September 23, 2016 – SaskPower says it will add 60MW of ground-mount solar PV generation to the province’s electricity grid by 2021—“enough to power between 10,000 and 12,000 homes”. The plan includes a combination of competitive procurement, a partnership with First Nations Power Authority (FNPA) and community projects.

“These solar projects will help the province reach our goal of delivering 50% power through renewable sources by 2030,” said Gordon Wyant, the minister responsible for SaskPower.

SaskPower will seek qualified vendors for the first of two 10MW projects by the end of September. The competitive procurement process will start in December and the utility expects the first 10MW solar project to be in service in 2018, which SaskPower notes will be one of the first utility-scale solar project in Canada.

“Our phased approach will allow us to add solar in a way that balances our priorities of maintaining a sustainable and diverse generation mix”, said SaskPower president and CEO Mike Marsh. “The first 10MW project will allow us to better understand how the technology works within Saskatchewan’s power grid, similar to what we did with wind.”

Additionally, SaskPower says it is negotiating with FNPA for two more 10MW solar projects. Community projects will make up the remaining 20MW and the consultation for these developments will also begin this fall.