100-megawatt solar array project approved in Southeast Alberta

Posted on October 17, 2024 by Ryan Dahlman

By Collin Gallant
Southern Alberta Newspapers

Another major solar power project has been approved in Southeast Alberta.

Alderson Solar, located northwest of the Hamlet of Suffield, was first discussed in 2016 by German renewables firm, “hep,” but was only put before regulators in late 2022.

Last April, the Alberta Utilities Commission rendered a decision report and on Oct. 3, issued its approval decision.

The 100-megawatt solar array would cover 560 acres of privately owned “tame pasture” about 21 kilometres east of Tilley and three kilometres north of Highway No. 1 near Ralston.

Considering standard construction conditions as well as modification required to setback from wetlands in the project areas, “the benefits of the project outweigh its negative impacts,” according to the AUC decision report.

A standing reclamation agreement between hep and landowners is sufficient, the AUC ruled, though all projects will be subject to regulations for decommissioning surety that are now being developed.

The site and on-site substation will connect to the AltaLink power lines that parallel the TransCanada Highway.

The completion date as set out by the AUC is June 30, 2026.

The company is currently completing three solar projects in North Carolina and operates Germany, the United Kingdom, and Japan

The Canadian subsidiary of hep is located in Calgary.