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.
County council approves ABO Wind request to place collector lines in County road allowance
Vulcan County council approved Oct. 7 ABO Wind’s request for a licence to the County’s road right-of-way to place electrical collector lines for its proposed wind farm project near Lomond. Buffalo Plains Wind Farm Inc., a subsidiary of ABO Wind AG, applied to Vulcan County to place medium-voltage collector lines in the County road allowance. With council’s approval, ABO Wind has permission to place underground collector lines along the north side of the undeveloped road allowance butting up to the . . . Complete story »
Alberta could lead Canada in wind and solar power by 2025, expert says
Growth in Alberta’s renewable energy sector should continue its upward trend, experts say, with one forecast anticipating a surge of projects that could have the province poised to be the Canadian leader in utility-scale wind and solar capacity as early as 2025. Rystad Energy tracks utility-scale wind and solar assets with at least one MWac (megawatt alternating current) in capacity. It forecasts that 83 per cent of the combined utility-scale wind and solar capacity built in Canada over the next . . . Complete story »
Another SE Alberta wind play approved by regulator
The third of three major wind farm projects announced last fall has been approved by Alberta’s utility regulators. Rattlesnake Ridge, a 28-turbine facility that would be built near the hamlet of Whitla in the county of Forty Mile, and related connection to the Alberta power grid was accepted by the Alberta Utilities Commission on Wednesday. That facility, capable of producing about 118 megawatts of power in peak conditions, would see towers spread across eight sections of land when developer, Berkshire . . . Complete story »
Alberta community’s concerns about wind farm echo familiar challenges of Canada’s energy transition
Chris Blumhagen was working on his organic farm in central Alberta when Capital Power called to sell him on the idea of putting a wind turbine on his land. Blumhagen says the representative from the company pushed hard, telling him his neighbours were already on board with a plan to build 74 turbines in the 100 square kilometre area and that if he didn’t sign on, he would miss out. So Blumhagen signed in exchange for $10 and a promise . . . Complete story »
Whitla Wind farm will be largest in Alberta after planned expansions
The Whitla Wind farm will become the largest in Alberta, according to new construction plan announced Tuesday by owner Capital Power, which said a second expansion will be rolled into work on an additional phase next year. The Edmonton-based electricity producer said Tuesday that it will build a previously unannounced third phase to the array of turbines that sit south of Bow Island, southwest of Medicine Hat. Combined with Phase 2, the work will add 151 megawatts of production capacity . . . Complete story »
Throwing caution to the wind turbines in Cypress County
Re: Cypress Wind hopes to lessen footprint during delay – Collin Gallant, June 9, 2020 A number of industrial wind energy projects have been proposed and/or approved in Cypress County which may have a devastating negative impact on local residents. The total number of turbines proposed exceeds 500 within the county. Globally, wind turbines produce power at about 30 per cent of nameplate capacity. Every one of these turbines will require near 100 per cent fossil fuel backup for times . . . Complete story »
Cypress Wind hopes to lessen footprint during delay
Disruption in the global supply chain is cited as the cause for a one-year delay in building a major wind farm in southeast Alberta, but the company behind Cypress Wind says the time could be used to lessen the footprint of the facility that is still proceeding with the $250-million project. EDF Renewables was to begin construction of the 48-turbine facility – between Dunmore and the Cypress Hills – this spring, but hasn’t been able to order its preferred turbine . . . Complete story »
Turbine topples, as does company’s relationship with college
The designer of an experimental wind turbine located near Medicine Hat College says an operational decision to lock them from spinning led to one shearing off in high wind on Sunday night. As well, the working relationship between the college and company appears to have ended. One of the distinctive blue, helical turbines laid on its side on Monday morning, separated from its base, while another was being girded by a forklift. Joel Goldblatt, head of Bluenergy SolarWind, told the . . . Complete story »
Suncor suspends its wind project in Forty Mile due to COVID
Suncor’s Forty Mile Wind Power Project has suspended construction for the remainder of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “Suncor released a revised 2020 corporate guidance for capital operating costs and production outlook on March 23, reflecting significant declines in crude oil prices and uncertainty surrounding the economic impact of COVID-19,” said Todd Andersen on behalf of Forty Mile Granlea Wind Limited Partnership. “As a part of the company’s revised capital expense budget, Suncor decided to suspend construction on phase . . . Complete story »
Looks like planned Whitla Wind Farm expansion will go ahead in 2021
Capital Power has ordered key equipment for its planned Whitla Wind Farm expansion – a key indication that work set to take place in 2021 near Bow Island will move ahead. The Edmonton-based company stated in its first-quarter financial report, released Monday, that it was performing well, though it expects power demand and therefore prices to be lower than were forecast in 2020. In a note on subsequent events, the company signed a 10-year contract extension with wind turbine maker . . . Complete story »
