BluEarth Renewables Inc. has commissioned the Bull Creek Wind Facility, the developer’s first renewable energy project in Alberta to achieve operation. Bull Creek, located approximately 20 km northeast of Provost, features 17 General Electric turbines with a combined nameplate capacity of 29.2 MW.
“With some of the best renewable resources in Canada, Alberta is incredibly well positioned for growth in clean energy projects,” states Grant Arnold, BluEarth’s president and CEO.
BluEarth says it expects Bull Creek to inject more than C$15 million into the local economy over its life span. In addition, more than 60,000 hours of employment went into the construction of the facility, which also generated considerable local investment, the company adds.
“I commend BluEarth Renewables for creating good jobs in Alberta, seeing this project through, and helping power our province,” says Marg McCuaig-Boyd, Alberta’s minister of energy. “Our government’s Climate Leadership Plan will see Alberta transition to up to 30 percent renewable power generation by 2030.”
“New wind energy developments, like Bull Creek, help Alberta to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions and clean the air while also producing significant new investment and jobs,” adds Robert Hornung, president of the Canadian Wind Energy Association.
Electricity from Bull Creek will be sold to a number of Alberta’s school boards through agreements reached with assistance from the Alberta Schools Commodities Purchasing Consortium (CPC). The CPC ran a competitive process to select a renewable power developer to provide members with an option for a long-term, affordable source of renewable energy. BluEarth was selected as the partner to develop a project to meet the requirements.
“Wind power enables participating school boards to take advantage of the long-term predictable cost of wind energy, with no future fuel-price risk,” comments Francois Gagnon, chair of the CPC. “In addition, it limits our exposure to potential increases in costs associated with greenhouse gas pollution from traditional sources of energy production.”
