By Charles Lefebvre

Province announces new wind energy projects for Southern Alberta

Dec 17, 2018 | 4:24 PM

EDMONTON —  Five wind energy projects have been selected for Southern Alberta and  made possible through the latest phase of the Alberta government’s Renewable Electricity Program.

Three of the projects are in southeastern Alberta, with one to be built near Medicine Hat, while two of the projects will be built near Brooks.

EDF Renewables will be partnering with the Kainai First Nation on the Cypress Wind Power project near Medicine Hat. Once complete, the project will provide 202 megawatts of power.

Capstone Infrastructure Corporation out of Ontario will partner with the Sawridge First Nation to build the Buffalo Atlee wind farms near Brooks, adding 48 megawatts of power.

Potentia Renewables, also out of Ontario, will build two phases of the Jenner Wind Project near Brooks. Once completed, it will provide 193 megawatts of power.

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The other projects announced include the 207 megawatt Windrise project near Fort MacLeod, which will be built by TransAlta Corporation, and the Stirling Wind project near Lethbridge, which will be built by Potentia Renewables in partnership with the Paul First Nation and the Greengate Power Corporation. Once finished, the project will provide 113 megawatts.

“Our made-in-Alberta plan is working to once again turn Alberta’s renewable energy resources into new jobs and investment in communities across the province, while producing the lowest-cost power available for Albertans,” said Shannon Phillips, Minister of Environment and Parks, in a news release.

According to EDF Renewables’ website, the Cypress Wind Project will consist of 48 turbines, and is expected to begin construction in 2020, and be fully operational by June 2021. The project will be located near Highway 41 and Township Road 100 in Cypress County.

The three projects which have partnered with First Nations groups are required to have a minimum 25 per cent Indigenous equity component.

The province estimates the five projects will bring in an estimated $175 million in rural benefits over the life of the projects, including landowner payments and municipal revenues and will create approximately 1,000 jobs.  When complete, the projects will generate 760 megawatts of electricity, which is enough to power nearly 300,000 homes.

All of the projects are expected to be operational by 2021.