SaskPower says it has connected the province’s two largest-ever wind generation facilities to the power grid.

This will, according to the Crown power company, more than double the province’s amount of available wind generation.

SaskPower will also be holding a competition to determine who will develop the province’s largest solar facility, located in Estevan, later this year.

SaskPower estimates the new faciliies will produce enough emissions-free power for up to 187,000 Saskatchewan homes while working towards the company’s goal of reducing emissions by 50 per cent from 2005 levels, by 2030.

Located near Assiniboia, the Golden South Wind Facility was constructed by Potentia Renewables, who owns and operates the facility. It uses 50 turbines to generate up to 200 megawatts of emissions-free power.

The Blue Hill Wind Facility is located near Herbert, and is made up of 35 turbines, producing 175 Megawatts of power Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp. constructed, owns and operates Blue Hill.

Both Algonquin and Potentia will sell the power produced at these facilities to SaskPower as part of 25-year power purchase agreements.

Estevan was chosen as the site of the latest and largest solar facility due to its abundance of sunny days, how close it is to suitable transmission infrastructure and the relatively flat landscape. The facility when built will be able to provide power for up to 25,000 homes.