Energy has been a driving industry for the MD of Taber. Originally when the area was settled, there were a number of coal mining companies in the vicinity. Then in the 1920s, coal mining dropped dramatically in the area and with the discovery of oil in 1937, this sector has embedded itself as a core economic provider within the municipality.
As the need for energy grows, generating energy from renewable resources is becoming increasingly important and needs to be fully considered with the rise in conventional energy prices and population growth. The abundance of wind and sun in our region provides favourable conditions for renewable energy development. Changes have been made to the MD of Taber’s Land Use Bylaw No 1979 to make it as efficient as possible to install renewable and alternate energy systems. These clean energy development projects will help the Municipal District of Taber reduce emissions and create new jobs.
Solar energy projects
There has been some recent interest in solar projects within the MD of Taber due to the amount of sunlight the region gets. Not only is the amount of sunlight good for just farmers!
Prairie Sunlight I Solar Project is a 74.9 megawatt (MW) solar facility, located on 552 acres of private land in MD of Taber, Alberta, north of Enchant and south-east of Lomond, immediately adjacent to the Enchant Substation. The project is estimated to offset 89,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions annually, generating enough electricity to power more than 18,000 Alberta homes. The total capital cost of the project is expected to exceed $125 million, bringing an important source of direct and indirect economic activity to the MD of Taber and the communities of Enchant and Lomond.
Prairie Sunlight II Solar Project is a 24.5 megawatt (MW) solar facility, located on 160 acres of private land in MD of Taber, south of the Town of Vauxhall. The project is estimated to offset 29,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions annually, generating enough electricity to power more than 6,000 Alberta homes.
Prairie Sunlight III Solar Project is a 22 megawatt (MW) solar facility, located on 193 acres of Bow River Irrigation District land in MD of Taber, Alberta, near the Town of Vauxhall. The project is estimated to offset 26,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions annually, generating enough electricity to power more than 5,400 Alberta homes.
Vauxhall Solar Farm is a 60 megawatt (MW) solar facility, located on approximately 940 acres of private land in the MD of Taber, Alberta, near the Town of Vauxhall. The project is estimated to offset 70,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions annually, generating enough electricity to power more than 14,000 Alberta homes. The total capital cost of the project is expected to exceed $90 million, bringing an important source of direct and indirect economic activity to the MD of Taber and the Town of Vauxhall.
RenuWell Project received a $2 million investment from the Municipal Climate Change Action Centre for its successful application to the Municipal Community Generation Challenge. The RenuWell Project will demonstrate how re-purposing legacy oil and gas infrastructure to community solar development can provide significant benefits to energy industries, the environment, and the economy. The widespread deployment of this concept will position Alberta as a worldwide leader in energy diversification. This project is ongoing, and updates on progress will be provided regularly.
Sunlight Density
Wind energy projects
Wind energy has emerged as an alternate industry in the MD of Taber. Two projects currently exist in the municipality:
Chin Chute Wind Farm was completed in 2006 and consists of 20 turbines with the capacity to generate 30 MW of electricity. The initial investment in this project was $60 million and is owned by Enbridge Wind Power General Partnership (Enbridge), Acciona Wind Energy Canada Inc. (Acciona), and Suncor Energy Products Inc. (Suncor). The Project is operated by Acciona (Facility Operator).
Taber Wind Farm is owned and operated by ENMAX Energy, the Taber Wind Farm consists of 37 Enercon E-70 Wind Turbines, each having a power output of 2.3MW. It has a total capacity of approximately 81MW. All of the energy generated for the next 20 years is already purchased by the City of Calgary.
