City looks to buy Saamis Solar

Source: Collin Gallant | · MEDICINE HAT NEWS · | August 28, 2024

The City of Medicine Hat plans to buy a proposal for the largest urban solar array in Canada from a private developer that already has approval to build on 1,600 acres in northwest Medicine Hat.

The Saamis Solar Park is designed to produce 325 megawatts of power in peak conditions – slightly more than the city-owned gas-fired complex – and would partially cover a large former industrial site left over from fertilizer production.

Private-sector developer DP Energy earned approval to build the estimated $600-million project from provincial regulators in July.

On Tuesday, the city’s energy division announced it is seeking regulatory approval to purchase the project, stating it would add production capacity and position the city to meet net-zero timelines now being developed and debated by other levels of government.

“We can no longer ‘wait and see’ and must actively plan for the future.” said Rochelle Pancoast, managing director of energy, land and environment. “In this case, solar energy is a commercially viable option that is forecast to benefit our bottom line.”

No sale has been finalized, she told the News, but current applications are among several conditions that must be met ahead of time.

After that point, council would be presented with a phased construction timeline and business plan for sections of the massive array to come online and offset some gas-fuelled power production over time.