Proposed solar farm for Strathmore

By Janet Kanters Times Editor

If Solar Krafte Utilities Inc. gets the go-ahead from the Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC), a new solar farm will be built in Strathmore.
The proposed solar farm is a 40.5-megawatt solar facility located on 320 acres on the southeast side of town, and according to Solar Krafte president Mark Burgert, would be the ninth installation the company will install in southern Alberta.
“This project is estimated to offset 48,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions annually, generating enough electricity to power more than 10,000 Alberta homes,” he said.
Solar Krafte has been building solar-powered plants since 2009, starting in California. The company focuses solely on power generation in “solar rich” jurisdictions, where the price for power is not subsidized. Burgert said that means the company can deliver power to consumers at the best price, and without emissions or waste.
The other eight installations are located further south in the province: Enchant, Stirling, Warner, Wrentham, Brooks, Spring Coulee and two near Vauxhall.
“Strathmore is a little further north than some of our other systems, but it still has a favourable solar resource,” said Burgert. “But the most important feature here is the interconnection capacity.”
The project will tie directly into the local FortisAlberta electricity distribution grid.
“Because these systems are distributed generation, we don’t build any additional transmission infrastructures,” said Burgert. “We have to be very strategic about where we locate so that we can interconnect where the grid needs more generation. Where this system is situated, we abut the Strathmore substation so that there’s a demand there for more generation. Those are the two main drivers how we choose our locations.”
Burgert said there are benefits to local citizens, too, if the solar farm is built here.
“First and foremost, there are economic benefits,” he noted. “We pay property taxes; and we hire people, not only during construction but afterwards through the operation and management of the system,” he noted. “We know that’s desirable because these are long-term jobs.”
Solar Krafte stated there would be more than 300 jobs at the peak of construction, and long-term operator positions.
The total capital cost of the project is expected to approach $60 million.
The project would be constructed in one phase and operated for a period of 30 years, and beyond. Burgert said it is anticipated that site construction would start in the spring of 2020, with construction completed and the facility operational in the fall of 2020.
The Town of Strathmore is leasing the 320 acres of land to Solar Krafte for a 26-year period, with potential extensions to 46 years.
The Strathmore Solar Farm isn’t the only solar installation being built in the area. The East Strathmore Solar Project is working on a proposed solar energy project in Wheatland County. The project would occupy about 120 acres of private agricultural land approximately 18 kilometres east and south of Strathmore and consist of a 20.1-megawatt solar facility connected to the local electrical distribution system, capable of generating enough emissions-free electricity to power over 3,000 homes annually.
According to Kolja Vainstein, project manager with East Strathmore Solar Project, during construction there will be the construction jobs for electricians, equipment operators, labourers, specialized trades, site managers and engineers.
“Once operational, on-going site services will be required such as project operators, electricians and vegetation control,” Vainstein said. “In addition, the project will provide a significant contribution to Wheatland County’s tax base and require minimal municipal services.”
Vainstein said the location east of Strathmore was chosen because of its proximity to an existing substation with available capacity on the electrical distribution system.
“The proposed project is sited on flat cultivated land,” he noted. “The availability of sensitive wildlife habitat is low due to ongoing disturbance from crop cultivation and the absence of native grassland habitat. In addition, southern Alberta and Saskatchewan have the best solar regimes in Canada.”
The project is currently undergoing a regulatory review process with the AUC. Vainstein said the project is proposing to start construction in the summer/fall of 2019 and be operational in 2020, subject to regulatory approvals, government policy and market conditions.