Irrican Power in Alberta helping generate tens of millions of dollars for two southern Alberta irrigation districts through various renewable energy projects that add to the province’s power grid
Tag Archives Solar power
Irrigation districts grow renewal power footprint
Solar arrays a viable option for orphaned well sites littering Alberta landscape
Alberta irrigators put power of the sun to work
An early adopter of using solar power to operate irrigation equipment says after several years, he’s convinced the system is a win for farmers.
Solar expansion in U.S. sparks worries over soil
Parties disagree on whether solar farms are the best use of farm and ranchland as concern grows over soil degradation
JASPER COUNTY, Indiana (Reuters) — Dave Duttlinger’s first thought when he saw a dense band of yellowish-brown dust smearing the sky above his Indiana farm was, “I warned them this would happen.” About 445 acres of his fields near Wheatfield, Indiana, are covered in solar panels and related machinery — land that in April 2019 […] Read more
Greek firm wants solar project OK
WINNIPEG (Reuters) — Athens-based Mytilineos Energy & Metals has asked the Alberta government to permit two solar projects partly on prime farmland and promised to continue crop production. Company officials visited Alberta last week. The province said earlier this year that it will ban renewable power projects on prime agricultural land and impose buffer zones […] Read more
Beef-solar relationship to be studied
Orienting solar panels vertically, like fences, is one option that will be explored at a new agrivoltaics research park
CALGARY — An agrivoltaics research park to be built this summer in Alberta is designed to explore how beef producers can maximize profits and improve pastures by using their land for both ranching and solar power generation. Traditional solar projects in the province allow livestock such as sheep to graze under solar panels to control […] Read more
Renewables ban costs calculated
OTTAWA (Reuters) —Alberta’s restrictions on some renewable projects could hurt $11.1 billion in investments and stall up to 6.3 gigawatts of solar and wind power capacity, a study has said. The new rules can potentially impact 42 projects valued at more than $11 billion and several thousand jobs, the Pembina Institute, an Alberta-based clean energy […] Read more
Alta. sets stage for renewable energy inquiry
Interested parties will be able to attend in-person meetings or make written submissions as part of the review
The Alberta Utilities Commission is announcing details of its public engagement schedule that will form part of an inquiry into renewable power development in the province. The AUC will divide its renewables inquiry into two sections with the initial part examining land impact issues of the energy resource development as well as the role of […] Read more
Renewables pause painted as landowner issue
Alberta says regulatory approval pause will allow it to consider how landowner rights fit into the renewable energy boom
Following a surprise announcement by the Alberta government, no new regulatory approvals for wind or solar projects that are more than one megawatt in size will be issued for the next six months as of August 2023 as it reviews the state of the industry. Provincial government officials have said alternative energy developments have happened […] Read more
Small-scale solar expansion requires regulatory changes
Keith Hirsche, president of RenuWell Energy, said two projects in Barnwell and Fincastle are performing as expected and are helping offset electrical costs associated with running irrigation pivots. The projects also offset costs associated with well site remediation.
Solar power requires better site selection rules
Now is the time to set the rules and strike a better balance on site selection for solar power.
