Canada's largest solar project under construction in Vulcan County
Vulcan county needed a way to replace $8 million in unpaid business taxes after the energy industry slump, and they found the answer by turning their sights to a different type of energy: a $700 million solar project.
It's called Travers Solar and it's massive with a projected 1.3 million solar panels on 3300 acres of land east of Champion, Alta.
The project is in its early stages and being developed and managed by Calgary-based Greengate Power with funding from Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners.
The $700 million project - Canada's largest - will produce enough energy to power thousands of homes according to Dan Balaban, Greengate CEO.
"The capacity of the project is 465 mega watts AC, 691 mega watts DC," said Balaban. "Which is the technical term but it means power for more than 150,000 homes."
This is the second renewable energy project by Greengate in the area.
"Vulcan county is quietly becoming a renewable energy super power," said Balaban.
In 2014 it constructed what was at that time Canada's largest wind energy project called Black Spring Ridge.
"Having one of the largest wind projects in the country along with the largest solar project in the country, it's really going to showcase that Vulcan county is a prime location for renewables," said Nels Petersen, chief administrative officer of Vulcan County.
A number of local land owners in the area voluntarily signed up to be part of the green energy the program.
"One of the downfalls is there is some land being taken out of farm production," said Petersen. "But then at the same time for the producer that is willing to sign up, the revenue off that is guaranteed over the term of the contract whereas farming, it can certainly be hit and miss."
HARD HIT BY DOWNTURN
Petersen said the county has been hit hard by the downturn in oil and gas in the region.
"In the last four years the county has had to write off approximately $8 million dollars in unpaid taxes," said Petersen. "So to have a project like this that is in excess of $500 million coming into your community, it means a lot."
"The energy discussion in Canada has become way too polarized, it's been framed as oil and gas vs renewables, I believe it's an 'and'," said Balaban.
"Oil and gas and renewables and doing what we've been doing in oil country successfully for more than 14 years and this project specifically demonstrates that the future is very bright in Alberta."
Learn more about the project here: www.traverssolar.com
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Trudeau promises $1B in loans for child-care providers to expand care centres
The federal government is launching a new loan program to help child-care providers in Canada expand their spaces, and will be extending further student loan forgiveness and training options for early childhood educators, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday.
Spring allergy season has begun. Where is it worse in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
N.B. man wins $64 million from Lotto 6/49
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
'Nonsense:' Doug Ford slams lawsuits filed by Ontario school boards against social media platforms
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
King Charles calls for acts of friendship in first public remarks since Kate's cancer diagnosis
King Charles III gave public remarks for Maundy Thursday, addressing the importance of acts of friendship, following his and Catherine, Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnoses.