FORT FRANCES — The Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) has announced contracts with proponents to build 14 solar- and wind-power generating stations across Ontario, three of which are in the Rainy River District.
The three solar projects are proposed to be built in Fort Frances, Chapple, and unincorporated Rainy River territory, generating a total of 284.40 megawatts. There are also two wind projects in the Northwest that will generate a collective 400 MW, located in Nipigon and the unorganized Thunder Bay area.
“The energy task force has identified, for a number of years, that we are short in terms of the energy we have on a regular basis in the region, so this is really, really good news” said co-chair of NOMA’s Northwest Energy Task Force, Iain Angus.
Fort Frances Mayor Andrew Hallikas said that the projects are huge for the town, which he hopes will eventually be known as a green energy centre.
The construction of the Fort Frances solar farm will create about 120 jobs for the community, and its 57.2 MW output will power 8,000 homes in the province, according to Hallikas.
Fort Frances already has a hydro-electric dam, and in the next year expects construction to commence on a bio-refinery that refine waste fibre from the forest into de-carbonized fuel.
Hallikas said that the Fort Frances Power Corp. will need higher voltage power lines and upgraded transformers in the transformer station in light of the upcoming power generation.
The town is also in the process of creating a micro-grid that will allow them to be self-sustaining in energy.
Combined with the 60.00 MW coming from the project in Chapples near Barwick and the 167.20 megawatts from the Rainy River unorganized project, the three solar farms will create considerable amounts of energy that will be especially useful to the mines in Northwest.
“Right now, in terms of hydro-electric, we’re putting out in the range of 600 to 700 megawatts of power on a continuous basis. But we’ve had droughts […] that reduces it down to about 230 MW as all we can guarantee, so we need other forms of ongoing power,” Angus said.
Angus confirmed that, as of now, there are no approved battery storage plant projects, although Mayor Hallikas suggests that a battery storage group in conjunction with the new solar farm would further help the town in becoming energy independent.
While the cities do not have ownership stakes in the projects, Hallikas points out that every project is at least 50 per cent First Nation owned.
“The province of Ontario has made a conscious decision that any project that has First Nation partnership will get an advantage over those that are strictly non-Indigenous,” said Angus.
“[This] enables them to be a real partner in the projects, and that creates employment for First Nations residents as well as a revenue stream for the communities themselves.”
Angus called it a win-win situation for all.
 

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