October 27, 2010
Alberta

Another wind farm approved for area

By Debbie Houghtaling, Editor, The Pincher Creek Echo, www.pinchercreekecho.com

A Calgary-based company and an international green energy developer have received approval from the provincial regulator to construct and operate a $120-million wind farm in southern Alberta. This will be the second phase of an already existing wind farm.

According to Mainstream Canada the AUC (Alberta Utilities Commission) approval is a very significant milestone in the development of the Oldman 2 Wind Farm and we’re now focused on bringing it through the construction process and into commercial operation.

The AUC approved a joint application by Mainstream Renewable Power and Alberta Wind Energy Corporation (AWEC) to construct and operate the wind farm. However, the project did not begin as planned due to a delay with a related transmission line project, which was suspended over the summer months.

The Oldman 2 project will be the first in the queue with the Alberta Electric System Operator, when the Southwest transmission line project is completed.

The Southwest project involves a new 240 kV (240,000 volts) transmission line, about 90 kilometres in length, between Pincher Creek and Lethbridge.

The project also includes a new substation in the Pincher Creek area, the expansion of two existing substations and improvements to the existing 138 kV (138,000 volts)transmission system in southern Alberta.

Initially, the plan was to start construction of the wind farm in the fall of 2009, with completion in September 2010.

But, with the delay of the transmission line, the Oldman 2 wind farm will now begin construction in the late spring of 2011.

The Oldman 2 project is located about 10 kilometres north-east of Pincher Creek, Alberta on private farmland.

The power plant will consist of 20 wind turbines, each rated at 2.3 MW, with a total generating capacity of up to 46 MW.

This will also involve the construction and operation of a 34.5/138-kilovolt (kV) wind farm substation.

Each wind-powered turbine generator would be mounted on top of an 80-metre tower and have a rotor diameter of 93 metres.

A 34.5-kV gathering system, which consists of underground power lines, will collect electric power generated from the individual wind-powered turbines and deliver the power to the substation.

The electricity would then be delivered to the Alberta Interconnected Electric System.

The project is scheduled for completion in 2011.

The company plans to invest $840 million in a joint venture with AWEC for the construction of two wind farms near Pincher Creek.

The construction of the next project is scheduled to start in 2012.

The joint venture has a four-part plan for wind farm construction, which includes the Oldman River Phase 2, Windy Point, Waterton and Cardston projects.

The Wateron Colony project consists of 2,428 hectare of privately owned farmland located 32 kilometres south east of the Oldman project.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2010/10/27/another-wind-farm-approved-for-area/