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Berkshire Hathaway’s BHE Canada will break ground on a new wind farm in southeast Alberta in 2020, and a large Canadian corporate partner has signed a long-term power purchase agreement with BHE Canada for the majority of the energy output from the Rattlesnake Ridge Wind project.
The new 117.6 MW Rattlesnake Ridge Wind project will be located southwest of Medicine Hat and will produce enough energy to supply the equivalent of 79,000 homes.
“The Rattlesnake Ridge Wind project is a leader in the development of new grid-scale wind generation in Alberta, being constructed and operated without government subsidies,” said William Christensen, Vice President Corporate Development of BHE Canada. “BHE Canada is excited to take this first step into the Alberta market, providing low-cost, renewable energy. We’re looking forward to more opportunities to invest in Alberta’s energy industry.”
“Alberta is proud to be home to so many great innovators and entrepreneurs who see the opportunity that exists when people choose to invest and create jobs here. This exciting new energy project will add to Alberta’s impressive renewable energy network, and is a vote of confidence in our economy. Even more encouraging is that this $200 million project does not rely on government subsidies, but instead relies on the potential and opportunity that exists right here in Alberta,” said Alberta Premier Jason Kenney.
Privately financed by BHE Canada through a combination of equity and debt, the more than $200 million project is under development by RES, which will also provide construction and asset management services. RES has extensive experience in building large-scale renewable energy projects around the world, including the 150 MW Halkirk Wind project in east-central Alberta. The project is expected to provide approximately 150 jobs at peak construction during the approximately 18-month schedule.
“RES is delighted to partner with BHE Canada to leverage our expertise and experience to bear in delivering clean renewable power to Alberta,” said Graham Reid, CEO of RES in the Americas.
Once the project is complete, the wind farm will generate electricity from up to 28 wind turbines and is expected to provide approximately 475 GWh per year. Rattlesnake Ridge Wind is expected to begin generating energy for Alberta’s grid in December, 2021.
BHE Canada and RES have also permitted the Forty Mile Wind Farm in the County of 40 Mile in southeastern Alberta and are looking for partners in long-term power purchase agreements. This project will have a generation capacity of 398.5 MW, potentially making it the largest wind power project in Canada, and is located on approximately 40,000 acres of privately-owned land, roughly five kilometres east of the town of Bow Island.
BHE Canada was established in 2015 after Berkshire Hathaway Energy (BHE) made its foray into the Canadian market with the purchase of AltaLink, Alberta’s largest independent transmission provider.
BHE Canada is focused on business opportunities within all aspects of the energy infrastructure market across Canada, including electricity transmission and distribution, and oil and natural gas infrastructure. With a particular focus on renewable energy, BHE Canada will invest in power generation sources including wind, solar and natural gas.
BHE Canada also owns a 20 MW natural gas fired, reciprocating engine driven generating facility northwest of Medicine Hat in southern Alberta. The facility went into commercial operation in December 2016.
© 2019 David Mazor
Disclosure: David Mazor is a freelance writer focusing on Berkshire Hathaway. The author is long in Berkshire Hathaway, and this article is not a recommendation on whether to buy or sell the stock. The information contained in this article should not be construed as personalized or individualized investment advice. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.