Manitoba Hydro’s efforts to bring Indigenous majority-owned wind power to Manitoba is taking another step forward this week with the utility issuing a Request for Qualified Suppliers (RFQS).
This call for power, first introduced last year as part of the Manitoba government’s Affordable Energy Plan, will see the utility purchase up to 600 megawatts of new wind energy in Manitoba through power purchase agreements.
Each new wind farm can be sized as large as 200 megawatts and must be majority-owned by an Indigenous Nation (or multiple Nations) in Manitoba. The utility will evaluate the RFQS submissions once the posting closes in January, and all qualified proponents will then be eligible to submit their projects in future Requests for Proposals issued by Manitoba Hydro.
“We’re proud of our role guiding this Call for Power forward and supporting the drive to net zero,” said Manitoba Hydro President and CEO Allan Danroth. “The new wind energy projects selected in this process will be an important component of Manitoba’s energy future and another step on the path to reconciliation with Indigenous Nations.”
The Call for Power is designed to give several opportunities for proponents to qualify and participate in multiple RFPs issued by Manitoba Hydro.
Manitoba Hydro first brought together Indigenous organizations and wind energy providers at a symposium in Winnipeg earlier this year. The utility then issued an Expression of Interest to help plan next steps.
