Alberta’s largest power generator has cancelled one proposed wind farm and put three other developments on hold, citing provincial rule changes to renewable developments and uncertainty around broader electricity market reforms.
During a first-quarter earnings call, TransAlta Corp. confirmed Friday the company was permanently shelving its Riplinger Wind Power Project, a 300-megawatt development in Cardston County, that it began developing four years ago and expected to be online in 2027.
CEO John Kousinioris said renewable project changes announced by the provincial government in late February that create 35-kilometre buffer zones around pristine viewscapes in Alberta meant the wind farm couldn’t go ahead.
The Calgary-based power generator also has paused three other proposed developments in Alberta pending the province completing its ongoing energy market restructuring.
“Due to the near-term uncertainty stemming from the forthcoming market redesign, we’ve decided to pause the development of three advanced stage greenfield projects,” Kousinioris said.
Those projects include the 100 MW Tempest wind project, the 180 MW WaterCharger battery storage project and the 44 MW Pinnacle gas development. The potential investment date has been pushed out until at least 2026.
Tempest is located in Warner County, 15 kilometres east of Stirling, and was approved by the Alberta Utilities Commission last year. It was projected to begin operating in the fourth quarter of 2026, according to TransAlta’s website.
WaterCharger, in Rocky View County west of Cochrane, was slated to be built on property owned by the company that is part of the Ghost hydroelectric facility. It was projected to be online in 2024.
Finally, Pinnacle is slated to be built on lands included in the Keephills Power Plant site in Parkland County. It was expected to begin operating in the fourth quarter of next year, according to TransAlta’s website.
In March, the province announced several short-term changes to the power market to limit price volatility. The interim changes take effect in July and will remain in place until 2027.
The UCP government and Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO) are also advancing longer-term proposals to restructure the deregulated electricity market. The province could create new rules that include day-ahead pricing for the wholesale power market.
“These projects all have varying degrees of merchant market exposure and have been put on hold until we receive sufficient clarity regarding the future market structure,” Kousinioris added.
“They’re not cancelled. The team is working to preserve them and make sure that as soon as we get the kind of clarity that we need for the regulatory process . . . they are things that could be resurrected and investments that could be made.”
cvarcoe@postmedia.com
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Varcoe: TransAlta shelves wind project due to provincial buffer zones, puts three other Alberta developments on pause
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03.05.2024
Alberta’s largest power generator has cancelled one proposed wind farm and put three other developments on hold, citing provincial rule changes to renewable developments and uncertainty around broader electricity market reforms.
During a first-quarter earnings call, TransAlta Corp. confirmed Friday the company was permanently shelving its Riplinger Wind Power Project, a 300-megawatt development in Cardston County, that it began developing four years ago and expected to be online in 2027.
CEO John Kousinioris said renewable project changes announced by the provincial government in late February that create 35-kilometre buffer zones around pristine viewscapes in Alberta meant the wind farm couldn’t go ahead.
The Calgary-based power generator also has paused three other proposed developments in Alberta pending the province completing its ongoing energy market restructuring.
“Due to the near-term uncertainty stemming from the forthcoming market redesign,........
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