Richard Froese
South Peace News

A former Big Lakes County councillor questions council’s decision to support a proposed wind project in the southeastern corner of the county.

Donald Bissell spoke to council about the Northern Lights Wind Power Project proposed near Swan Hills at council’s regular meeting Nov. 13.

“Wind power is dirtier than incombustibles,” said Bissell, who served as a councillor for Enilda – Big Meadow from 2017-21.

“Wind power and solar power are dirty.”

He responded to a story on the project proposed by Potentia Renewals reported in the Nov. 6 issue of the South Peace News.

Construction and operation of a wind project causes pollution, Bissell said.

At the end of life of the wind turbines, he noted the materials have to be hauled away to a dump.

Enilda – Big Meadow Councillor Lane Monteith responded as he chaired the meeting in the absence of Reeve Tyler Airth and deputy reeve Jim Zabolotniuk, who joined in the meeting online.

“We’re well aware of that,” Monteith said.

CAO David Reynolds says the County is reviewing several energy projects proposed.

“We have a number of different projects,” Reynolds said.

He noted that the project proposed by Potentia is going through a public consultation process.

“We need to look at all the different resources,” Reynolds said.

“This is just one project.”

Joussard Councillor Richard Mifflin agreed.

“Looking forward, we need to look at all avenues. We need to look at all the different resources, including oil and gas. We need more power as a province.”

The Northern Lights project has been planned for a site about five kilometres northwest of the town of Swan Hills.

Municipal revenues could reach up to $100 million over the project’s life, says a briefing document to lobby the project the provincial government to move forward on the project.

In 2022, the project gained support from Alberta Environment and Protected Areas to be considered a pilot project for renewable energy projects on Crown land, Potentia states in a project newsletter dated July 2024.

Potentia senior project manager Keaton Lever and project developer Monica Ramondino updated council at its regular meeting Oct. 9.

Lever told council construction is scheduled to start in 2026 and be completed in 2027.

Planned for 60 wind turbines, the project involves construction of a new collector substation (Trapper Ridge 1035S), and above ground and underground collection system, access roads, a temporary laydown, meteorological towers, and an operations and maintenance building, the newsletter states.

Encompassing a project boundary of 9,500 hectares, the final project footprint is anticipated to be 220 hectares.

Aberta’s management and development of Crown lands and natural resources is subject to its legal and constitutional duty to consult First Nations and Metis, and

where appropriate, accommodate their interests when Crown decisions may adversely impact their constitutionally protected treaty rights and traditional uses of the land, the newsletter states.

Potentia reports it plans to file a power plant and substation application to the Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC) in the first quarter of 2025, the newsletter states.

Once an initial review of the applications have been completed, the AUC will notify potentially impacted stakeholders for comment.

Whether any comments are received or not, the AUC will continue to process the application and ask Potentia for any clarifications.

If stakeholders file comments on the project, the AUC will decide whether or not to hold a public hearing.

If the AUC does not hold a public hearing, the typical timeline for the AUC to issue a decision is 120 days.