Following the Framework to Build a Green Prairie Economy, Canada this month unveiled more than $150 million in investments targeting clean energy projects across Alberta.
The Smart Renewables and Electrification Pathways Program funding was awarded to nine projects this round.
These solar, wind, and grid infrastructure projects are expected to displace 760,000 tonnes of harmful carbon emissions and generate enough electricity to power 170,000 homes, according to a statement from the government.
“Renewable energy is increasingly making the most economic sense to build,” posits Jonathan Wilkinson, who functions as Canada’s federal minister of energy and natural Resources. “When governments understand this fact and invest in building good projects that create good jobs, drive investment in our economy and clean our air, we all succeed.”
“There is a world of economic opportunity available to Alberta in clean and renewable energy,” added Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change. “By working together, we can seize the opportunity ahead to build a strong and sustainable economy for generations ahead.”
These projects referenced by the ministers include $25 million for a 22-megawatt solar farm in the Killarney Lake region, and another $25M for a 280-megawatt onshore wind energy project located approximately six kilometres east of Bow Island in the County of Forty Mile Alberta.
There’s also the Big Sky Solar Power Project, a 140-MW solar energy project located west of the Acadia Valley hamlet, and the Wild Rose 2 Wind Farm, a 192-MW onshore wind farm located in Cypress County. Both are getting $25M.
“Albertans play an important role in powering Canada’s economy with clean electricity, hydrogen, oil and gas, and critical minerals,” stated George Chahal, who serves as a Member of Parliament for Calgary Skyview.
“Investments like today’s $152-million infusion in Alberta are about boosting our clean electricity production, saving people money and growing our economy,” he said.
The Government of Canada’s Smart Renewables and Electrification Pathways Program is a $4.5-billion program designed to support the deployment of grid modernization and energy storage in every region of Canada.
Since 2021, SREPs has approved funding for 72 deployment projects.