Golden Pheasant solar farm paying dividends

By Thomas Goyer

Three years since its adoption, the District of Muskoka says its climate change actions have shown success. 

In a presentation made to the Community and Planning Services Committee on December 18, staff reported that of the 112 pledged climate change actions 34 have been completed, 51 are in progress and 27 have yet to begin. The presentation was made by Climate Initiatives Coordinator Lauren Valliere who stated that continuing to take climate action is necessary for the district.

“We can’t afford to wait another year to drive action,” Valliere said.

District climate action falls under the New Leaf Climate Strategy which is a policy guiding Muskoka’s response to climate change. This strategy has six key components: A Muskoka Climate Change Action Plan (MCCAP), a Corporate Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Initiative, a Community Greenhouse Gas Initiative, Outreach and Education, Partnerships, and Funding. 

The largest component of this strategy is the MCCAP. It has five pillars including the natural environment, governance, the economy, infrastructure, and community. The MCCAP was adopted by the District Council in December 2020 and a presentation was made to council recapping results after three years. 

The report highlighted several of the actions the plan has enacted. The first is a full year of operation of the solar farm at Golden Pheasant Wastewater Treatment Plant. This solar farm generated almost 350,000 kilowatt hours, offsetting 43% of the treatment plant’s total energy consumption.

A Muskoka Regional Climate Adaptation Plan that supports municipalities’ climate resiliency was also mentioned as well as integrated watershed management of technical projects including floodplain mapping. Other initiatives also include open-grade paving which allows asphalt to be more permeable, leading to reduced impacts of freeze and thaw cycles. And finally, an energy affordability program that installs energy efficiency upgrades at the District’s community housing units. Mcvittie Place on Pine Street in Bracebridge will be used as a pilot project for the plan. 

The success of the Golden Pheasant solar farm raised questions from committee members regarding more solar projects in the future. District staff stated that changes in provincial funding models and power regulations have made solar projects less financially viable from a business perspective. District Chair Jeff Lehman stated that even if future solar farms are not money-making enterprises, they are valuable because of emissions savings.

“There are substantial emission savings, and therefore, it can make a major contribution,” Lehman said. 

District climate action has received significant funding from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) Green Municipalities Fund, the provincial government, and several other smaller sources.

In 2024 staff are expected to provide updates on the energy reduction plan, municipal fleet decarbonization, and further climate action financing options for future projects. 

Don’t miss out on Doppler!

Sign up here to receive our email digest with links to our most recent stories.
Local news in your inbox so you don’t miss anything!

Click here to support local news