NationTalk: Waterloo Region Record – The Mohawk Council of Kahnawake announced that it, as well as partner Kruger Energy and the MRC Jardins-de-Napierville submitted one of eight successful bids for a 147 MW wind energy project.
The project, christened the Les Jardins windfarm, is expected to be operational by December 1, 2028.
It will supply electricity to Hydro-Quebec for a 30-year period. The project is expected to comprise 20 to 25 wind turbines, and will span the municipalities of Ste. Patrice-de-Sherrington, Cantons-de-Hemmingford, Saint-Michel and Saint-Edouard, MCK executive revenue officer Alex Beaupre said.
The project will undergo a number of consultations, studies and approvals, including an environmental assessment before it sees the light of day, Beaupre added. “This is very preliminary. We’ve submitted the bid, and Hydro-Quebec has accepted it, so we’ll get started on it,” Beaupre said.
It’s the second such partnership between Kruger and the MCK on a wind farm project, Beaupre said. “We have partnered with Kruger in the past, so when Hydro-Quebec put out the call for submissions last year, they asked us if we’d like to partner again, so we did,” he said. “We are honoured and delighted to announce this first major milestone in our latest wind energy project, in collaboration with some exceptional partners.”
Initial cost assessments and revenue projections were still being kept quiet at this point, Beaupre said.
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“At this point it’s confidential,” he said. “There’s a lot of due diligence yet to do, so we have to make sure the numbers are correct and accurate before we can release figures.”
Beaupre said the partnership will work closely with the regional government to ensure locals in that area are on board. “I think having the (regional government) involved will go a long way toward keeping people engaged and we’re going to work very carefully to make sure the people in the area are respected and listened to. It’s a process we’re going to go through that will involve a lot of internal consultation,” Beaupre said.
He added that Kruger Energy has proven to be a great partner to the MCK and the community at large.
“Throughout our previous projects, Kruger has demonstrated unwavering support and a deep understanding of our community’s needs, and this new partnership will allow us to foster a crucial partnership with the (regional government) that benefits not only our community but the broader region as well.”
The first such partnership was with the Des Cultures Wind Farm Project and is located in nearby St-Remi and St-Michel. Des Cultures was inaugurated in February 2022.
Hydro-Quebec released its call for proposals on March 31, 2023. Eight bids were accepted – and six of them featured partnerships with Indigenous communities.
By Marc Lalonde, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Iori:wase