Saskatchewan approves its largest solar project ever

Key Takeaways:

• SaskPower has signed a power purchase agreement for a 100-MW solar facility near Lajord that will be one of Saskatchewan’s largest solar projects and is 50 per cent Indigenous-owned through a partnership of four First Nations and Neoen.
• The emissions-free facility will generate enough electricity to power about 30,000 homes and is part of SaskPower’s broader pipeline of 300 MW of solar power in development.
• The project was selected through an Indigenous-led process by the First Nations Power Authority and is being positioned as a concrete example of economic reconciliation and long-term Indigenous participation in the power sector.

The Whole Story:

SaskPower has signed a power purchase agreement with Mino Giizis Solar Ltd. to build and operate a 100-megawatt solar facility near Lajord, southeast of Regina. The project is 50% Indigenous-owned through a partnership of four First Nations and international renewable energy developer Neoen Holding Canada Inc.

The facility will generate enough emissions-free electricity to power approximately 30,000 Saskatchewan homes on average, SaskPower said in a news release. It is one of Saskatchewan’s largest solar projects and part of SaskPower’s broader renewable energy development pipeline of 300 MW of solar power currently in development.

The Mino Giizis project was selected through a competitive procurement process led by the First Nations Power Authority (FNPA), an Indigenous-led organization that identifies renewable energy opportunities for First Nations participation. The four First Nations partners are Cote First Nation, The Key First Nation, Kinistin Saulteaux Nation, and Zagime Anishinabek Nation.

“This project is another example of SaskPower’s commitment to economic reconciliation with Indigenous peoples,” said Jeremy Harrison, Minister Responsible for SaskPower. “At 50 per cent Indigenous ownership, Mino Giizis will be a strong example of meaningful First Nations participation in the power system and the provincial economy for decades to come.”

Rupen Pandya, SaskPower President and CEO, said the facility demonstrates the utility’s “all-of-the-above approach to ensuring reliable and affordable power for our customers.”

In a joint statement, the five Indigenous leaders representing the four First Nations and Yorkton Tribal Council said the project “shows what genuine partnership looks like: Shared power, shared responsibility, and shared benefit.” They added that the initiative advances “economic reconciliation taking root” and gives their communities “opportunity for our children and grandchildren” while supporting clean energy development.

Emmanuel Pujol, Neoen Americas’ Regional CEO, said the company was “excited to have been selected by SaskPower and the First Nations Power Authority to deliver our first project in Saskatchewan.”

FNPA CEO Guy Lonechild said the organization’s all-Indigenous evaluation team reviewed proposals for 100 MW of solar generation over two years before selecting Mino Giizis Solar Ltd. as the preferred proponent.

The First Nations Power Authority is a non-profit, membership-based corporation established to create opportunities for Indigenous communities to participate in the energy sector and act as a liaison between government-owned utilities and power industry corporations.