Canada - Centennial wind power facility officially opened

Minister responsible for SaskPower John Nilson today officially opened the Centennial Wind Power Facility. Built by SaskPower International and situated approximately 25 kilometres southeast of Swift Current, the 150-megawatt (MW) wind generation facility will provide enough zero-emissions electricity for the equivalent of 64,000 Saskatchewan homes. "Construction of the Centennial Wind Power Facility brought economic, employment and other benefits to the province," Nilson said. "Now that this facility is complete, it firmly establishes Saskatchewan as a leader in Canada in terms of providing its generation through wind power. The Centennial Wind Power Facility will stand as a Centennial legacy for Saskatchewan and, a great example of our government's vision of a green and prosperous economy." "On behalf of SaskPower and SaskPower International, I want to thank everyone involved with the planning, design, construction and commissioning of the facility," SaskPower President and CEO Pat Youzwa said. "We also want to thank the area residents, the RM of Coulee and surrounding communities, including Swift Current, for their support with such a large project."

It is estimated that construction of the facility had a multi-million-dollar impact on the Saskatchewan economy, from local suppliers, including those providing food and accommodations to the construction workers, to Hitachi Canadian Industries Ltd. in Saskatoon who manufactured the 83 steel towers for the turbines. "The Government of Canada is providing approximately $54 million in funding over 10 years to the project," said Gary Lunn, Minister of Natural Resources. "Wind power, along with other renewables, is a key part of this Government's strategy to reduce emissions and help Canadians enjoy clean air, clean water, clean land and clean energy." At this time, the Centennial Wind Power Facility is the largest operating wind power facility in Canada. Saskatchewan now has 172 MW of wind generation capacity totalling approximately five per cent of the province's total electrical generation capacity. This is currently the highest percentage in Canada.

For more information, contact: Larry Christie, SaskPower, (+306) 566-3167 (Regina) or (888) 536-0000 (toll-free)