NaturEner Energy Canada has asked Alberta regulators for more time to build the 210MW Wild Rose 1 wind project in Cypress County.
The developer has applied for an extension of the in-service date from December 2015 to July 2017. Written submissions may be submitted through 17 December 2015.
The Alberta Utilities Commission approved the project and the nearby 189MW Wild Rose 2 proposal in 2013 however development stalled when the bottom fell out of power prices in the province’s merchant market.
The commission has approved installation of Alstom ECO 110 3MW turbines at the two sites. The regulator earlier this year granted modifications and construction extensions for the interconnection transmission facilities.
Wild Rose 1 will tie into the grid via a 36km transmission line and Wild Rose 2 via a 50m cable. Both projects, located 50km southeast of Medicine Hat, will interconnect directly to the Alberta Interconnected Electric System at the new Elkwater switchstation.
“NaturEner has invested significant resources over many years to develop the Wild Rose projects,” said VP wind energy development Greg Copeland.
“We are continuing to actively advance financing and contractual strategies to support the commercialization and construction phases of WR1 and WR2.”
The provincial government in November unveiled new climate change plans, raising prospects for renewables development.
Alberta aims to phase out coal-fired electricity generation by 2030, two-thirds of which is to be replaced primarily by wind power. The western province said renewable energy sources will provide 30% of electricity production by 2030.
Alberta also set a price on carbon. It will be phased in, starting at C$20/tonne in 2017 and rising to C$30/tonne in 2018. Other strategies include cuts to oil sands emissions and methane reduction.
Image: the Halkirk wind project in Alberta (RES Americas)
