Richard Froese
South Peace News
Big Lakes County is pleading to the provincial government to approve land dispositions for a wind project planned for the southern part of the county near Swan Hills.
At its regular meeting Oct 23, council approved a new document for briefing notes to Affordability and Utilities Minister Nathan Neudorf.
Northern Lights Wind Power Project has been planned for a site about five kilometres northwest of the Town of Swan Hills by Potentia Renewables.
Municipal revenues could reach up to $100 million over the project’s life, the briefing document states.
In 2022, the project gained support from Alberta Environment and Protected Areas to be considered a pilot project for renewable energy projects on Crown land, Potentia states in a project newsletter dated July 2024.
Potentia senior project manager Keaton Lever and project developer Monica Ramondino updated council at its regular meeting Oct. 9.
Lever says construction is scheduled to start in 2026 and be completed in 2027.
Planned for 60 wind turbines, the project involves construction of a new collector substation (Trapper Ridge 1035S), and above ground and underground collection system, access roads, a temporary laydown, meteorological towers, and an operations and maintenance building, the newsletter states.
Encompassing a project boundary of 9,500 hectares, the final project footprint is anticipated to be 220 hectares.
Alberta’s management and development of Crown lands and natural resources is subject to its legal and constitutional duty to consult First Nations and Metis, and where appropriate, accommodate their interests when Crown decisions may adversely impact their constitutionally protected treaty rights and traditional uses of the land, the newsletter states.
At its regular meeting Aug. 11, 2021, council approved a motion to send a letter of support for the project to Jason Nixon, the minister of environment and parks at the time.
“The large-scale project could reach 400 MW in size with capital expenditures of up to $800 million,” the document states.
“This project could lead up to the creation of up to 1,000 jobs for construction and operation activities in northern Alberta, specifically within Big Lakes County and significant economic opportunities for our communities.”
- Land dispositions for the project have several benefits.
- Initial public land dispositions within a small well-defined region should the most expeditious path forward.
- The project will create jobs and significant economic development at no cost to municipal or provincial governments.
- Quick action would resolve an inequity where northern communities are denied access to significant investment in renewable energy on highly-disturbed public lands.
- Improved regional diversification in locating wind farms will strengthen the power grid and reduce local costs expanding the transmission system.
- The project can supply low-cost power for consumers and low-cost offsets for large industries in Alberta.
Potentia reports it plans to file a power plant and substation application to the Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC) in early 2025.
Once an initial review of the applications have been completed, the AUC will notify potentially impacted stakeholders for comment.
Whether any comments are received or not, the AUC will continue to process the application and ask Potentia for any clarifications.
If stakeholders file comments on the project, the AUC will decide whether or not to hold a public hearing.
If the AUC does not hold a public hearing, the typical timeline for the AUC to issue a decision is 120 days.
Potentia is committed to listen to and engage with local communities through a community liaison committee that would meet about three or four times a year during the construction to discuss local ideas and concerns.
As well, Potentia plans to create a Community Benefit Fund for the community prior to the commercial operation date of the project.