Greenwood and Ocean Man Nakoda Nation break ground on 100 MW Saskatchewan solar project

By AI, Created 8:46 PM UTC, June 03, 2026, /AGP/ – Greenwood Sustainable Infrastructure and Ocean Man Nakoda Nation have started construction on the 100 MW Turning Sun Solar Project near Estevan, Saskatchewan. The project is backed by a 25-year power deal with SaskPower, $15 million in federal support and is expected to power about 25,000 homes when complete.

Why it matters: - Turning Sun Solar is one of the largest solar projects in Saskatchewan and the largest renewable energy project currently under construction in Canada. - The project adds new electricity supply for Saskatchewan and is positioned as a major Indigenous partnership in the province’s clean-energy buildout. - Once operating, the 100 MWac facility is expected to generate enough power for the equivalent of 25,000 homes.

What happened: - Greenwood Sustainable Infrastructure and Ocean Man Nakoda Nation broke ground on the Turning Sun Solar Project on Friday, June 5, in the Rural Municipality of Estevan. - The project will operate under a 25-year power purchase agreement with SaskPower. - The groundbreaking ceremony included a traditional blessing led by Ocean Man Nakoda Nation Elders and a drum group led by OMFN. - Dignitaries at the event included Chief Ernest Standingready, GSI CEO Mazen Turk, Libra Group Vice Chairman Nicholas M. Logothetis, former federal environment minister and MP Terry Duguid, SaskPower legislative secretary Travis Keisig, SaskPower director Mark Peters and Barton Malow vice president of Canadian operations Rob Frasca.

The details: - The project reached a financing milestone of more than $200 million earlier this year. - Federal officials announced a $15 million CAD contribution through Natural Resources Canada’s Smart Renewables and Electrification Pathways Program. - SREPs is a $4.5 billion federal funding program for clean energy and grid modernization projects across Canada. - The facility will be built by Barton Malow Canada as lead EPC contractor. - The project will use about 200,000 bifacial solar modules supplied by VSUN Solar. - Polar Racking supplied the helical piles for the project’s foundation system. - SaskPower said it has 700 MW of wind and solar in development, and all of those projects include strong Indigenous ownership components.

Between the lines: - The project underscores how utilities, developers and Indigenous nations are structuring large-scale renewable projects around long-term ownership, revenue and economic participation. - The federal contribution signals continued Ottawa support for grid and generation projects in the Prairies as electricity demand rises. - SaskPower’s comments suggest the utility sees Indigenous participation as a central part of its future wind and solar pipeline.

What’s next: - Construction will continue toward eventual commercial operation. - Federal and provincial stakeholders are expected to frame Turning Sun as a template for future Indigenous-led clean power development. - SaskPower’s broader wind and solar pipeline remains under development.

The bottom line: - Turning Sun Solar combines scale, Indigenous partnership and federal backing in a project that could become a model for Saskatchewan’s next wave of clean energy development.