NaturEner receives green light on Wild Rose 2 power project
Published on September 1, 2011
August 29, 2011, Medicine Hat, Alberta... The Economic Development Alliance (EDA) of Southeast Alberta would like to congratulate NaturEner Energy Canada Inc for receiving approval from the Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC) on August 02, 2011 to construct and operate the 162 Mega Watt (MW) Wild Rose 2 Power Project in southeast Alberta. In October 2010, NaturEner also received approval for the Wild Rose 1 project with an energy capacity of 204 MW- with the combined capacity they will be among some of Canada's largest wind farms.
The EDA supported NaturEner during the AUC hearings as the project, once finalized and constructed, shows a triple bottom line which translates into social benefits, sustainable environmental impacts as well as increased economic value for southeast Alberta.
In response to their involvement in the hearings, Tracy Heebner, Associate Director for the EDA explained that, “since 2005, the EDA has been in favor of clean-tech solutions. A lot of time and support from stakeholders was taken into consideration during the trials and we were there to show our support. A few individuals voiced concerns on the environmental impact and NaturEner did their due diligence in terms of meeting environmental requirements.”
In the Wind Energy Development Opportunity Identification Report funded by the EDA and Invest Canada- Community Initiatives (ICCI) program it was forecasted that development of the three main wind farms: Peace Butte (Renovalia), Wild Rose 1 & 2 (NaturEner) and Wild Steer Butte (Shell Energy) will create approximately 1, 443 direct jobs as well as provide opportunities for local business in areas such as: project management, transportation and road construction as well as support sectors like catering and accommodation.
Heebner explained that the economic benefits would be noticeable through the tourism sector as well as with farmers, ranchers and landowners as the wind farms would bring in new sources of tax revenues; therefore, from an economic standpoint, it is important that these projects are supported.
The wind energy report was completed to ensure that the EDA could assist local companies prepare for and respond to the human resource and procurement requirements associate to these projects. It is reported that approximately 15 to 20% of the labour needs will be local while 80-85% will consist of specialized labour imported on a needs basis.
“NaturEner is one example of southeast Alberta building its clean energy sector. By ensuring we remain on top of what is needed and project timelines, we are hoping that local businesses are at a competitive advantage and can respond in a timely manner to the needs associated to the development of these wind farms. We want to ensure our local economy reaps as many of the benefits as possible,” said Heebner.
To learn more about the clean-tech industry as well as read the full Wind Energy Opportunity Identification Report visit www.edalliance.ca.