A Pioneer in Wind Energy

A History of Environmental Leadership

TransAlta's wind business began in 1996 with the founding of Vision Quest Windelectric, an early developer of wind power on a commercial scale. In 2000, TransAlta invested $5 million in the Calgary-based company - part of a $100 million fund we had earmarked for investments in renewable energy, greenhouse gas offset projects, as well as in research and development of clean coal technology. In 2002, TransAlta purchased a 100 per cent interest in the company.

Today,we've procured wind resource properties in wind basins in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and the Maritimes. More than 200,000 acres of land are currently under lease, option, or negotiation, and hold the potential for more than 1,000 megawatts of wind energy development.

Wind Milestones

• 1997 - First new power generation on the Alberta electric grid with two-600 kW turbines
• 1998 - Added 2 additional 600 kW turbines
• 2000 - Installed 16 additional 660 kW turbines
• 2001 - Launched Ride the Wind!™, utilizing 12 additional 660 kW turbines to power Calgary's mass transit "C-Train" and installed 46 additional 660 kW turbines
• 2002 - TransAlta purchases 100% interest in Vision Quest and installed two 660 kW exploratory turbines
• 2003 - Constructed Canada’s single largest wind farm, 75 MW at McBride Lake, becoming one of Canada’s largest wind power producer
• 2004 - Commissioned the 68 MW Summerview wind farm in southern Alberta using 38 1.8 MW wind turbines
• 2007 - Secured the 75 MW Kent Hills wind farm contract in New Brunswick, and added a further 21 MW contract to project resulting in 32 - 3 MW wind turbines to be built in 2008
• 2008 - Announces 66 MW Blue Trail wind farm project in southern Alberta and announces a 66 MW expansion to its Summerview wind farm
• 2008 - The Kent Hills, New Brunswick wind farm begins commercial operation supplying up to 96 MW of power. This is the first wind-generated power delivered commercially in New Brunswick.
• 2009 - Added eight new wind power facilities and 582 MW to our wind farm portfolio through the purcahse of Canadian Hydro Developers.