Timeline of Events
January 11, 2010
The Government of New Brunswick announced that TransAlta has been awarded a 25-year power purchase agreement to expand the existing Kent Hills Wind Farm. The 54 MW expansion means that an additional 18 turbines will be constructed. The addition will provide an additional 160,000 MW hours of electricity per year, or enough to power approximately 9,000 homes. Click here for more information.
December 2009
The Caribou Wind Park, located 70 miles west of Bathurst, began commercial operation, making New Brunswick a leader in wind generation among the Maritime provinces. The facility consists of 33 wind turbines and has a 99 MW capacity. It is owned and operated by GDF SUEZ Energy North America and produces enough electricity to power as many as 19,000 New Brunswick homes.
June 16, 2009
NB Power issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the purchase of up to 100 MW of wind-powered generation. Click here for more information.
December 2008
The Kent Hills Wind Farm, located 32 kilometres south-southwest of Moncton, began commercial operation in late December 2008. The facility consists of 32 wind turbines and has a 96 MW capacity. It is owned and operated by TransAlta and produces enough electricity to power as many as 17,000 New Brunswick homes. This represents a reduction of approximately 280,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases that would otherwise be produced yearly to generate that amount of electricity.
February 26, 2008
NB Power signed a 20-year power purchase agreement to acquire 99 MW of wind energy from Ventus Energy Corporation, a subsidiary of SUEZ Renewable Energy NA . Ventus will develop two facilities in Caribou Mountain, one with 16 wind turbines and the other with 17. The sites will generate a total of approximately 330,500 MWh of electricity per year. Click here for more information.
January 28, 2008
NB Power signed a 25-year power purchase agreement to acquire 64.5 MW of wind energy from Acciona Wind Energy Canada Inc. Acciona will develop a wind farm of 43 wind turbines in Aulac. It will generate approximately 177,870 MWh of electricity per year. Click here for more information.
January 22, 2008
NB Power signed a 25-year power purchase agreement to acquire 49.5 MW of wind energy from Acciona Wind Energy Canada Inc. Acciona will develop a wind farm of 33 wind turbines in Lamèque. It will generate approximately 154,570 MWh of electricity per year. Click here for more information.
August 31, 2007
In response to a Request for Proposals, NB Power received 25 proposals from nine proponents. In addition to geographic considerations, NB Power would evaluate proposals based on pricing, schedule for development, yearly production and reliability of supply. Click here for more information.
July 3, 2007
The power purchase agreement between TransAlta Energy Corporation and NB Power was amended from 75 MW to 96 MW following TransAlta Energy Corporation's purchase and sale agreement with Vector Wind Energy for the 21 MW Fairfield Hill wind power project. TransAlta Energy Corporation announced it will install seven additional turbines at its Kent Hills site, resulting in a total of 32 turbines, producing 96 MW.
May 17, 2007
NB Power issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) for the purchase of up to 300 MW of wind-powered generation by November 2010 from potential private-sector developers, in addition to the existing wind projects with TransAlta Corporation and Vector Wind Energy Inc. This RFP accelerated NB Power's original plan to have up to 400 MW of wind energy online by 2016, by planning for 400MW of wind energy online by 2010. Click here for more information.
March 1, 2007
NB Power and Vector Wind Energy Inc. signed a 20-year power purchase agreement for up to 21 MW of wind power in 2008. Vector will construct, own and operate the Fairfield Hill wind farm, located in Westmorland County . Click here for more information.
January 2007
In January 2007, the government of New Brunswick requested that NB Power consider accelerating wind development and allow new bidding with added New Brunswick content.
NB Power announced it had signed a 25-year power purchase agreement to acquire 75 MW of wind energy from TransAlta Corporation. TransAlta Corporation will develop a wind farm of 25 wind turbines in Kent Hills, Albert County . It will generate approximately 220,000 MWh of electricity per year, enough to supply approximately 8,700 homes per year. Click here for more information.
December 2005
NB Power began an extensive evaluation of the proposals submitted. The Expressions of Interest were evaluated based on several criteria including project information, financial information and general information.
Based on the evaluation of the Expressions for Interest, NB Power issued a Request for Proposal to a short list of 10 proponents. Projects located in four wind areas were submitted and evaluated based on a combination of lowest price, capacity and location to take advantage of diversity in wind regimes, as well as the ability to be in commercial operation by 2009.
October 18, 2005
NB Power issued a Request for an Expression of Interest for a minimum of 5 MW of wind generation that could be sited in the five highest wind areas in New Brunswick: the Bay of Fundy, Tantramar, Miramichi Bay, Acadie/Chaleur and in-land New Brunswick.
June 29, 2005
NB Power announced it was increasing its commitment to acquire energy from renewable sources by seeking up to 400 MW of additional wind energy by 2016. Click here for more information.
