Additional Concerns
Our primary objective is to oppose the selection of the Langmaid location by Plus Power to house a battery storage facility.
We can easily get caught up in concerns over the technology, the government’s decision to host this RFP and more. These concerns are valid, and many are touched on below as they further support why this particular site is a poor choice. However, we are not opposing the technology or it’s place in Ontario.
We encourage you to read through our concerns below. If you have additional concerns or questions that are not covered here, please use the below contact form to submit them. They will be shared here using the voice of community and public or personally identifying information will not be posted.
We will be continuing to update this list as we meet with our neighbours and other communities that may be impacted by this proposal, so that it can be presented to the IESO and Council as a fulsome catalogue of the communities’ opinions. Plus Power is obligated to also document community communication and concerns as part of their RFP participation so we encourage you to also address them by emailing langmaid@pluspower.com.
Unfortunately, there have been many questions and concerns raised so this page is a bit lengthy. Please utilize the above search bar to simplify your time on this page and see if your questions may already be addressed below.
Lacking Transparency
As a community we feel that Plus Power has lacked transparency with their communication and dealings with the community and stakeholders as per the RFP guidelines. The community information session raised more questions than answers, which are still left unanswered.
According to the IESO’s RFP Procurement Resources, Plus Power was shortlisted as a participant in August 2022.
Where many other proposed projects have been communicating with the neighbouring communities and stakeholders since 2022, this community did not find out about the Langmaid Proposal until September 2023.
According to the RFP requirements (Section 2.1 (f)(i)(A)) “II. the notice of one or more public community meetings described in Section 2.1(f)(i)(B) which must be posted at least fifteen (15) days prior to the date of such public community meeting; and III. a copy or summary of the minutes of each public community meeting as described in Section 2.1(f)(i)(B);”. Plus Power has not gone above the bare minimum requirements as laid out in the RFP. Few reside in this area and fewer received copies of the public meeting notice. The notice was received the week of September 4, 2023 but had to be collected at a post office so most did not get to read the notice until less then two weeks before. Further, the notice did not include details relating to Plus Power on the face of the envelope. This left very little time for residents to prepare during an already very full season (back to school and harvesting).
Responses to emails since have been extremely slow to appear if they appear at all, and meeting minutes were not published until October 18, 2023 yet were backdated to October 12, 2023.
There are no phone numbers provided on the Langmaid battery storage website and the singular number on the Plus Power website appears to be unattended, with no indication by way of automated voice greeting that you would be calling Plus Power, should you call.
This leaves very few community members aware of the plans and approximately just two months to compile research, generate questions, voice concerns, contact the appropriate bodies and obtain legal representation as needed. Many other proposals from other companies participating in this RFP have had the public informed since Winter 2022 and have had the opportunity for multiple community meetings, and have posted the meeting minutes and concerns publicly.
Plus Powers’ lack of transparency through their avoidance of substantive community engagement and their minimum meeting as per IESO regulation leads to further confidence concerns with the following points.
Safety
Fire & Explosions
The first thing that comes to most people’s minds with battery issues are fires and the subsequent explosions. When this concern was raised at the public community meeting (and in an email prior) we were told that Plus Power would be meeting the minimum regulations required by the NFPA.
We were told that there are many features built into the batteries to safeguard this becoming an issue. The community then asked, “but when those fail?”. An individual who identified himself as being a part of Phoenix fire, told us he would be training the local fire teams on how to respond.
Upon further pressing from the community we learned that the training would involve “not interfering with the fire” as it is too dangerous. It would be a ‘watch it burn out on it’s own’ scenario. After researching we have learned that this can sometimes take weeks to stop burning.
When asked how a community who relies on volunteer fire fighters, and has nearly lost a few fire halls in the Summer of 2023 due to being under staffed, could handle a development with such risk potential we were told that they would be working with the Clarington Emergency and Fire Services to come up with a plan. They were supposed to be meeting September 27, 2023, with Clarington Emergency and Fire Services but the community has not been kept in the loop on the results of that meeting and if it occurred.
The community has reached out to our regions Fire Chief but contact has not been made. At a meeting with Ward 1 Councillor on October 19, 2023 we learned that Council had brought in the Fire Chief October 16 to discuss Lithium batteries at Council in preparation for this meeting.
The NFPA highlights the risks of battery storage facilities such as Thermal Runaway , Stranded Energy, Toxic and Flammable Gases, Deep Seated Fires, Failure Modes, Mechanical, Thermal and Electrical Abuse, and Environmental Impacts.
As much as we have been told that they will have prevention methods in place, there are many factors that could lead to failure, and the concern is, should that happen, then what? Battery Storage facilities are still a new technology without much of an operational record to look at. The majority of the battery experiences that society has are through electric vehicles and cellphones. Both categories have reported fires and explosions.
Why should our Greenbelt be a testing ground for the what-if’s of new battery technology on a scale far beyond that of one vehicle?
Lightning
The community raised lightning strikes as a concern at the September 20, 2023 community meeting. The weather patterns over the years have led to strong winds (downbursts) and lightning strikes on multiple properties in the area.
Plus Power stated that they would be installing lightning rods to meet the minimum code requirements.
The community has concerns that this battery storage facility could amplify lightning strikes that the community would experience with the proposed placement being near/on top of a hill which is the highest peak for the surrounding community. It is not an unfounded theory since a research group from The University of Oklahoma compiled data and found "that nearly all (99.8%) of the grid cells with more than 100 cloud-to-ground lightning strikes recorded were within a kilometer of an antenna tower registered with the Federal Communications Commission. They also found that the taller the tower was, the greater the likelihood of a cloud-to-ground lightning strike occurring was.”
This coupled with the known causes of battery failure as stated by the NFPA, has the community concerned about the placement choices. Plus Powers response is “that they can’t control the weather”. But they can be more mindful of location choices and possible implications that their proposal will have on the community.
Cyber Attacks
At the September 20, 2023 community meeting we were told that the battery storage has many digital fail-safes implemented to safeguard a disaster from ever occurring. Nearly the entire operation is digital. Plus Power confirmed that nearly all the controlling of this state of the art facility could be done remotely, but that 1-3 individuals would be employed to monitor and operate the facility.
The community asked what safeguards are in place to prevent the possibility of hacking into such a digital installation and how that could potentially lead to any of the risks that battery safety faces. Especially when considering the proximity to residences, largely populated urban areas (2.5km), natural gas pipelines (4km) and the Darlington Nuclear Station (17km) and the unknown range of impact that a battery fire explosion at a facility of this size might lead to. Plus Power was unable to address the concern.
We know that cyber attacks against government and infrastructure are not uncommon and have recently made the news. We know that any fire and explosion could undeniably impact the surrounding farmland, residents, headwaters and ground water. But we do not know what safeguards have been considered to protect an installation such as a battery storage facility from becoming a target nor the full range of impact should problems arise.
Land Use Concerns
Gateway Opportunities
The lot that Plus Power has a potential land deal for is more then 140 acres.
Plus Power’s intention is to use approximately 12 acres for the battery storage facility and its hookup to the hydro transmission lines. The community raised concerns at the September 20, 2023 meeting about the remainder of the land and the ‘odd’ placement of this proposal within such a larger parcel.
Plus Powers’ intention now, as stated at the meeting, is to allow the remainder of the land to continue to be farmed. They had not considered the patterns of farming, nor farmer access to the fields, specifically those North of the proposed development. They were surprised to hear from the community of the typical rhythms that occur on this property, which highlighted that they had not given this concept much thought.
So why this particular placement? Why has the crest of the hill been left, or the West side? Could it be that they are saving it for other future energy proposals such as wind? The tops of these hills are notoriously windy and visually unobstructed. One can see all the way to Toronto on a clear day and Lake Ontario is also visible. Why not the South side, closer to the Hydro One facility? Could it be that they are saving this area for a possible solar farm? It is purely speculation but the concern is, why purchase such a large swath of prime agricultural land for an installation that is 9% of the total footprint without a thoughtful plan for what will happen with the remainder of the 91%?
Unofficial Splitting of Land
Previous applications for severance(s) by the current owner had been unsuccessful so we can understand why Plus Power has not spent resources up front to work with the land owner to split this parcel up, and has instead offered to purchase the entire lot. It’s current zoning of Agricultural, Environmentally Protected, Linking corridor and High Aquifer Vulnerability leave this lot priced as a ‘steal’ compared to the land being developed South of the 407 or in other more developed areas. This is the fast and easy route, that one backed by investors can shoulder.
However, their placement of this project, and it’s access road, create a physical severance through the lot, even if on paper it is still one property. That coupled with knowing that once farmland is developed it will never return to farmable land due to the new cost of land and the cost of remediation efforts required, has the community concerned. This proposal simply does not only impact 12 acres on the Greenbelt. It has rippling consequences across much of the remainder of the property and how that property is accessed and how it can be utilized moving forward.
The Region of Durham’s Regional Official Plan, which serves as the baseline for Clarington’s, states “It is the policy of Council to: 6.1.3. Promote the protection of the agri-food network by discouraging further fragmentation and loss of the agricultural land base caused by lot creation.” (pg 129)
The way it is positioned could make way for future development and removing even more green, fertile land from the Greenbelt.
Sightlines
The community can appreciate discrete design being a consideration but this particular proposal does not seem to adequately research this factor.
At the community meeting on September 20, 2023, Plus Power explained that the selected placement for the 12 acres, was chosen for it’s proximity to the hydro lines for hookup and for ‘visual obstruction’ so that the public would not see the installation. They had intended that the Environmentally Protected Area to the North of the proposed installation would obstruct sightlines. This seems to be the the tactic used in other projects that Plus Power has on their website. They have not done ample site studies though, as the greenspace here would not be ample to shroud anything on the hill. Further to that, the greenspace is only fully leafed out for 4-5 months of the year. Local residents can confirm that wild turkeys and coyotes are easily visible in the vicinity that Plus Power has proposed this storage site. An 8’ tall battery storage box would most certainly be visible.
In a community surrounded by rolling hills of green, just like the ORM Act has as their mission, this installation will appear like a scar on the land.
Light
The community notice letter that was issued says “The site location was carefully designed with community interests in mind: the facility will have a small land footprint, have minimal visual impact, and cause no light pollution or added traffic to the area.” At the meeting the community raised this point and we were told that they would be meeting the minimum requirements for local dark sky compliance with their necessary security lights. No light pollution does not equal no lights.
We can glean from Plus Power’s Operational Gambit Facility and their statements at the community meeting, that there will be security lighting throughout the 12 acres. The images shared on their website of that project show a solid block wall surrounding the facility. All the rendering of Langmaid’s battery storage proposal show a chainlink fence surrounding the proposed lot.
Lights that point down to meet dark sky compliance, on the top of a hill, surrounded by chainlink, will still impact those below them. Since this lot occupies the highest hill in the area, this means that everyone surrounding this lot will be impacted by the lighting.
As development continues to expand city boundaries, this is a community that is still lucky enough to experience fireflies, beautiful star filled night skies, and even viewing the northern lights from Regional Road 3, despite the proximity to more urban settings. This is a human concern.
Aside from the impact the lights will have on human enjoyment of the space, 12 acres of lit up concrete, metal and gravel will be directly beside (and on) Environmentally Protected naturalized greenspace.
It is a known fact among developers, planners and nature enthusiasts that night time lighting has many impacts on pollinators, plants and predators. Light pollution contributes to the death of millions of birds annually. This is why regulations have been made around the lighting that is used in development. For an area that is currently only illuminated by the moon and stars, 12 acres of even minimal lights will be jarring and will impact insect and animal behaviour in the area. We do not feel that the dark sky requirements would be enough to not impact the ecosystem and land beyond the project footprint.
Noise
Decibels may be the way we measure sound, but how we experience it, is not all equal.
Clearing your throat on a busy sidewalk would go unnoticed by surrounding individuals, but doing so in a quiet office would garner attention.
The area that this Plus Power has selected for this proposed battery storage facility is currently serenaded by the acoustics of spring peepers, coyotes, song birds and crickets. There is no existing urban white noise to blend in with the drone of 12 acres of cooling fans. The community has not been provided with any specific decibel reading for the noise that this facility will generate.
Means of blocking sound can be done through barrier walls such as those seen at highways, or through the use of natural elements such as berms. However, the placement on the top of the hill, with clear sightlines to neighbouring residences, means that the sounds have a free path to travel as the proposal is currently laid out. Plus Power has not included any sound barriers in their presentation to the public.
Heat
Many of us are now familiar with the Heat Island Effect.
There are 7 residences within 500m of the proposed site. “Forest Service research in the late 1990s documented elevated temperatures in neighborhoods up to a quarter mile(400m) downwind of unshaded parking lots.”
This area is typically a lush green one full of transpiring elements and just a few (residences, barns) that would radiate heat back into the environment. This proposal is to place 12 acres of gravel and concrete pad foundations on top of a hill, in full sun, with no tree canopies. And then to place 200w of heat generating units on that lot.
Have any studies been done to showcase how the generated heat from a battery storage facility impacts surrounding land? Does it change the ambient temperature of an area in the Summer? Does it lead to more melt, sleet or hail and less snow in winter from the heat dissipation? Will this further impact the plants and species accustomed to residing in this area? Will it alter the way water functions on and around this hill? Will this change the breezes and temperatures that the surrounding residences currently experience?
Financial Impact
Economy
The first approved battery storage facility in Ontario is Oneida. "The Project is Northland’s first strategic investment in battery energy storage and is being developed in partnership with NRStor Inc. (NRStor), the Six Nations of the Grand River Development Corporation (SNGRDC), and Aecon. Northland is a majority owner in the project and will lead its construction, financing, and operation.”. This project is proposed, managed, and built by Canadian companies. The profits are Canadian and the jobs and value generated are Canadian.
Plus Power LLC is an American company. The construction may be completed by local Canadians, and the ongoing job(s) offered will likely be filled by Canadians, but the company and it’s profits, profiteering from Ontario’s Greenbelt, are foreign. There is no information available for Plus Powers’ investors and their location or taxation ranges.
Of the Plus Power team that the community met at the public meeting on September 20, 2023, there is one Canadian local to the area, to our knowledge.
The Greenbelt offers many economic benefits globally, but should it be awarded to foreign bodies to profit off while degrading it’s original and natural, unique function? Are foreign companies familiar with the intrinsic value that the Greenbelt offers to fellow Canadians?
Insurance
Plus Power shared at the community meeting on September 20, 2023 that they are very proud of their existing facilities that have recently opened in Hawaii and Texas. The Hawaii facility appears to be in a highly industrial area without residential implications. The Plus Power Gambit facility in Texas however, residential properties can be seen abutting the battery storage facility.
A request had been sent to Plus Power following the community meeting, requesting information on how their facility has impacted the existing residents.
Has the installation affected the insurance rates of those properties?
Have the property values been positively or negatively impacted?
Have their been any neighbouring satisfaction surveys or other community input reports since the facility is operational?
Were there any residential references that could verify the perceived value that Plus Power claims to bring to the area?
And if there had been no research into how this is impacting the properties and opinions of those surrounding them, why was that?
If they are proceeding with the various applications across North America that they are, should they not be fully aware how these projects are received by the community so they can adapt? Or perhaps the reviews from neighbours do not shine in Plus Powers’ favour and this is why community engagement in our area has been at the bare minimum and responses to these requests have not been forthcoming.