Enbridge has released an updated land map and timeline for the Seven Stars Wind Energy Project, which includes the construction of facilities capable of generating 200 megawatts of wind energy from 46 turbines, enough to power 100,000 Saskatchewan homes annually.
Alex McNichol, Director of Power Development, said it will help community members in the Weyburn region to know when to expect more information.
"We've added land to the project footprint as a way to improve the overall project design, accommodate some of the feedback we were given on concerns around the setback, or other development criteria," he said. "It felt like a good time to bring this out, and just share that update, and continue the conversation with the community, as we start to update the overall design of the project."
McNichol said they want this process to remain open and transparent.
"We have made significant enhancements to the project based on local input and will continue to engage the community to ensure the Seven Stars Energy Project meets the highest standards of environmental responsibility and community engagement."
With public input, Enbridge has made numerous modifications to its original project proposal, including doubling the minimum residential turbine setback to 1,500 metres, adding lands in less populated areas to allow greater flexibility in turbine layout, committing to install radar-activated aircraft lighting to eliminate constantly flashing lights at night, and confirming Stars Air Ambulance would have no issues with operations in the project area.
Commercial wind developments are subject to environmental, regulatory, and permitting reviews, involving three levels of government, before they can proceed to the construction stage.
From a municipal perspective, the Seven Stars project requires development permits from the R.M. of Weyburn and the R.M. of Griffin. These permits ensure community perspectives are considered in the decision-making process. At the federal level, the project will be reviewed to assess the project’s implications for air navigation and transportation safety.
The updated timeline shows the application for an Environmental Impact Assessment to follow the permits from the R.M.s. The EIA is a comprehensive process that involves third-party studies to examine the project’s impact on local wildlife, vegetation, wetlands, and watercourses.
"The EIA process is designed to identify any significant environmental concerns and propose measures to address them, just as we see with larger conventional energy developments such as oil sands or liquified natural gas projects," said McNichol.
The EIA falls under the oversight of the Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment’s Assessment and Stewardship Branch, for which Enbridge voluntarily developed a Terms of Reference, outlining the studies Enbridge will undertake and how information will be presented and evaluated in a forthcoming Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the project.
He said once the application is submitted, Enbridge can answer any questions that come up and address any concerns ahead of that decision.
"It's still subject to review and approval. We're following the process there, and we would submit our application and then wait for a decision from the Minister. We've linked that earliest possible construction to the environmental approval."
Enbridge aims to submit the EIS to the Ministry late this year or in 2026. During the assessment process, the EIS will be made available to the public for review and comment over a 30-day period.
The timeline has construction slated to begin in late 2027.
The updated project footprint map shows the Enbridge substation located at the approximate center of the project, which McNichol said, "Helps manage costs, locating it close to the transmission line, and it just shortens some of the road or collector system, things like that, from a project perspective."
He said while Enbridge has continued to meet with members of the community, many with questions on the project, such as what people can expect it to look like, or how the process will work.
"As part of those conversations, members of the community expressed an interest in participating in the project," he explained. "And it's the land that they own, so we walked them through what the project would look like and what they could expect to see, and ultimately, they made a decision that they wanted to potentially participate in the project."
In recent months, Enbridge has added 30 parcels (approx. 3,951 acres or 1,598 hectares) to the Seven Stars project land base, bringing the total area under lease agreement to approximately 25,094 acres/10,155 hectares.
However, more land being added to the scope of the project doesn't mean an increase in the number of turbines.
"We're still looking at the four and a half megawatt machine that we've been talking about since early days. It really allows us to optimize the layout from a wind resource perspective, but also look at the design and incorporate the feedback that we've got from members of the community, on setbacks or other feedback that we've been given."
"We're never going to satisfy everybody, and we continue to meet with people and members of the community that want to talk about the project, both that are supportive and those that maybe less so and have concerns."
Enbridge is still determining where the local office will be located.
"We've had some landowners express interest in potentially hosting that, and there have been members of the community who have pointed us in the direction of maybe there's underutilized space that's pre-existing that could work for the project," he explained. "We definitely need office space and a maintenance shop, but the location is still to be figured out."
While the Weyburn region could reap more than $100 million ($3.4 to $4 million annually) from the project over the next 30-plus years, McNichol said investing in Weyburn's local organizations now, during the development process, helps Enbridge get to know the community better.
"We have been asked if that's something that continues through the operating life of the project, and it absolutely does. This is a way to build relationships and get to know the community during that development process, but it's something that we're excited to do throughout the [project] life. And we do have lots of inbounds for support, and we continue to review those and look for ways to invest in the community."
He said they always welcome community input on the best ways to invest to provide the most benefit overall.
Read more: Enbridge makes initial community investments in Weyburn region
More information on the updated details can be found on the Seven Stars Energy Project web page HERE, but anyone who wants to receive the official PDF or printed document detailing the latest information can email power.operations@enbridge.com.