agency for Research on Cancer (2002), the US National Institute of Health and US National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (2002), with the findings unable to establish a causal link between EMFs and health issues at levels typically encountered by people.

  As further information regarding EMF exposure, Israel et al. (2011) conducted EMF, sound, and vibration measurements surrounding one of the largest wind energy parks in Bulgaria. The EMF levels measured within 2–3 m of the wind turbines was comparable to or lower than magnetic field measurements that have been reported in the proximity of typical household electrical devices. This is further reinforced by a study conducted in Canada by McCallum et al. (2014) whereby the magnetic field levels in the direct vicinity of wind turbines were lower than levels that people are exposed to daily in the average home.

• How will the project reduce greenhouse gas emissions?

  The project is expected to reduce GHG emissions by offsetting fossil fuel usage for electricity generation. The full project's 350MW of wind energy has the potential to reduce GHG emissions by up to 1.1Mt CO2e per year. Taking into account the 25+ year operating life expected for the wind turbines, this project is expected to result in a significant reduction of GHG emissions.

• Why was this project location selected?

  This area is currently a working forest and was selected for the following reasons:

  • Proximity to an NB Power transmission line
  • Existing road infrastructure
  • Rural, sparsely populated area
  • Available continuous land owned by JDI
  • Favourable wind conditions
• How will impacts to wetlands be mitigated?

  Wetlands have been avoided during the design to the greatest extent possible, by using existing resource roads to access the site, as well as planned turbines to be installed at higher elevations, where wind is strongest (i.e. high and dry). Wetlands studies were initiated in early 2023. Watercourse and Wetland Alterations are subject to an additional regulatory process (WAWA) including a review by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and the Department of Environment and Local Government. As part of the WAWA approval process, any impacts that cannot be avoided, will be compensated at a ratio of 2:1, with additional monitoring of compensated wetlands, long after construction is complete.

• Will the project impact local Protected Natural Areas (PNAs) or Environmentally Significant Areas (ESAs)?

  The project does not overlap with PNAs or ESAs and there will be no disturbance or construction activities that would impact the PNAs or ESAs. Although the Project will occur on JDI private property, we have applied the same infrastructure setback guidelines that would occur for projects on crown lands.  The full assessment of Visual and Noise Impacts to Adjacent Protected Natural Areas is included in Appendix J of the Environmental Impact Assessment Registration.

• Will herbicide be used at the project site?

  Transmission lines, wind tower locations and other project infrastructure will require vegetation management during the operating period. Vegetation management could occur using various methods including compaction, mechanical mulching, herbicides or manual clearing. At this stage in the project, it is not known which vegetation management methods will be used.

• Who should I talk to if I have more questions?

  We invite questions and comments about our proposal. We’re committed to working with the community, our neighbours and different levels of government to develop an approach that works for everyone. If you have more questions, please email us at info@jdirving.com with the subject line: Brighton Mountain Wind Farm.