Offshore Wind Moratorium Leads To Lawsuit

As we previously reported, the Ontario government earlier this year announced that no offshore wind projects in that province would proceed, that pending applications for offshore wind would be suspended, and that no new applications would be accepted.

The first litigation arising out of that announcement has now been filed.

Trillium Wind Power Corp. had four projects in development, and one ready to proceed near Kingston, when the moratorium was announced. Trillium claims that it had spent $5.3 million on development costs, and is claiming $2.25 billion from the government on account of both development costs and future lost profits over the life of the projects. Trillium alleges that the moratorium amounted to a confiscation of property rights without confiscation, and was made in bad faith to appease voters in swing ridings.