Solar farm in Calgary, similar to large one planned for Medicine Hat, gets OK

By COLLIN GALLANT on January 12, 2022.

cgallant@medicinehatnews.com@CollinGallant

A plan to build a solar farm on contaminated land inside Calgary city limits has been approved, boding well for another plan to build a similar, but much larger project in Medicine Hat.

Deerfoot Solar would see 108,000 panels placed on 244 acres of land that was once a fertilizer plant’s tailings pond. On Tuesday, the Alberta Utilities Commission approved its construction by Atco.

The 37-megawatt power plant, plus another similar project, (“Barlow Solar” also in Calgary), were purchased last fall from Irish firm DP Energy.

That company is also proposing to build a 300-megawatt solar farm on the former Westco Fertilizer site in northwest Medicine Hat.

Deerfoot would be connected to Enmax power distribution grid, according to the permit approval, posted Tuesday on the AUC’s website. The decision states Atco plans to commence construction in March and have the site in service by the end of 2022.

Previously, the Calgary projects were exempted from some typical wildlife reporting requirements owing to the urban location.

Prior to sale to Atco, DP Energy received a time extension to build the 27-megawatt capacity solar array known as Barlow Solar. That approval has an inservice date of Jan. 31, 2023.

Early in the fall, Atco also purchased the planned Empress Solar Park in northeast Cypress County.