A map showing the location of the Dunmore Solar Project.--SUPPLIED IMAGE
cgallant@medicinehatnews.com@CollinGallant
Applications for southeastern Alberta’s first mega solar projects are now before regulators.
The newly revealed Dunmore Solar field, a sprawling plan to put solar panel arrays on portions of eight quarter-sections east of Medicine Hat, was submitted to the Alberta Utilities Commission on April 24.
That project, estimated to cost $200 million to build, would put up to 216 megawatts of electricity onto the Alberta power grid at peak operating capacity, according to a project spokesperson.
Last month, Alberta-based developers SolarKrafte officially sought Alberta Utility Commission Approval to build its 400-megawatt solar field southwest of Brooks.
“It’s an interesting time and there is a lot of development (in the entire sector) right now,” said Jennifer Traichel, of Ascent Energy Partners, which is steering the project through the approval process.
It will likely go to public consultation period and potentially an AUC hearing this spring, and if approved, Dunmore Solar, Inc. would seek a county permit this summer ahead of procurement and kickoff in the spring of 2020, said Traichel.
“Right now in Alberta there’s a really good (power) market, there’s a great solar resource in southern Alberta, capacity on the transmission system, and landowners who are looking to lease portion of their property,” said Traichel.
The economics of solar are “looking better and better and better,” she said.
It would be built near Highway 41, between township roads 124 and 130, about two kilometres east of the Highway 41A junction.
The layout on a proposed map shows panels curling around an irrigation pivot, with one new access road between two blocks, and it would be connected to a nearby grid via a new substation.
Acsent is developing the project for owner “Dunmore Solar, Inc.,” which is a subsidiary of global renewable investment firm P&T Global Renewable Energy.
That company is a major investor in U.K.-based Horus Energy, which began site selection talks with landowners and environmental surveys in 2019.
Wildlife studies took place in 2020, and the package was submitted to the AUC last week.
It is the largest solar project even officially proposed for Medicine Hat at 216 megawatts. Last year, the News revealed Irish renewable power company DP Energy plans to submit a 300-megawatt proposal for land into Medicine Hat city limits potentially next year.
As well before the AUC is the massive Prairie Sunlight facility proposed for Brooks by Calgary-based developer SolarKrafte.
It previously sold two projects in the MD of Taber to German power company Belectric, and more recently sold its project in Strathmore to Edmonton-based Capital Power.
Previously, Greengate Power made huge waves in mid-2020 announcing it would proceed with building its $400-million Travers Solar project in Vulcan County.
Industry leaders told the News on Monday the pace is being driven by the nature of the Alberta energy market, government emission reduction programs, local weather and the declining price of constructing green power projects as technology improves.
“Alberta has the most promising renewables market in Canada,” said Evan Wilson, the senior director for Western Canada for the Canadian Renewable Energy Association.
There were currently four solar facilities operating in Cypress County, the County of Newell and the M.D. of Taber, in 2020.
Three more came online in the County of 40 mile so far in 2021, with construction on two more kicking off this spring.
But each range between 10 and 23 megawatts of capacity, or about one 10th the size of the Dunmore proposal.
