The Goulais Bay Wind Farm, an 11-turbine, 25-megawatt project located north of Sault Ste. Marie, has now been commissioned.
The wind farm was developed by Capstone Infrastructure Corp. in partnership with the Batchewana First Nation, and is operating under a 20-year Feed-in Tariff contract with the Independent Electricity System Operator, which expires in 2035.
“We're very pleased that Goulais has been commissioned, the third Capstone wind project to successfully achieve commercial operations in the past nine months,” said Michael Bernstein, president and CEO, in a news release. “Our partnership with the Batchewana First Nation of Ojibways has been essential to the successful completion of this project and we are grateful for their valuable contribution to it.”
“Clean energy projects such as the Goulais Wind Farm are aligned with our people's expectations around alternative energy sources that are compatible with looking after our mother, the earth,” added Batchewana Chief Dean Sayers. “Our partnership with Capstone is an excellent representation of building economic growth, while respecting the obligations to preserve the land. This initiative will help us guarantee a healthier and cleaner environment for our future generations.”
Batchewana First Nation is involved in a second wind farm development, the Bow Lake Wind Farm, which is located 80 km northwest of Sault Ste. Marie. On that project, Batchewana First Nation is a full commercial partner with BluEarth Renewables, representing one of the largest economic partnerships between a First Nation and wind energy developer in Canada.
