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City to harness wind
ALEX MCCUAIG studies and ensuring that we have all the beginning to address these problems
amccuaig@medicinehatnews.com
pieces of the puzzle together as we submit while the Wind River’s project near Seven
While companies like Wind River and
our application to the Alberta Utilities Persons is currently finishing up their
NaturEner press ahead in their plans for
Commission.” environmental assessment.
wind farms throughout southeastern
Once that is done, and if approval is given, Pending the Alberta Utilities Commission
Alberta, Medicine Hat is also moving
it will be up to the city whether to proceed (AUC) approval, the NaturEner’s proposed
forward on its own plans to harness Mother
with the project. project south of Irvine could commence
Nature.
“The big hurdles will be to whether to
construction in the next six to nine
The city’s proposed 15 megawatt wind
invest in the wind turbines and whether
months.
farm would include up to 10 turbines and
the return is suitable to the community,” According to NaturEner director of
be located in the northeastern corner of the
said Smith. development Greg Copeland, his company
city.
Funds through government incentives to
is working with AltaLink Management Ltd.
Recent approval of an upgraded power
encourage green technologies is available,
to facilitate the transmission requirements
transmission line by Alberta Electric
he said. But the department is still looking
from the AUC.
System Operator (AESO) will smooth
to see if the February announcement The preferred transmission line route would
the way for private companies. The
of infrastructure stimulus package will consist of a 120 km north-south section
city’s plans, however, will remain local
provide additional money. from Empress to south of Irvine and a 15
and unobstructed by the degrading
“In an urban setting like ours, a wind farm
km east-west section of the proposed wind
transmission line infrastructure.
of this size is not common,” he said.
farm.
Russ Smith of the city’s environment
The city also won’t have the transmission
Phase 1 of the Wild Rose Wind Farm would
department says the project is looking to
issues which are hampering projects
see 135 turbines at 1.5 megawatts (MW)
finish its environmental assessment into
outside the city since it will not be utilizing
per turbine for a capacity of 204 MW. A
the wind farm by summer.
the provincial grid system.
proposed Phase 2 Wild Rose would be the
“We are also in the process of doing noise
same size.
NaturEner’s Cypress Hills project is
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