Wind Power News: Alberta
These news and opinion items are gathered by National Wind Watch to help keep readers informed about developments related to industrial wind energy. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of National Wind Watch. They are the products of and owned by the organizations or individuals noted and are shared here according to “fair use” and “fair dealing” provisions of copyright law.
Company not giving up on its proposed wind farm in SE Alberta
The company behind one of the longest standing proposals to build a wind farm in southeast Alberta says it will resubmit plans next month for the Peace Butte Wind project next month. Pteragen Canada was told last month by provincial utility regulators that considering the length of time since it received construction approvals for the planned turbine field near Seven Persons, its permits would be rescinded. The head of the company, Carlo Plava of Renovalia Energy, told the News on . . . Complete story »
Regional wind farm will have to restart approval process
Alberta power regulators have told the developer of a wind farm near Seven Persons that after 15 years, its plans will have to be resubmitted for new approval. The Peace Butte Wind Farm was one of the first utility-scale wind farms proposed in southeast Alberta in 2006. Though approved, construction has yet to commence as the company behind the project, Pteragen Canada, said it was waiting for the right market conditions in the changing green energy sector. As is common, . . . Complete story »
Collapse of power grid in Texas a wake-up call for Alberta
It’s been amusing to see the defenders of wind power loudly jump to the defence of their preferred technology. They argue that natural gas generators also went offline and took 30,000 MW off the grid (compared to 16,000 MW offline from wind). That rather misses the point. If Texas had spent its effort in building up reliable energy options instead of intermittent ones, they would have had additional power to call on when the natural gas plants went down too. Complete story »
SE Alberta’s renewable energy surge renewed
This week’s announcement that Suncor will restart on its Forty Mile Wind project brings the cumulative budget for wind farm construction in southeast Alberta this year back over the $1-billion mark. Six major projects are set to begin or continue with major construction in Cypress County, the County of Forty Mile, or Special Areas No. 2. That will now include Suncor’s project, south of Winnifred, about 60 kilometres southwest of Medicine Hat. It is one of six wind projects in . . . Complete story »
Proposed wind farm reviewed
A proposed wind farm west of Lomond, Alta., is the focus of an upcoming Alberta Utilities Commission review. The Buffalo Plains Wind Farm has applied to build 83 wind turbines in an area between Lomond and McGregor Lake in southern Alberta’s Vulcan County. The project would have a maximum generation capacity of 514.6 megawatts. According to AUC data, the turbines would each have a hub height of 115 metres, rotor diameter of 170 metres and an overall height to blade . . . Complete story »
County council discusses wind farm provisions in proposed new land-use bylaw
Vulcan County council carried first reading of its proposed new land-use bylaw (LUB), which has been in the works for several years. And provisions regarding wind farms featured during council’s discussions Jan. 27. Following the Dec. 16 public hearing, the land-use bylaw committee, which includes two councillors, reviewed the document and made some changes to the proposed LUB, said Ryan Dyck, a planner with the Oldman River Regional Services Commission. Dyck noted that setbacks to dwelling units from a turbine, . . . Complete story »
County hosting public hearing over possible wind farm zoning change
A proposed zoning change required to build a portion of a new wind farm in western Cypress County will go to a public hearing today in Dunmore. In 2017, Enerfin Canada proposed building the 120-megawatt “Winnifred Wind” facility about 5 kilometres north of the hamlet of Whitla, entirely within the County of Forty Mile. However, changes in the general design last year mean the eastern boundary would move just across the county boundary into Cypress County. Two turbine towers and . . . Complete story »
County council rescinds motion
Vulcan County council has rescinded a motion that had allowed a subsidiary of ABO Wind to place a transmission line in a County road allowance in the Milo area. On Jan. 13, council had approved the request from Buffalo Plains Wind Farm Inc. to use roughly 16 kilometres of right of way along the west side of Range Road 211, with a single pole to be used along a two-kilometre developed stretch of the road allowance. A report from administration . . . Complete story »
Vulcan County could be home to 83 wind turbines taller than the Calgary Tower
A 500-megawatt wind farm proposed for Vulcan County is headed to the Alberta Utilities Commission. If approved, the wind farm would be the third major green energy development in the county. The project, called the Buffalo Plains Wind Farm, is planned for a site near Lomond, Alta., which is around 175 kilometres southeast of Calgary. It would consist of 83 wind turbines spread across 24,000 acres (9.7 hectares) of privately owned farmland. Jason Schneider, the reeve of Vulcan County, says . . . Complete story »
Alta. wind farm gathers submissions for review
A proposed wind farm west of Lomond, Alta., is the focus of an upcoming Alberta Utilities Commission review. The Buffalo Plains Wind Farm has applied to build 83 wind turbines in an area between Lomond and McGregor Lake in southern Alberta’s Vulcan County. The project would have a maximum generation capacity of 514.6 megawatts. According to AUC data, the turbines would each have a hub height of 115 metres, rotor diameter of 170 metres and an overall height to blade . . . Complete story »
