Process beginning to re-zone land for solar farm operation

By Rob Vogt
With a solar farm southeast of Claresholm already approved by the Alberta government, the Municipal District of Willow Creek has begun the process of re-zoning the land from rural general use to direct control, which makes council the final approval authority.
At its Jan. 31 meeting, M.D. council reviewed a report from Diane Horvath, the M.D.’s planner from the Oldman River Regional Services Commission, who appeared via video conference.
That report stated the land involved is:
• NE-5-12-25-4;
• NW-5-12-25-4;
• SE-5-12-25-4;
• SW-5-12-25-4;
• NE-6-12-25-4;
• NW-6-12-25-4;
• SE-6-12-25-4;
• SW-6-12-25-4;
• NE-7-12-25-4;
• NW-7-12-25-4;
• SE-7-12-25-4;
• SW-7-12-25-4;
• NE-8-12-25-4;
• NW-8-12-25-4;
• SE-8-12-25-4;
• SW-8-12-25-4.
The report further states Kiwetinohk Solar GP Corporation is developing the Homestead Solar Energy Project, which was approved by the Alberta Utilities Commission on Sept. 22, 2022.
The proposed project includes approximately 2,500 acres located about 11 kilometres southeast of Claresholm. The project is located on 16 privately-owned quarter sections and will generate up to 400 megawatts of electricity, which will be exported to the electrical grid.
Based on preliminary design information submitted by the applicant, the project includes up to 1,100,000 modules installed on a single-axis tracking system, approximately 100 inverter/transformers, internal access roads, fencing, and the construction of a project substation to connect to the Alberta interconnected electric system.
In addition to the primary use of the project lands for the generation of solar energy, the applicant will be including an agricultural component through agrivoltaics. The additional uses that may be required for the agricultural components of the project include: agricultural equipment storage/repair/maintenance; grain storage; forage storage; nutrient and crop protection storage and handling; barbed wire fencing; high tensile electric fence systems; surface and subsurface livestock water pipelines; portable and permanent livestock water troughs; water wells; autonomous livestock grazing equipment; livestock handling systems, such as corrals and loading systems; primary commodity handling; and storage facilities.
Additional uses that could be accessory to either the industrial or agricultural use include composting and processing facilities, digital weather stations, communications towers/repeaters, and security cameras.
The current land-use districts found in the land-use bylaw cannot accommodate the requested mix of industrial and agricultural uses and a site-specific direct control district is being proposed.
Council then approved the reading of 16 distinct bylaws to re-zone the land, and set a public hearing date for Wednesday, Feb. 28 at 1:30 p.m.