Ottawa City Council gave strong support to the proposed 250-megawatt Marchurst Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) in the city’s rural west, passing a municipal support resolution (MSR) by a 20-3 vote on Wednesday. This came just days after the city’s Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee (ARAC) unanimously rejected the project.
The shift in council votes included at least two ARAC members changing their stance. Only Councillors Clarke Kelly (West Carleton-March), ARAC Chair David Brown (Rideau-Jock), and Wilson Lo (Barrhaven East) opposed the MSR.
Councillor Cathy Curry (Kanata North), who moved the motion, highlighted the city’s increasing electricity demands driven by infrastructure developments such as the light rail expansion, electric bus acquisitions, and the electrification of the municipal vehicle fleet, calling energy “the new gold.”
The resolution clarifies that MSR approval is not a planning approval and does not commit the council to any future land-use decisions regarding the facility.
Evolugen, a Brookfield Asset Management subsidiary proposing the project, welcomed the MSR approval as a “significant milestone” and praised the council and staff for their thoughtful consideration during the process.
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