Wind, solar power projects planned for south-central Saskatchewan

The power grid in south-central Saskatchewan will have an additional 700 megawatts of renewable generation by 2027.

In a media release Monday, SaskPower announced 400 MW of wind generation and 300 MW of solar generation will be coming to the region. The release said more details about the locations of the projects will be announced in the coming months.

“Building more generation facilities to take advantage of Saskatchewan’s abundant wind and sun will be good for emission reductions and for the provincial economy,” Don Morgan, the minister responsible for SaskPower, said in the release. “We are looking forward to this significant next step for electricity generation for the region and province.”

SaskPower is aiming to reduce its CO2 emissions by at least 50 per cent of 2005 levels by 2030. That means non-emitting electricity in Saskatchewan’s generation mix will rise from its current 35 per cent to between 40 and 50 per cent.

“Achieving our 2030 and net-zero targets will require SaskPower to add significantly more non-emitting generation in the coming years,” Tim Eckel — the Crown corporation’s vice-president of asset management, planning and sustainability — said in the release.

“In total, we plan to add up to 3,000 MW of wind and solar generation by 2035 — a major transformation of our grid and an economic opportunity for businesses and communities provincewide.”