September 28, 2023 Cypress County, Alberta Natural Resources Canada
Communities in Alberta and across Canada are developing cleaner, more reliable and more affordable energy sources. The Government of Canada is working in partnership with them to support these efforts. As Canada moves toward a net-zero future, investments in technologies such as wind are vital for in modernizing the grid, all while creating good-paying, sustainable jobs.
Today, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, announced $23.4 million for EDF Renewables Canada's Cypress 2 Wind Project in southern Alberta. The project will increase renewable energy capacity and grid services in Alberta, while significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) and creating good jobs in the province.
The Cypress 2 project is a 47-megawatt (MW) transmission connected wind power facility in Cypress County, Alberta. This project is expected to reduce GHG emissions by 67 tonnes per year, equivalent to removing over 20,000 cars off the road each year, and it will produce enough zero-emission electricity to power the equivalent of nearly 15,000 average homes in Alberta. Along with the Cypress 1, it will deploy renewable energy to support Alberta's transition to a net-zero economy. With its construction, it is expected to have created over 110 jobs. The project is partly owned by the Alberta Kainai/Blood Tribe and located on its traditional territory. This is another step toward economic reconciliation and ensuring Indigenous communities truly benefit from economic development projects on their traditional territories and beyond.
Federal funding for this project is provided by Natural Resources Canada's through the Smart Renewables and Electrification Pathways Program (SREPs). Budget 2023 committed nearly $3 billion in additional funds to this program, along with an estimated $26 billion for the Clean Electricity Investment Tax Credit. The SREPs is actively supporting Canada's ongoing transition to a net-zero economy by 2050 and Canada's commitment to meeting Clean Electricity Regulations objectives.
