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‘It’s not us anymore’: Renewables go from boom to bust in the wind capital of Canada
New regulations include a 35-kilometre buffer near the Rocky Mountains and cancelled 11,000 megawatts of projects in 2024, impacting local revenue and renewable energy growth.
- District Reeve Rick Lemire stated on Sept. 28, 2025, that Pincher Creek is ending its era of expansive wind energy development due to policy changes and shifting attitudes.
- This shift follows Premier Danielle Smith's 2023 moratorium and new regulations establishing a 35-kilometre buffer zone banning wind projects near the Rocky Mountains to preserve Prairie landscapes.
- Pincher Creek hosts a wind farm with over 255 turbines that generate close to 511 megawatts of power, contributing roughly 30% of the district’s budget through renewable energy revenues; however, before a development halt was imposed, many residents had grown unhappy with the expansion of turbines and the visual impact of new transmission lines.
- Lemire explained that removing 40 turbines while installing 10 new efficient ones, a quarter of the current count, could maintain power output, adding this is "a great middle ground" according to analyst Will Noel.
- The moratorium and market uncertainty caused cancellation of 11,000 megawatts of projects in 2024, implying potential lost revenues, though upgrading turbines might allow the district to sustain income and possibly reverse the decline.
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21 Articles
21 Articles
Coverage Details
Total News Sources21
Leaning Left10Leaning Right1Center4Last UpdatedBias Distribution66% Left
Bias Distribution
- 66% of the sources lean Left
66% Left
L 66%
C 27%
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