CALGARY, Alberta, June 02, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BHE Canada is proud to announce that the Rattlesnake Ridge Wind Farm is now commercially operational and supplying low-cost, renewable energy to Alberta’s grid.
The 26-turbine wind farm is located southwest of Medicine Hat. It is the company’s first wind farm in Canada and will provide Alberta consumers with 130 megawatts of energy, enough to power the equivalent of 78,000 homes.
The wind farm is privately financed by BHE Canada through a combination of equity and debt, requiring no government subsidies or tax incentives to support its operation.
“This is an exciting milestone for us, and for Alberta’s energy industry, with new grid-scale wind generation constructed and operating without government subsidies,” said Ed Rihn, President and CEO of BHE Canada. “We’re proud to facilitate a more sustainable energy future for Albertans and look forward to more investment opportunities in Alberta and across Canada.”
BHE Canada signed power purchase agreements with four Canadian corporate partners, providing them with environmental attributes to meet their environmental targets and offset existing carbon production.
Construction began in 2020 with Renewable Energy Systems (RES) providing construction services. RES has extensive experience in building large-scale renewable energy projects around the world. An estimated 150 jobs were provided to local Alberta contractors and suppliers during peak construction.
“The Rattlesnake Wind project is our 20th major renewable construction project in Canada, and we are pleased to see this project achieve commercial operation,” said Liam Duffy, RES General Manager of Construction, Canada. “The addition of this facility showcases our commitment to the construction of wind energy and brings RES closer to fulfilling our vision of a future where everyone has access to affordable zero carbon energy.”
To celebrate the milestone, a ribbon-cutting event was held at the Rattlesnake project site just outside of Medicine Hat. Representatives from BHE Canada and RES were joined by Mr. Grant Hunter, MLA Taber-Warner, and Craig Widmer, Reeve of County of Forty Mile, to help mark the occasion.
“Southern Alberta is home to some of the best supply of wind energy in the world. It is with pleasure that I congratulate BHE Canada on developing the Rattlesnake Ridge Wind Power Project,” said Grant Hunter, MLA Taber-Warner. “The County of Forty Mile will greatly benefit from this renewable wind project, and so will 78,000 homes in Alberta. Rattlesnake stands on its own without any government funding, as Albertans would expect."
“With southern Alberta being the sunniest and relatively breezy at times, our area provides an exceptional opportunity for renewable energy companies to capture these resources and provide the province with clean renewable energy,” said Craig Widmer, Reeve of County of Forty Mile.
BHE Canada is continuing to pursue additional investments in renewable energy projects. To learn more about their investment portfolio, visit www.BHE-Canada.ca.
About BHE Canada
Headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, BHE Canada is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Energy. BHE Canada is focused on identifying and investing in business opportunities within all aspects of the energy infrastructure market across Canada. BHE Canada has a particular focus on investing in energy projects such as wind and solar.
About RES
RES is the world’s largest independent renewable energy company active in onshore and offshore wind, solar, energy storage, transmission and distribution. At the forefront of the industry for 40 years, RES has delivered more than 22GW of renewable energy projects across the globe and supports an operational asset portfolio exceeding 9GW worldwide for a large client base. Understanding the unique needs of corporate clients, RES has secured 1.5GW of power purchase agreements (PPAs) enabling access to energy at the lowest cost. RES employs more than 2,000 people and is active in 11 countries. For more, visit www.res-group.com.
For more information please contact:
Scott Schreiner
Phone: 403.880.0275
E-mail: mediarelations@bhe-canada.ca
