The city’s elected officials are looking at opening the doors for renewal energy generation as a permitted land use in Greater Sudbury.
The planning committee of city council will consider zoning and Official Plan amendments during their Nov. 3 meeting, at which a report by city senior planner Bailey Chabot will be presented.
Chabot’s report follows through on a motion by Mayor Paul Lefebvre on Dec. 10, 2024, which received unanimous support from his colleagues around council chambers.
Among other things centered around following through on the city’s Community Energy and Emissions Plan goals, Lefebvre’s motion asks staff “to develop a land use planning policy framework to support renewable energy projects in the city.”
Although there’s nothing prohibiting property owners from using renewable energy through such things as roof-mounted solar panels, the city’s proposed amendments would allow for properties “whose primary purpose is to generate renewable energy for the local electrical grid.”
Meanwhile, the city has also compiled a list of municipally owned land outside of settlement areas, agricultural reserve and provincially significant wetlands which might be appropriate for renewable energy generation uses.
This list will be made available to interested proponents upon request, Chabot’s report notes, and the properties may be available for lease or purchase subject to council approval.
Some examples of renewable energy generation projects Chabot’s report included were:
- Solar: Photovoltaic panels to convert sunlight into electricity. Flat properties are best, and a one-megawatt solar installation requires approximately 10 acres of land.
- Wind: Turbines to convert wind energy into electricity. A single medium-sized turbine can generate between 100 kilowatts and 1 megawatt of power under ideal conditions.
- Hydro: Hydroelectric energy uses flowing water to rotate turbines. This typically involves dam or run-of-river systems where river water is channeled through turbines.
- Geothermal: Harnessing heat from within the Earth. This can be used directly for heating buildings or to generate steam to power turbines, and may be co-located with mining operations.
In the proposed Official Plan amendment, it’s noted, “Greater reliance on renewable energy is critical in achieving the vision and goals of this plan relating to climate change resiliency and mitigation.”
In the proposed zoning amendment, renewable energy generation will be permitted on any lot, in any zone, except for:
- Settlement areas
- Agricultural reserve lands
- Environmental Protection zones
- Provincially significant wetlands
Existing zone requirements, such as setbacks, height and lot coverage will apply, and accessory structures will also need to comply with existing zoning.
Last month, the Independent Electricity System Operator proposed the creation of a 15-megawatt solar panel array to be built on vacant land at the north end of the Greater Sudbury Airport property.
City council members offered the proposal their preliminary support alongside the Sudbury Airport Community Development Corporation. Although this initial support will help get the project rolling, it will still need final approval once a formal application comes forward.
The Nov. 3 planning committee of city council is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. and take place at the Lionel E. Lalonde Centre, at 239 Montée Principale, Azilda. The meeting can be viewed in-person in Azilda or livestreamed by clicking here.
Tyler Clarke covers city hall and political affairs for Sudbury.com.