Municipal Community Generation Challenge

Funding for municipalities to move towards low carbon community scale electricity generation.

In 2019, the Municipal Community Generation Challenge encouraged Alberta municipalities to form networks of partnerships that would install a low-carbon community-scale electricity generation facility.

With up to $6 million available, the Challenge was designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, diversify Alberta’s local economy, and produce data and knowledge that can shared with Alberta municipalities.

In 2020, two proposals were selected for investment and, with multi-year construction schedules, both projects are scheduled to be completed in 2023.

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Smoky Lake: Salay Prayzaan at Métis Crossing

Métis Crossing is a signature cultural site of the Métis people located in Smoky Lake County. The Salay Prayzaan Solar Project was conceptualized as a key initiative of the Métis Nation of Alberta Climate Change Action Plan after engagement with over 300 Métis citizens across 18 Alberta communities. The goal is to generate enough electricity to power all Métis Nation of Alberta and affiliate buildings, an amount equivalent to approximately 1,200 Alberta homes.

The Salay Prayzaan Solar Project received $3.9 million through the Municipal Community Generation Challenge to develop a 4.86 MW solar installation. When completed, the project will be largest wholly Métis-owned solar project in Alberta. The successful application is a collaboration between the Métis Nation of Alberta, the Town of Smoky Lake, and Smoky Lake County.

The project is funded by the Government of Alberta through

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MD of Taber: RenuWell

In Southern Alberta, conventional oil and gas fields are declining in production, leaving companies and landowners burdened with massive reclamation liabilities. At the same time, wind and solar power developers are competing for access to agricultural land.

The RenuWell Project demonstrates how legacy oil and gas infrastructure can be repurposed for community solar development, cutting down on the cost of reclamation and saving valuable farmland for agricultural use.

RenuWell received $2.3 million through the Municipal Community Generation Challenge to build two pilot sites in the Municipal District of Taber.

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What is community generation?

Community generation projects must be renewable or alternative energy generation and meet the definition of a Community Generation facility as per the Small Scale Generation Regulation. Community generation in Alberta includes renewable and alternative energy sources derived from, but not limited to:

• Solar photovoltaics,
• Fuel cells,
• Wind,
• Small-scale hydro,
• Biomass,
• Geo-thermal.

Community generation refers to renewable and alternative energy that is distribution system-connected which provides benefits to communities. Get to know the difference between micro-generation and community generation.