The location of the Pteragen Peace Butte wind farm, located southeast of the hamlet of Seven Persons (top left). The company building the 20-turbine power facility says construction will commence this spring, but likely won't meet an in-service date stated on a permit.--Supplied Image
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A wind farm first proposed in 2006 near Seven Persons will proceed to construction next month, according to the company behind Peace Butte Wind, but that likely won’t give enough time to meet an in-service deadline at the end of the year.
Pteragen Canada Peace Butte applied to the Alberta Utilities Commission last week to extend that date from Nov. 1, 2025 to the same day in 2026.
It might also not enter commercial operations until mid-2027.
Owner Renovalia says regulatory delays to connect the 120-megawatt wind project, located about 22 kilometres south of Medicine Hat, along with “significant delays” in delivery components like transformers, have pushed off construction.
“Uncertainties related to regulatory changes, evolving transmission environment conditions and upcoming market design changes have further complicated project planning and execution,” reads its application. “These factors have introduced additional layers of complexity and delay in aligning the project with new requirements and market conditions.”
In 2021 the Alberta Utilities Commissioner ruled that too much time had passed since initial approval in 2013 for the project to earn further extensions. It would need to update its application and to reapply, which it did, winning re-approval in 2023.
From an original 60-tower layout, the new layout comprises just 20 towers with higher capacity turbines that will produce the same maximum amount of power at 120 megawatts.
