Red Willow Solar, a subsidiary of Westbridge Renewable Energy, have celebrated an important milestone. The Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC) approved key regulator approvals for their build solar power and energy storage project in Stettler County, Canada. The AUC approved Ameresco’s application to construct and operate a solar powered generating facility. This facility would have a capacity of up to 225 megawatts of alternating current (MWac) and would be paired with a battery energy storage system (BESS) with up to 200 megawatt-hours of storage capacity.
The project was approved in Decision 29258-D01-2026. As part of this decision, a substation permit and a substation license were issued for the Birch 1075S Substation. This milestone is an important step forward in Westbridge’s work to create renewable energy projects in Alberta.
“We are pleased to announce AUC approval for our Red Willow project, marking another key milestone for Westbridge,” said Maggie McKenna, a representative of the company. The approval moves the Red Willow project nearer to the Ready-to-Build stage, after three years of regulatory proceedings.
Besides Red Willow, Westbridge has received AUC approval for four of its five planned projects in Alberta. This is the case for the Georgetown, Sunnynook, and Dolcy projects. This milestone achievement is a testament to the company’s dedication to moving forward with high-quality renewable energy projects throughout the province.
This approval, along with the previously received approvals for Georgetown, Sunnynook and Dolcy, brings us to four of the five projects we need AUC approval for in Alberta. This funding is an important step in getting the Red Willow project closer to the Ready-to-Build milestone,” said McKenna.
Westbridge spokesperson, Stefano Romanin, further highlighted the significance of this regulatory approval. “This final regulatory milestone for Red Willow advances the project close to ready-to-build status in just over three years,” he stated. Romanin further commented that the AUC approval demonstrates Westbridge’s ability to realize renewable projects through the development process to construction readiness.
In short, Westbridge is all-in on its value-add development strategy. This year, the company intends to file applications for interconnection approvals with the AUC. This step will help to make reality the implementation of the Red Willow project and improve Alberta’s renewable energy landscape substantially.