Innergex moves forward with two Peace region wind energy projects

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. —  Two wind energy projects in the Peace River region are steadily moving forward into community engagement prior to construction. 

The Peace River Regional District (PRRD) received two letters regarding wind energy projects during its March 19th regional board meeting.

Both letters were sent by Innergex, with the first regarding the Stewart Creek Wind Project and the second regarding the Bessie Wind Project. 

The Stewart Creek Wind Project is a partnership between West Moberly First Nations and Innergex, which sits on a plot of Treaty 8 land between Fort St. John and Dawson Creek and was awarded an energy purchase agreement (EPA) with BC Hydro through the utility’s 2024 Call for Power.

The 35-turbine project is estimated to target a capacity of 200 megawatts and the letter reported the project finished baseline field studies in 2025. 

According to the March 19th letter, these include fish and aquatic assessments, terrestrial mammal, bat and bird data collection, vegetation studies, archaeological investigations and geotechnical work, as well as visual, noise and land-use analyses.

This year, the letter explained the project will begin “community engagement activities,” as well as public events where the project’s team will be “available to answer questions and address concerns.” 

The second project, Bessie Wind, was bid for in BC Hydro’s 2025 Call for Power and was one of three wind projects in the Peace River region to receive EPAs, alongside Taylor South Wind and Sweetwater Wind.

The Bessie Wind Project is proposed for private land approximately 12 kilometres northwest of Dawson Creek, with between 25 and 45 turbines producing approximately six megawatts each. 

Community engagement for this project is planned to be initiated “in tandem” with the Stewart Creek project. 

The letters were included in the ‘correspondence’ portion of the agenda, and were not discussed by the directors during the March 19th meeting.