Industries in Vulcan County

The future here is bright. Powered by wind and sun, Vulcan County is growing a resilient economy—rooted in innovation on the farm and fueled by renewable energy. Home to Blackspring Ridge, Canada’s largest wind farm, and the Travers Solar project, our region will soon deliver about 700 megawatts of clean power—enough for roughly 194,000 homes—while cutting hundreds of thousands of tonnes of emissions. And with quick connections to Calgary, Lethbridge, major highways, and rail, businesses can reach markets across Canada and beyond.

Business Opportunities: Renewable Energy

Vulcan County has a strong track record of supporting renewable energy development and continues to welcome responsible investment in this sector.

Powered by wind and sun, the future here is bright, with a growing and resilient economy rooted in innovation on the farm and fueled by renewable energy. The County is home to major projects such as the Blackspring Ridge wind facility and the Travers Solar project, reflecting both the scale of development already achieved and the region’s experience working collaboratively with industry partners.

Together, these projects will soon generate approximately 700 megawatts of renewable power—enough to serve roughly 194,000 homes—while meaningfully reducing emissions. Supported by proactive planning, a clear regulatory framework, and strong connections to Calgary, Lethbridge, major highways, and rail, Vulcan County is well positioned to support future renewable energy growth and provide businesses with efficient access to markets across Canada and beyond.

Projects Within Vulcan County:

• Blackspring Ridge Wind Project: (https://www.edf-re.com/project/blackspring-ridge-wind/)(https://www.edf-re.com/project/blackspring-ridge-wind/) Located approximately 8km East of Carmangay, the project consists of 166 towers capable of producing 1.98MW each, for a total production capacity of 300MW. The project is spread across 183 square kilometers of land, but the footprint is barely a fraction of this, as the wind towers only take up 0.1 acres (405 sq. meters) for their foundations. 405 sq. meters X 166 towers = 67,230 sq. meters or 0.67 square kilometers. This project was proposed in 2009 and was operational as of May 2014. For more information, see here. • Buffalo Plains Wind Project: (https://buffaloplainswindfarm.com/)(https://buffaloplainswindfarm.com/) Located approximately 2km from the Village of Lomond, this project consists of 83 towers capable of producing 6.2 MW each with a total production capacity of 514.6 MW. Similar to Blackspring Ridge, the project is spread across a large area; 148 square kilometers of land, but the footprint will be a fraction of this. If we estimate these larger towers will require twice the footprint of those at Blackspring Ridge, then 810 sq m X 83 towers = 67, 230 sq meters or 0.67 square kilometers. This project was proposed in 2019 and received final approval from the Alberta Utilities Commission on June 23, 2022. Construction completed in 2025. For more information, see here

• Travers Solar Project: (https://www.traverssolar.ca/) Located approximately 8km Southwest of the Village of Lomond, the project consists of 1,322,460 solar photovoltaic modules and be capable of producing 465 MW. This project has been built on 23 quarter sections of land with a total footprint of approximately 14.89 square kilometers. This project was proposed in 2018 and operational by January 2023. For more information, see here. • Vulcan Solar Project: Located 3km Southeast of the Town of Vulcan, and capable of producing 22MW of power, this project has been built on a single quarter section. They have also applied for and been approved a Battery Energy Storage System component to the project, which will be capable of storing 16MW in a 32 megawatt hour battery energy storage system. The total footprint is 0.65 square kilometers. The project was first proposed in 2018, and expects to be fully commissioned by October 2023. • Georgetown Solar Project: (https://www.georgetown-solar.com/) Located approximately 7km Northwest of the Hamlet of Mossleigh, this solar facility will consist of 433,000 bifacial solar panel modules capable of producing 230 MW of electricity, as well as a Battery Energy Storage System with a capacity of 100 MW for 200 Megawatt hours. The project is proposed to be built on 7 quarter sections of land, with a total footprint of approximately 2.21 square kilometers. This project was proposed in 2020, and received approval from the Alberta Utilities Commission in November 2022. Construction to commence in 2026. For more information, see here.

Agriculture & Agri Foods:

Vulcan County is home to approximately 4,440 square kilometers of agriculture lands. The rich, level soil and long growing season make great farmland. Viable crops in Vulcan County include corn, beans, seed canola, peas, lentils, canola, wheat, and hemp.

Ag societies registered under the Alberta Agricultural Societies of Alberta represent each community in the county.

Vulcan County is home to several seed plant cooperatives:

i. Seed Cleaning:

Carmangay Seed Cleaning Plant
Vulcan Seed Cleaning Association
Milo Seed Cleaning Association

ii. Seed Sales:

Market Seeds Ltd.
Benci Seed Farms Inc. - (403)643-2294
Wheatcrest Farms

iii. Grain Terminals:

G3 Terminals
Richardson Pioneer

G3 Terminals – A state of the art facility featuring the same high efficiency technology as G3’s other new elevators on the Prairies, which can empty a Super-B truck in less than five minutes and load 134-car trains in a matter of hours on the loop track. “With the vison of building a smarter path between farmers fields’ to global markets, G3 is transforming the way grain moves”.

In addition to our agriculture development, there are opportunities emerging in the agriculture industry in support of attraction of high intensity growing programs and pulse crop development adding to agri-food innovation and food chain sustainability. The Plant Protein Alliance of Alberta (PPAA) is an organization formed to help educate and organize Albertans, to take advantage of innovative growing programs being developed globally to bring them to Alberta.

The Protein Industries Supercluster (PIC) will use plant genomics and novel processing technology to increase the value of key Canadian crops, such as canola, wheat and pulses. These crops are coveted in many foreign markets such as China and India, and will help satisfy growing markets in North America and Europe for plant-based meat alternatives and other food products. Building on Canada’s reputation as a leader in agricultural production, this supercluster will make Canada a leading source for plant proteins and, ultimately, feed the world.

Also refer to Vulcan County Agriculture for a list of programs and services.

Industries in Vulcan County

Business Opportunities: Renewable Energy

Projects Within Vulcan County:

Wind Projects:

Solar Projects:

Agriculture & Agri Foods: