Solar power partnership in works
SaskPower’s partnership with the First Nations Power Authority (FNPA) on a third of the large solar power projects it plans to roll out over the next five years could have significant economic benefits for the province.
“When First Nations do well, Saskatchewan does well,” said Leah Nelson Guay, CEO of the Regina-based non-profit that was established in 2011 to encourage aboriginal participation in the province’s power sector.
“We’re a key supporter of economic activity in Saskatchewan, so when we have thriving First Nations communities, we’ll have significant contributions to a thriving Saskatchewan economy.”
On Thursday, SaskPower said it plans to add 60 megawatts (MW) of solar photovoltaic generation to the province’s electrical grid by 2021, part of a commitment made last year to double the province’s renewable power capacity by 2030.
Saskatchewan gets about one quarter — roughly 1,100 MW — of its electricity from renewable resources, mostly hydroelectric stations. SaskPower has said it plans to expand that capacity to roughly 3,500 MW over the next 15 years.
“It’s a relatively small percentage, but it’s a move in the right direction,” Guy Bruce, the Crown corporation’s vice-president of planning, environment and sustainable development, said of the projects, likely the first of their kind in Western Canada.
SaskPower will start looking for a company to build the first of two 10 MW solar projects by the end of the year. The facility will cover about 70 acres and is expected to come online in 2018.
It’s not clear how much each project will cost or where they will be built. Bruce said the first bidding process will set a baseline price, and it’s likely the facilities will be built in southern Saskatchewan, where solar potential is strongest.
The remaining 40 MW of capacity will be split evenly between community-led projects — consultation on which will begin this fall — and two additional 10 MW projects, which SaskPower said it is negotiating with the FNPA to build.
The Crown corporation’s commitment to work with First Nations stems from its 2011 master agreement with the FNPA. Bruce said SaskPower is “always looking ” for opportunities to work with the province’s aboriginal groups.
“They’re looking for opportunities, economic development opportunities, and this is another way that we can develop relationships with First Nations and give them opportunities to participate in this industry.”
Nelson Guay said that while First Nations tend to be “Davids among Goliaths” in the power sector, the novelty of major solar projects in the province is an opportunity to innovate. The FNPA has already begun exploring bids, she added.
Not only are First Nations strategically situated and well-equipped to tackle the projects, but the solar installations will provide revenue, training opportunities, jobs and possibly spinoff services while meeting or exceeding SaskPower standards, she said.
Martin Boucher, a University of Saskatchewan PhD student specializing in distributed power generation, agrees. He said while there are challenges, history shows small-scale renewable power projects can have significant “offshoot” benefits.
“Local energy creates opportunities for the local economy,” Boucher said in an email. “We have also seen that community ownership also creates community acceptance for projects.”