Smoky River Wind Project – Project Update Newsletter: February 2025
Smoky River Wind Inc. (SRWI), a newly-formed subsidiary of ABO Energy Canada Ltd. (ABO Energy), is proceeding with the proposed 160 MW Smoky River Wind Project (Smoky River / the Project). The Project is located on privately-owned land within the Municipal District (M.D.) of Smoky River, between the Town of Falher and the Village of Nampa, and will consist of up to 27 turbines.
Name Update:
As of May 1st, 2024, ABO Wind formally became ABO Energy. Our new name better captures the entirety of the clean energy projects we develop, demonstrating the value of working with ABO Energy. The name change will have no effect on the development of projects, with no changes to existing business relationships, obligations, agreements and contracts.
The Provincial Moratoriumon Renewable Energy Application Approvals
The Government of Alberta directed the Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC) to pause approvals for renewable electricity generation projects over one megawatt beginning on August 03, 2023. On January 31, 2024, the AUC released the ‘Module A Report’, which provided recommendations and options for ongoing economic, orderly, and efficient development of electricity generation in Alberta. The Report focuses on 4 issues related to development:
The development of power plants on specific types or classes of agricultural or environmental land
The impact of power plant development on pristine viewscapes
The implementation of mandatory reclamation security requirements for power plants
The development of power plants on lands held by the Crown in the Right of Alberta
The Smoky River Wind Project will comply with new regulatory guidelines that have been established.
The Module A Report can be found on the AUC Website: www.auc.ab.ca
Ice Fall and Ice Throw
Final turbine selection has not yet been completed, however SRWI will evaluate the potential use of wind turbine models designed with a default ice detection system, which includes sensors mounted on blades that detect and automatically shut off the turbine when ice is detected, in which case the ice may fall directly under the blade and minimize the risk of the unlikely event of ice being thrown while the blade is rotating.
Environmental and Regulatory Process
SRWI had intended to submit the Renewable Energy Project Submission to Alberta Environment and Protected Areas (EPA) in Q4 of 2023 however, due to the Government of Alberta Moratorium on renewable energy projects, and in order to better incorporate stakeholder feedback and environmental considerations into Project design, the timing of the submission was deferred, and instead submitted in February 2025. After a Renewable Energy Referral Report is received from EPA, SRWI will prepare the Project Power Plant
Application to be submitted to the AUC under the requirements of Rule 007 – Wind Power Plants 10 Megawatts or greater – urban and rural. SRWI anticipates the submission of the AUC application to take place in Q4 2025.
Transmission Interconnection
The Project will require the construction of a transmission line to connect the Project to the Alberta Interconnected Electric System. A separate and distinct regulatory process, including stakeholder engagement, will take place for the transmission interconnection project. An information package for the transmission interconnection project was mailed to stakeholders on January 15, 2025. Since then, the turbine locations shown on the map in that mailout have been updated and are reflected in the current mailout.
Updated Project Layout
Based on feedback from stakeholders, the consideration of environmental factors, the Module A Report, and technical input from our team of experts, the Project layout has been updated. A number of turbines have been moved to accommodate relocation of infrastructure outside of the Important Bird Area (IBA) to the east of the Project. Secondary infrastructure such as collector routes and access roads have also been optimized to reduce the Project’s overall environmental impact.
Project Contact and Consultation
The consultation process is guided by the AUC Rule 007: Applications for Power Plants, Substations, Transmission Lines, Industrial System Designations, Hydro Developments and Gas Utility Pipelines. ABO Energy commits to forthright and meaningful communication that is timely and respectful. We look forward to hearing from you.
If you have questions about the Regulatory and Consultation Process, you can contact the AUC at 403-592-4500 or find information at: www.auc.ab.ca
