July 17, 2023 – Ottawa is contributing over $160 million to nine Alberta-based solar power projects that, combined, will generate 163 MW and provide 48 MW of energy storage.

$64-million – Capstone Infrastructure Corp. and Sawridge First Nation’s Michichi Solar LP and Kneehill Solar LP projects will each deploy a 25-MW solar farm with smart grid-enabled solar inverters.

$45.8 million – Concord Green Energy (a Concord Pacific Group company) and the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation (ACFN) partnered to create the Concord Monarch Partnership, Concord Vulcan Partnership, and Concord Coaldale Partnership, each of which will deploy 15 MW/34 MWh battery energy storage systems on the sites of existing solar arrays in Alberta.

“The [Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation] is excited about the bright future ahead,” said Jason Schulz, ACFM, adding that “future generations of ACFN membership will benefit from revenue streams outside of their traditional territory while further diversifying their investments […]”

$12.8 million – Métis Nation Power Authority (MNPA) Inc. will deploy a 4.9-MW solar project in Métis Nation Region 3 in southeastern Alberta.

“As an Indigenous-controlled solar power company, MNPA is excited to work alongside the government to provide renewable energy in a way that is meaningful and empowering to stewards of the land,” said Kurt Vouri, CEO, Métis Nation Power Authority Inc. “We are encouraged that this partnership will promote harmony, legacy and collaboration between Indigenous communities, farming families, and Alberta’s ever-evolving energy industry.”

$21 million – Chappice Lake LP, alongside Cold Lake First Nations, will deploy 14 MW of solar electricity generation equipment paired with 2.9 MW/8.3 MWh of battery energy storage and AI-powered battery dispatch software.

$12 million – Enterprise Solar LP will deploy a 65-MW solar energy generation project in Vulcan County.

$5.5 million – Cardston Spring Coulee Solar LP will deploy a 29.5-MW bi-facial solar plant, using single axis trackers, in Cardston County.

Federal funding comes from the $1.56-billion Smart Renewables and Electrification Pathways (SREP) program, which supports “smart renewable energy and electrical grid modernization projects”.