Cowessess FN will help lead province’s latest wind energy project

The project will help the province reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50 per cent from 2005 levels.

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Cowessess will be aiding in the development of Saskatchewan’s latest renewable energy project, bringing the province one step closer to reaching its 2030 greenhouse gas emission reduction target.

Construction will begin on Bekevar Wind Energy Project this summer. It’s expected to generate 200MW of energy and supply 100,000 homes power.

Renewable Energy Systems (RES) Canada and Awasis Nehiyawewini Energy Development, a Cowessess First Nation-owned company will lead the development. The energy will be purchased by SaskPower over a 25-year period, a record deal for renewable energy in Saskatchewan.

“Incorporating wind power through projects such as Bekevar is a crucial component of our strategy to make significant reductions to emissions while ensuring SaskPower can supply reliable, sustainable, and affordable power to our customers,” said SaskPower president and CEO Mike Marsh in a news release.

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The facility will be constructed on Cowessess First Nation reserve land, just north of Moose Mountain Provincial Park, near the municipalities of Hazelwood and Kingsley.

Bekevar follows multiple Cowessess-led renewable energy developments including the Cowessess Renewable Energy Storage Facility, a solar power project located a few kilometres east of Regina, which opened in 2018 and the Awaisis Solar Project, which received $5.2 million in government funding earlier this year.

RES Canada and Awasis Nehiyawewini Energy Development were selected from an open competition, where companies were encouraged to submit a proposal detailing the characteristics of the site, the cost of the energy, community engagement plans and Indigenous participation.

Bekevar, which will be finalized by 2023, is one of three wind projects currently under construction. Riverhurst Wind Project produces 10MW of power, Blue Hill, near Herbert, produces 175MW and Golden South near Assiniboia produces 200MW.

Saskatchewan currently has six wind facilities in operation, producing at total of 241MW of power, contributing to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 50 per cent by 2030, from 2005 levels.

gfrancis@postmedia.com

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