Manitoba farmers and rural communities could be among the big winners if the province gives the go-ahead for further wind energy development.
There already is one large wind farm in Manitoba and the province recently invited private companies to submit proposals for additional developments.
Most of the 63 turbines in the St. Leon, Man., project are operating and more than $350,000 is being paid annually to farmers for hosting the turbines on their land. More than $700,000 in school and property taxes also are paid each year from that development, said Bob Spensley, president of Sequoia Energy Inc. in Winnipeg.
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The project in the St. Leon area will generate almost 100 megawatts of electricity once all the turbines are operating.
That is enough electricity to meet the needs of 40,000 homes.
The province now is contemplating the addition of 1,000 megawatts of wind energy development, although it has not indicated when it might get under way.
That means that other producers and municipalities in the province could be in line for a windfall.
“This has been a positive spin for our community all along,” said Val Turner, chief administrative officer for the Rural Municipality of Lorne, where the majority of the existing
turbines are located.
“I can’t think of anybody I know of that is negative, that is against the project.”
Sequoia Energy was one of two companies that worked together to develop the wind farm in the St. Leon area. The venture was sold in 2004 to a limited partnership created by Algonquin Power Income Fund and GreenWing Energy Inc.
However, Sequoia is interested in further wind energy development in Manitoba and the company entered into a partnership with Enbridge Inc. to submit a proposal to the provincial government last month.
“Together Enbridge and Sequoia are much stronger and we aim to be a significant player in responsible wind farm development in the future,” Spensley said.
“The technology is tried, tested and true. You see the largest companies in the world investing in this. It’s a safe, economic venture.”
The development of another 1,000 megawatts of electricity would involve an upfront investment of $2 billion from private industry, he said, noting that the overall benefits to the economy would be far greater.
As with the St. Leon project, landowners would be among the beneficiaries. Enbridge and Sequoia are working with more than 250 landowners on agreements for potential wind turbine sites. The possible sites are located in nine Manitoba communities.
Due to the magnitude of the effort, a number of companies would likely be involved. The owners of the St. Leon project also have submitted an expression of interest to the province.
“Along the escarpment here, the wind resource is excellent,” said Larry Hogan, site manager of the St. Leon project.
“There are also other parts of the province that are very, very good. Producing another 1,000 megawatts is not an unreasonable ambition at all.”
Sequoia Energy Inc. is a renewable energy company, focused on large-scale wind energy projects in Western Canada and the U.S. Midwest.
Enbridge Inc. is a leader in energy transportation and distribution in North America and internationally. Among other projects, the company operates the world’s longest crude oil and liquids pipeline system.
