Project Location
The project is located in the Rural Municipalities of Happy Valley and Hart Butte, approximately 5 km north of Big Beaver and 20 km east of Coronach. The project area is comprised of cultivated cropland and pasture, and land use in the area is predominately ranching and farming.
Project Development
With decades of experience, we have a team of internal experts to take projects from conception and make them a reality. Our team works in close consultation with government agencies and key stakeholders to site, build and operate our facilities responsibly. To learn more about our approach to project development, click here.
BluEarth Renewables first began outreach efforts on this Project in 2016. Over the last year, our team has been working to obtain approval from the Ministry of Environment, consulting with stakeholders and completing further technical and environmental studies as part of the development process.
As part of the environmental approval process, we submitted a Technical Project Proposal (TPP) to the Environmental Assessment Branch in 2018. As a next step, we are preparing to submit an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) that will be made available for the public to review and comment on prior to the ministerial decision. To learn more about what this EIS includes, please see the Terms of Reference in the ‘Additional Resources’ section below.
In November 2019, we hosted an open house to provide an update and discuss the project with the local community. If you missed it, you can find the information shared in the ‘Additional Resources’ section below.
We are continuing to progress the development of the Outlaw Trail Wind Project to ensure it remains competitive for future procurement opportunities. If the Outlaw Trail Wind Project is successful in securing a power purchase agreement in 2021, we anticipate that construction could begin as early as 2022 to meet the required commercial operation date of late 2023.
We are committed to engaging stakeholders in the decision-making process for the project. We believe that trust is the foundation for long-term successful relationships, and we know that trust is only earned over time, by working together with honest and transparent communications. For more information on the Outlaw Trail Wind Project, please email us at projects@bluearth.ca or call 1-844-214-2578.
Project Infrastructure
The Outlaw Trail Wind Project will include a 34.5kV electrical collector system, 34.5kV to 230kV Project substation, an operations and maintenance building, a concrete batch plant during construction, temporary and permanent access roads, and a 230kv transmission line from Project substation to the SaskPower point of interconnection to the west, to be constructed by SaskPower.
Additional Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
The Outlaw Trail Wind Project will benefit the local economy with an average of 120 full-time workers during peak construction of the project. In addition, the project will employ six full-time wind technicians and one full-time site supervisor. The project will also provide indirect revenue to the local municipality in the form of local services and supplies, and will pay municipal taxes to the rural community with an estimated annual tax revenue of $800,000 between Hart Butte and Happy Valley. Wind projects provide stable income to local farmers and landowners from land lease agreements and allow farming up to the base of the turbine gravel pad, leading to increased diversification of local landowner income.
The global wind industry collectively continues to engage with experts in science, medicine and occupational and environmental health to monitor ongoing credible research in the area of wind turbines and human health (CanWEA, 2018). Health Canada published its own study in 2014, which found that wind turbine noise exposure was not associated with self-reported medical illnesses and health conditions.
We understand some individuals have concerns about wind facility construction and operation and we take these concerns seriously. The Outlaw Trail Wind Project has been designed to meet or exceed all provincial regulations and guidelines in place to protect human health.
Below are studies on the relationship between wind turbines and human health:
- Health Canada: Wind Turbine Noise and Health Study: Summary of Results
- Journal of Occupations and Environmental Medicine: Wind Turbines and Health: A Critical Review of the Scientific Literature
The noise emissions produced by a wind turbine vary depending on the model and size. As there are currently no regulatory requirements for noise control in Saskatchewan, we are completing detailed noise modeling on the project to align to the Alberta Utilities Commission regulatory requirement of 40dBA at night time at all residences. This is the strictest noise regulation in Canada. The sound pressure level of 40dBA is considered comparable to a quiet library.
Wind turbines occupy a small fraction of the land on which they are sited, so they work in harmony with existing and established land uses. In rural settings, farming and ranching continue undisturbed. Livestock, such as sheep, cows and horses, can continue to graze around the towers. In fact, wind energy helps create a healthier environment by not emitting greenhouse gases or air pollutants, and using no freshwater to generate electricity.
The most comprehensive study on wind facilities and property values to-date was conducted by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The study analyzed more than 50,000 home sales near 67 wind facilities across nine U.S. states over ten years and found no statistical evidence that operating wind facilities have had any measurable impacts on home sale prices.
Below are studies on the relationship between wind facilities and property value:
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory: A Spatial Hedonic Analysis of the Effects of Wind Energy Facilities on Surrounding Property Values in the United States
- Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics: The Effects of Wind Turbines on Property Values in Ontario: Does Public Perception Match Empirical Evidence?
- Journal of Real Estate Research: Wind Energy Facilities and Residential Properties: The Effect of Proximity and View on Sales Prices
No. TV and internet signals are now primarily digital and will not be impacted by this project.
