Blake Ellis/The Independent

Members of the public had an opportunity to learn more about the Inwood Energy Storage Project.

RES, the company behind the proposed project at 5930 Courtright Line, held an open house at the youth centre in Oil Springs on Nov. 4. 

The 240 megawatt storage system is to be built on the back portion of 30-acres of leased land. It’s right beside a 230 KV transmission line and not far from the community of Inwood near Weidmann Road. The system would use Lithium Ion Batteries to store energy for use during peak times. The site will also have a substation, according to the plans. 

The company has already met with officials in Brooke-Alvinston, although Administrator Janet Denkers says the meeting was only for information purposes. Enniskillen is the host municipality and has to decide if it will support the project as the company goes to the Independent Electricity Supply Operator to seek a contract in December. 

RES has already met with fire departments in the area. The storage units are difficult to manage in a fire and have to be left to burn because they cannot be extinguished.

The project has already faced opposition from neighbours as Enniskillen Township heard from Jean St. Pierre who appeared as a delegation at council on Nov. 3, while also receiving a letter from Neighbours Cheryl and Jack Churcher, echoing the same concerns St. Pierre had. 

St. Pierre had posed the question why the proposed storage system was to be placed on 30 acres of prime agricultural land instead of industrial land.  

At the open house, RES’s Rishabh Mundhra, who also made the presentation to Enniskillen Township when the project was first proposed, said the location was simply due to the location of the Hydro One transmission line at the north of the property. 

Mundhra also said the 30-acre site is at the back of the property, with much of it flanked by natural barriers, so the company hopes this will alleviate much of the noise and light pollution concerns neighbours might have. 

The project needs to have approval from Enniskillen Township council for it to move forward. The company hopes Enniskillen council will make its decision by its Dec. 1 meeting. 

This is the third time Mundhra has been a part of a battery storage project in Enniskillen, previously the proposed project near Oil City in 2023 as well as another project on Churchill Line in Enniskillen. 

Mundhra says there is much potential for a battery storage facility in Enniskillen Township. 

If council, green lights this project, this will be the first of many open houses as the project moves forward with development, said Mundhra. 

Within the first two hours of the open house, as many as 20 people had attended.