Calgary: WindRiver Power Corporation announced May 20 that TC Energy Corporation had closed an equity investment in Turning Point Generation, a WindRiver subsidiary. TPG is the developer and 100 per cent owner of the Canyon Creek Project, a planned pumped hydro energy storage facility to be located near Hinton, Alberta.
The Canyon Creek Project will have initial generating capacity of 75 MW (expandable through future development to 400 MW) and utilizes existing site infrastructure from a decommissioned open pit coal mine. The 75 MW facility is to provide up to 37 hours of on-demand energy and ancillary services to the Alberta electricity grid. The closed-loop, off-stream design of the facility is engineered to significantly reduce any potential adverse environmental impacts to Alberta's natural river courses. The project has received the approval of the Alberta Utilities Commission and the required approval of the Alberta Government for hydro projects under the Canyon Creek Hydro Development Act, passed with bi-partisan support by the Alberta Legislature.