Innisfail is set to enter into a lease agreement on a solar farm.

You may remember hearing in January about U.K. based Temporis Developments’ proposal for a solar farm on town owned land north of the golf course, adjacent to Highway 54.

They're proposing a 50,000 panel farm that would generate enough power for 3-4,000 homes a year.

(photo of the only other solar panel farm similar in scale, it's located at Brooks, developed by Elemental Energy) (photo courtesy Elemental Energy)

After first inking a letter of intent in support of the project, Innisfail Council this week approved the lease agreement; CAO Todd Becker explains what it entails.

“The Town gets a long term lease on the property so it’s $500 per acre for that 26 year period and their anticipating a 90 acre development which will be confirmed once they proceed into the next steps”.

Becker says if Innisfail Solar Corp signs onto the lease, there will be some activity at the site.

“Innisfail Solar Corp will be proceeding accessing the property and conducting all of their tests to confirm that this site is a viable location to develop a solar farm, make the proper licensing applications and then proceeding to advance into a primary agreement with the Town”.

So far there is only one solar project of this scale in Alberta, a 17 MW solar farm in Brooks with 50,000 panels, but this project would mark the first project within an urban municipality.

https://lacombeonline.com/local/town-of-innisfail-keen-to-partner-on-solar-farm-project