On April 10, 2024, Alexander First Nation, First Nation Power Development (FNpower), Concord Green Energy (a subsidiary of Concord Pacific) and the Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB) reached financial close on the Tilley Solar Project.
The 23.6-megawatt solar farm is located 200 kilometres southeast of Calgary in Newell, Alberta, on Treaty 7 Territory. It includes 69,450 fixed-tilt solar photovoltaic panels, and will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Alberta by approximately 14,200 tonnes annually. The CIB committed $33 million to the project. The total project cost is $52 million and will include the economic interests of the Alexander First Nation and FNpower, an Indigenous-owned organization dedicated to empowering First Nation community ownership and participation in the emerging renewable energy industry.
The CIB’s investment towards the solar facility advances First Nation economic participation in the clean energy transition, along with improving grid stability and reliability by adding needed electricity generation.
With First Nations in an ideal position to take on meaningful ownership and drive economic reconciliation opportunities, this project demonstrates a First Nation-led initiative actively participating in the renewable energy industry while aiding in diversifying the sector.
The sustainable, large-scale energy project will support long-term socio-economic benefits for the Nation and their partners. The project will generate more than 280 full-time jobs at peak and is estimated to create $14 million in direct labour income and add $6 million of indirect labour income.
Gowling WLG was counsel to the CIB with respect to this commitment with a team co-led by Myron Dzulynsky and Elizabeth Burton, and that included Reagan Chornoboy, Adriana Da Silva Bellini, Steve Will, Ana Pagkatipunan and Keith Brown, assisted by student-at-law Evan Matthews.