Saskatchewan’s biggest wind farm coming to Assiniboia area

SaskPower announced that it has accepted the proposal by Potentia Renewables Inc. for a 200 megawatt (MW) project that will produce enough renewable energy to power 90,000 homes.

This wind power project will bring up to 60 wind turbines to an area just south of town which will begin operating as early as 2021.

Environment Minister Dustin Duncan said the project will increase SaskPower’s total wind power capacity to more than 600MW and help reach the province’s goal of a 40 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. He said the province expects to announce a number of similar renewable energy projects over the next few years.

“We’re very confident that we can achieve that 40 per cent reduction,” Duncan said.

Previous projects would have taken significantly more than 60 turbines to generate 200MW but Duncan explained these turbines are bigger and more efficient.

“It’s important in hitting our goal. It shows that the industry is moving very quickly to adopting new technology and new ways of creating renewable power,” Duncan said.

Saskatchewan also has a goal to have wind energy make up 30 per cent of the province’s electricity generating capacity by 2030. Duncan couldn’t say where this new wind project will bring the current percentage to, calling it a moving target during the ongoing battle against the federal carbon tax.

“I think this again shows that provinces should have the flexibility in terms of actually putting forward their own climate plans,” Duncan said.

The minister said Saskatchewan’s goal of seeing a 40 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions goes over and above what the federal government wants, without a carbon tax.