Enniskillen battery storage project bid over

Blake Ellis/Local Journalism Initiative

A second plan for a battery storage project in Enniskillen has fallen apart.
But this time, it wasn’t because of community concern.

The proposed battery storage facility to be built on Churchill Line in Enniskillen Township will not be going ahead because of a problem with the distribution lines.

Compass Energy Consulting’s Manager of Business Development James Marzotto planned to pitch the project Monday to Enniskillen Township councillors.

Instead the company found out two hours before the meeting from Hydro One, there was not enough available line capacity to go ahead with the project.

Compass Energy Consulting was hoping the proposed battery storage facility would hold 200 to 300 megawatts of power on 20 acres on 4703 Churchill Line, the property owned by Rita and Tony Felder just outside of Wyoming.

When the company first came to council Aug. 21 with the project, it was waiting for Hydro One to confirm the available line capacity by mid September.
The project had drawn a lot of interest, including from Plympton-Wyoming’s mayor who wanted to know the impact the lithium ion storage facility would have on his fire department which is dispatched to the area.

This is the second battery storage facility proposal to come before the Enniskillen Township. The first was near Oil City on Courtright Line. Residents crowded into the Enniskillen council chambers in February concerned the battery storage unit would be too close to Oil City – less than one kilometre away. Enniskillen Township Council did not give its support to the project, which ultimately killed the project.

Only a handful of residents were in the council chambers to voice concern about the Compass proposal.