Manitoba Metis Federation partners on wind energy project

The Manitoba Metis Federation has signed a MOU with an international renewable energy company to create a 200 megawatt energy project.

The Manitoba Metis Federation (MMF) is positioning itself to become a major supplier of wind-generated electricity.

MMF President David Chartrand said they are currently in talks for a 200-megawatt wind energy project. That would be about three per cent of Manitoba Hydro’s current net generating capacity.

The announcement comes after Hydro put out a call in October for Indigenous majority-owned wind power.

The foundation said in a Tuesday release that its energy branch, the Red River Metis Power Corporation (RRMPC), has signed a memorandum of understanding with the renewable energy company RES.

“It’s a first for us as Indigenous people; for Métis people, of course, it’s a first. We see it as a promising pathway toward the future,” said Chartrand.

The agreement came after the RRMPC met with over a dozen multinational energy companies in order to find a suitable partner.

“We’ve been at this for over 14 months,” said Chartrand.

Under the partnership agreement, MMF will have a 51 per cent ownership stake, while RES will receive the remainder.

Chartrand says the power corporation and RES have a long-term strategy for renewable energy expansion in the province.

“We also have a five-year commitment beyond, not just putting up the towers, but also the future of expansion of wind, solar, green hydrogen, as well as storage and distribution. So we attached those into our five-year agreement with RES, and that’ll be part of our ongoing development as we go forward. So this, to us, is not just a one-time thing. We believe that this is a new economy of scale from a business standpoint for us,” explained Chartrand.

The cost of the project is something that Chartrand says the Red River Metis Power Corporation is ready for.

“This is a half-billion-dollar initiative. This is not something that’s $100 million or $200 million; this is about $500 million to do,” Chartrand said. “So it is a big initiative, a massive initiative for us, but we see this as a future, a massive future.”

RRMPC says it will find out on Jan. 23 if it meets Hydro’s requirements to be awarded the wind energy project.

“We have no doubt we met all of their demands. Secondly, following that, we have to prove, of course, that we can deliver and have the ability to have the equipment necessary to purchase and deliver (the energy),” Chartrand explained.

The Crown corporation expects to issue its first request for proposals in March.

Chartrand says the reaction to the project from the community has been positive.

“Everybody knows it’s the future,” he said. “Everybody knows it’s needed, and everybody knows that they’re going to be fortunate to be a partner. Some will have financial gain. Landowners will have financial gain, and also all citizens of the province will benefit from it.”

Plans for where the power corporation will route the wind energy have not yet been revealed.