SaskPower and Potentia Sign 25-year Power Agreement for 200 Megawatts of Wind Electricity

Oct 29, 2018

The 200 megawatt project, which will be located south of Assiniboia, will consist of up to 60 wind turbines and bring SaskPower’s total wind power capacity to more than 600 megawatts (MW)

Potentia is a fully integrated developer, owner and operator of renewable energy assets in North and South America. The firm is owned by Power Energy Corp., a subsidiary of Power Corporation of Canada. The project that will produce enough renewable electricity for approximately 90,000 Saskatchewan homes. 

Reducing greenhouse gases and increasing the province’s renewable electrical generating capacity, such as wind and solar, are key elements of Saskatchewan’s climate change strategy, which was released in December 2017. 

“This new wind energy project further demonstrates our commitment to renewable energy as part of our comprehensive provincial climate change strategy” said SaskPower Minister Dustin Duncan. “Our opposition to the federal carbon tax does not mean we don’t believe in climate action.”

The competitive process for this project started early last year. SaskPower reviewed 29 proposals from 15 pre-qualified proponents during the request for proposals phase. All proposals were evaluated through a competitive process that is open and transparent with the vendor and supplier community. The average price of all 29 bids was $42/MWh, including the cost of connecting the facility to the grid. The winning bid provided by Potentia came in well below that.

When developing a project of this nature, standard criteria such as environmental impact, proximity to electrical infrastructure, and local community input are important considerations. The proponent is responsible for obtaining the necessary approvals from the Ministry of Environment before proceeding with the construction of the project. 

SaskPower expects the next competitive process for another utility-scale wind project to get underway in mid-2019 as we work towards our 2030 goals.

Photo source: Potentia Renewables Inc.