Renewable Energy
Brighter is better and in the Brooks Newell Region, we see almost 2,400 hours of sunshine per year, one of the highest in all of Canada.
Brooks Solar
Alberta's renewable revolution launched in the Brooks Newell Region with the construction of the largest solar project in Western Canada in 2017. The $30-million solar array powers 3,000 homes in southeast Alberta and was built on 30-hectares of land. Construction and operations rely on local supply chain and services.
According to Elemental Energy, construction of Brooks Solar contributed over $4.5M of direct local economic activity within the County of Newell and $7M within Alberta. Since the construction of this project, several other companies have approached the region looking to capitalize on this emerging industry. If the proposed projects meet their planned deadlines, close to 1,479 megawatts will be generated from solar sites near Brooks by 2020.
Energy Diversification
The Brooks Newell Region is also a collaborating partner of the Southeast Alberta Energy Diversification Strategy (SEEDS) which was created to better understand the impacts of the emerging renewable energy industry on the labour force in southeast Alberta.