Wind power to supply 500 Alberta schools

Calgary's C-Train already runs on it andnow 500 Alberta schools have signed up to be powered by the wind.

Across the province, 25 school boards have signed 25-year contracts with Calgary-based BluEarth Renewables, which built a 29-megawatt wind farm near the Saskatchewan border in orderto power the schools.

Yvan Beaubienmanages operations for the FrancoSudschool board, which has eight schools in Calgary and one in Airdrie.

"We're all kind of happy and proud here, teachers included, that we went that way," he said.

"Instead of just talking about how good green energy can be, we actually can do it right here in our own backyard."

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The schoolsdo not directly use energy generated from the wind farm. However, the turbinescontributeelectricity to the systemfrom which they are supplied.

Grant Arnold, the CEO of BluEarthis an obvious proponent of wind energy and said it makes sense as it's cost-effective.

"Alberta and Saskatchewan probably have the best winds for wind energy in Canada," he said.

The energy from the new Bull Creek wind plant, which took six months to build, can power10,000 homes.

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