November 25, 2020 - BHE Canada signs contract with Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy to provide wind turbines for Rattlesnake Ridge Wind Power Project
October 25, 2019 - BHE Canada files application with Alberta Utilities Commission for Rattlesnake Ridge Wind project
October 15, 2019 - New BHE Canada wind farm expected to start construction in 2020
June 2, 2022
BHE Canada’s Rattlesnake Ridge Wind Farm fully commissioned and supplying energy to Alberta’s grid
Calgary, Alberta (Globe Newswire – June 2, 2022) - BHE Canada is proud to announce that the Rattlesnake Ridge Wind Farm is now commercially operational and supplying low-cost, renewable energy to Alberta’s grid.
The 26-turbine wind farm is located southwest of Medicine Hat. It is the company’s first wind farm in Canada and will provide Alberta consumers with 130 megawatts of energy, enough to power the equivalent of 78,000 homes
The wind farm is privately financed by BHE Canada through a combination of equity and debt, requiring no government subsidies or tax incentives to support its operation.
“This is an exciting milestone for us, and for Alberta’s energy industry, with new grid-scale wind generation constructed and operating without government subsidies,” said Ed Rihn, President and CEO of BHE Canada. “We’re proud to facilitate a more sustainable energy future for Albertans and look forward to more investment opportunities in Alberta and across Canada.”
BHE Canada signed power purchase agreements with four Canadian corporate partners, providing them with environmental attributes to meet their environmental targets and offset existing carbon production.
Construction began in 2020 with Renewable Energy Systems (RES) providing construction services. RES has extensive experience in building large-scale renewable energy projects around the world. An estimated 150 jobs were provided to local Alberta contractors and suppliers during peak construction.
“The Rattlesnake Wind project is our 20th major renewable construction project in Canada, and we are pleased to see this project achieve commercial operation,” said Liam Duffy, RES General Manager of Construction, Canada. “The addition of this facility showcases our commitment to the construction of wind energy and brings RES closer to fulfilling our vision of a future where everyone has access to affordable zero carbon energy.”
To celebrate the milestone, a ribbon-cutting event was held at the Rattlesnake project site just outside of Medicine Hat. Representatives from BHE Canada and RES were joined by Mr. Grant Hunter, MLA Taber-Warner, and Craig Widmer, Reeve of County of Forty Mile, to help mark the occasion.
“Southern Alberta is home to some of the best supply of wind energy in the world. It is with pleasure that I congratulate BHE Canada on developing the Rattlesnake Ridge Wind Power Project,” said Grant Hunter, MLA Taber-Warner. “The County of Forty Mile will greatly benefit from this renewable wind project, and so will 78,000 homes in Alberta. Rattlesnake stands on its own without any government funding, as Albertans would expect."
“With southern Alberta being the sunniest and relatively breezy at times, our area provides an exceptional opportunity for renewable energy companies to capture these resources and provide the province with clean renewable energy,” said Craig Widmer, Reeve of County of Forty Mile.
BHE Canada is continuing to pursue additional investments in renewable energy projects. To learn more about their investment portfolio, visit www.BHE-Canada.ca.
About BHE Canada
Headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, BHE Canada is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Energy. BHE Canada is focused on identifying and investing in business opportunities within all aspects of the energy infrastructure market across Canada. BHE Canada has a particular focus on investing in energy projects such as wind and solar.
About RES
RES is the world’s largest independent renewable energy company active in onshore and offshore wind, solar, energy storage, transmission and distribution. At the forefront of the industry for 40 years, RES has delivered more than 22GW of renewable energy projects across the globe and supports an operational asset portfolio exceeding 9GW worldwide for a large client base. Understanding the unique needs of corporate clients, RES has secured 1.5GW of power purchase agreements (PPAs) enabling access to energy at the lowest cost. RES employs more than 2,000 people and is active in 11 countries. For more, visit www.res-group.com.
For more information, please contact:
Scott Schreiner
Phone: 403.880.0275
E-mail: mediarelations@bhe-canada.ca
March 9, 2022
BHE CANADA SIGNS power purchase agreements with Royal bank of Canada, Bullfrog power inc., and Shopify inc.
Calgary, Alberta (Globe Newswire – March 9, 2022) - BHE Canada is pleased to announce that it has signed power purchase agreements with three new Canadian corporate partners, Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), Bullfrog Power Inc. (Bullfrog), and Shopify Inc. (Shopify). The three companies partnered to form a buyers’ group, and each signed a power purchase agreement with BHE Canada to contract energy from the soon to be fully operational Rattlesnake Ridge Wind Power Project.
For the buyers, the power purchase agreements will provide them with environmental attributes to meet their environmental targets, offset existing carbon production, and help facilitate the growth of renewable energy in Canada.
For BHE Canada, the agreements will allow for even more investment to be made in renewable energy across Canada.
“The Rattlesnake Ridge Wind Power Project is the first step of BHE Canada’s journey to invest in renewable energy sources across the country,” said Ed Rihn, Senior Vice President, Government Relations and Corporate Development of BHE Canada. “These power purchase agreements are an example of the demand for clean, renewable energy for Canadian businesses to create a more sustainable future.”
RBC, Bullfrog, and Shopify join another large Canadian customer that signed a power purchase agreement with BHE Canada in 2020.
The capacity of the Rattlesnake Ridge Wind Power Project is expected to be fully contracted prior to commercial operation. BHE Canada is also continuing to pursue additional investments in renewable energy projects.
About the Rattlesnake Ridge Wind Power Project
The Rattlesnake Ridge Wind Project is a 130-megawatt wind farm located in southeast Alberta. The project is being privately financed by BHE Canada through a combination of equity and debt and requires no government subsidies or tax incentives to support its operation. The project consists of 26 wind turbines and is expected to be fully commissioned and supplying energy to Alberta’s grid by May 2022.
About BHE Canada
Headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, BHE Canada is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Energy. BHE Canada is focused on identifying and investing in business opportunities within all aspects of the energy infrastructure market across Canada. BHE Canada has a particular focus on investing in renewable energy projects such as wind and solar.
For more information please contact:
Scott Schreiner
Phone: 403.880.0275
E-mail: mediarelations@bhe-canada.ca
November 25, 2020
BHE CANADA signs contract with siemens gamesa renewable energy to provide wind turbines for rattlesnake ridge wind power project
CALGARY, ALBERTA (Globe Newswire – November 25, 2020) – BHE Canada has signed a contract with Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE) to provide 26 5.0 megawatt wind turbines for the proposed Rattlesnake Ridge Wind Power Project in southeast Alberta.
“Siemens Gamesa has extensive experience in Canada’s renewable energy industry, and this project takes the company’s total fleet to 3.5 gigawatts of installed energy capacity in the country,” said William Christensen, Vice President Corporate Development of BHE Canada.
The wind project and the associated transmission connection was approved by the Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC) on September 9, 2020. On November 16, 2020, BHE Canada filed for an amendment with the AUC to incorporate the use of the SGRE turbines.
The Rattlesnake Ridge Wind Power Project is being privately financed by BHE Canada through a combination of equity and debt and requires no government subsidies or tax incentives to support its operation.
The project is expected to provide approximately 150 jobs at peak construction during the approximately 18-month schedule. Construction activities are ongoing, with almost $12 million already invested in local Alberta contractors and suppliers. Total investment in the County of Forty Mile is expected to be approximately $56 million.
BHE Canada has signed a long-term power purchase agreement with a large Canadian corporate partner for approximately two-thirds of the energy output from the Rattlesnake Ridge Wind project. BHE Canada continues to negotiate with potential partners for the remaining one-third. The more than $200 million project is scheduled to be in service in early 2022.
About BHE Canada
Headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, BHE Canada is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Energy. BHE Canada is focused on identifying and investing in business opportunities within all aspects of the energy infrastructure market across Canada. BHE Canada has a particular focus on investing in renewable energy projects such as wind and solar.
For more information please contact:
Scott Schreiner
Phone: 403.880.0275
E-mail: mediarelations@bhe-canada.ca
October 25, 2019
BHE Canada files application with Alberta Utilities Commission for Rattlesnake Ridge Wind project
CALGARY, ALBERTA (Globe Newswire – October 25, 2019) – BHE Canada, through its subsidiary BHE Canada Rattlesnake GP Inc., filed a facility application with the Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC) on October 24, 2019, for the construction and connection to the grid of the proposed 117.6 MW Rattlesnake Ridge Wind project.
"Following years of consultation with the community and detailed engineering for the wind farm, we’re excited to submit these applications to the Alberta Utilities Commission for review," said William Christensen, Vice President Corporate Development of BHE Canada. "Rattlesnake Ridge Wind is an outstanding project that brings valuable investment to southeast Alberta and connects a new renewable energy resource to Alberta’s grid without the need for government subsidies, while also providing revenue to participating landowners."
The $200-million project will include 28 wind turbines on approximately 13,000 acres of land southwest of Medicine Hat, Alberta. Together, the 4.2 MW-turbines will provide approximately 475 GWh of energy per year, enough to power the equivalent of 79,000 homes.
The transmission connection for this wind farm will have minimal impact on the land, requiring less than 150m of new 138 kV line and one new structure along an existing 138 kV line. A new telecommunications tower will also be constructed within BHE Canada’s Rattlesnake Ridge Wind substation. BHE Canada will pay for the full cost of the wind farm and the associated transmission connection.
Pending AUC approval of the applications, construction of the wind farm could begin in the fourth quarter of 2020 with completion expected by December, 2021.
About BHE Canada
Headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, BHE Canada is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Energy. BHE Canada is focused on identifying and investing in business opportunities within all aspects of the energy infrastructure market across Canada. BHE Canada has a particular focus on investing in renewable energy projects such as wind and solar.
For more information please contact:
Scott Schreiner
Phone: 403.880.0275
E-mail: mediarelations@bhe-canada.ca
October 15, 2019
New BHE Canada wind farm expected to start construction in 2020
CALGARY, ALBERTA (Globe Newswire – October 15, 2019) – BHE Canada will break ground on a new wind farm in southeast Alberta in 2020, providing low-cost, clean energy for Albertans. The new 117.6 MW Rattlesnake Ridge Wind project will be located southwest of Medicine Hat and will produce enough energy to supply the equivalent of 79,000 homes.
"The Rattlesnake Ridge Wind project is a leader in the development of new grid-scale wind generation in Alberta, being constructed and operated without government subsidies," said William Christensen, Vice President Corporate Development of BHE Canada. "BHE Canada is excited to take this first step into the Alberta market, providing low-cost, renewable energy. We’re looking forward to more opportunities to invest in Alberta’s energy industry."
A large Canadian corporate partner has signed a long-term power purchase agreement with BHE Canada for the majority of the energy output from the Rattlesnake Ridge Wind project.
"Alberta is proud to be home to so many great innovators and entrepreneurs who see the opportunity that exists when people choose to invest and create jobs here. This exciting new energy project will add to Alberta’s impressive renewable energy network, and is a vote of confidence in our economy. Even more encouraging is that this $200 million project does not rely on government subsidies, but instead relies on the potential and opportunity that exists right here in Alberta," said Alberta Premier Jason Kenney.
Privately financed by BHE Canada through a combination of equity and debt, the more than $200 million project is under development by RES, which will also provide construction and asset management services. RES has extensive experience in building large-scale renewable energy projects around the world, including the 150 MW Halkirk Wind project in east-central Alberta. The project is expected to provide approximately 150 jobs at peak construction during the approximately 18-month schedule.
"RES is delighted to partner with BHE Canada to leverage our expertise and experience to bear in delivering clean renewable power to Alberta," said Graham Reid, CEO of RES in the Americas.
Once the project is complete, the wind farm will generate electricity from up to 28 wind turbines and is expected to provide approximately 475 GWh per year. Rattlesnake Ridge Wind is expected to begin generating energy for Alberta’s grid in December, 2021.
BHE Canada and RES have also permitted the Forty Mile Wind Farm in the County of 40 Mile in southeastern Alberta and are looking for partners in long-term power purchase agreements. This project will have a generation capacity of 398.5 MW, potentially making it the largest wind power project in Canada, and is located on approximately 40,000 acres of privately-owned land, roughly five kilometres east of the town of Bow Island.
About BHE Canada
Headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, BHE Canada is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Energy. BHE Canada is focused on identifying and investing in business opportunities within all aspects of the energy infrastructure market across Canada. BHE Canada has a particular focus on investing in renewable energy projects such as wind and solar.
About RES
RES is the world’s largest independent renewable energy company active in onshore and offshore wind, solar, energy storage and transmission and distribution. At the forefront of the industry for over 35 years, RES has delivered more than 16 GW of renewable energy projects across the globe and supports an operational asset portfolio exceeding 5 GW worldwide for a large client base. Understanding the unique needs of corporate clients, RES has secured 1GW of power purchase agreements (PPAs) enabling access to energy at the lowest cost. RES employs more than 2,000 people and is active in 10 countries. For more information, visit www.res-group.com.
For more information please contact:
Scott Schreiner
Phone: 403.880.0275
E-mail: mediarelations@bhe-canada.ca