In keeping with City Council’s commitment to sustainable utilities and environmental stewardship, the City of Medicine Hat’s Environment department is exploring the possibility of a wind farm located in the Box Springs Road area northwest of Medicine Hat.
Potential Turbine Locations – Box Springs Wind Farm (Proposed)
JUNE 2009
The City has responded to the Alberta Utility Commissions information requests and submitted required Environmental reports to Alberta Sustainable Resource Development. Awaiting the Alberta Utility Commission decision on the City’s wind farm application prior to City Council finalizing its wind farm development decision.
FEBRUARY 2009
The City submitted its wind farm application to the Alberta Utility Commission for approval.
APRIL / MAY 2008
City Council approved the submission of an application to the Alberta Utilities Commission for permission to construct and operate a 16.5 Megawatt wind farm in the Box Springs area. The Alberta Utilities Commission approval process consists of:
- Environmental Approval – Alberta Fish & Wildlife (12 month environmental assessment required)
- Public Notice process (letters to area residents and property owners and an information Open House)
- Public Consultation (letter from Alberta Utilities Commission to industry participants)
- Alberta Electric System Operator technical approval
- Noise survey
- Independent Assessment (Electric Utility Act)
The initial Public Notice process has been completed and included a public Open House that was hosted by the City on May 1 at the Family Leisure Centre with approximately 120 people in attendance. In addition, the noise survey, technical approvals, public consultation, and Independent Assessment should be completed by the end of this summer.
The environmental assessments required for the Environmental Approval are currently under way with the assistance of Jacques Whitford, an environmental consulting firm. The environmental assessments will not be completed until the Spring of 2009. As a result, a ruling on the City’s Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC) wind application is not anticipated until next year. The current project timeline assumes that the City will make a decision regarding investment in the Wind Farm after the Medicine Hat AUC wind application ruling has been issued (Spring 2009).
SEPTEMBER 2007
Regulatory discussions have occurred.
Project development plan is currently being completed.
APRIL 2007
City Council approved the next steps of the wind farm project:
- determine provincial regulatory approval requirements.
- initiation of a detailed project development plan for the wind farm project.
Results of the next steps are expected by Fall 2007.
MARCH 2006
Preliminary data from the March 2006 report indicates the proposed location has the potential to support wind turbines with an output equivalent to 35,000 megawatt hours of electricity (this represents about 20% of the total annual residential electrical energy requirements for the city of Medicine Hat).
JANUARY 2005
A wind monitoring tower was installed to gather data related to wind speed and consistency.