The County of St. Paul is proposing a set distance between new wind turbines and homes, and residents will have a chance to weigh in at a public hearing on July 28, 2026, at 11 a.m.
County council gave first reading to Bylaw 2026-16 on June 9. The bylaw would change the Land Use Bylaw so that any new wind energy system must be at least 1,500 metres, or about 1.5 kilometres, from the nearest home. Right now, the distance is set based on noise rules from the Alberta Utilities Commission.
Reeve Glen Ockerman said council looked at a much larger 10-kilometre setback but decided 1.5 kilometres was more realistic and something the county could defend. “I think the 1.5 from residents would work for all the county,” Ockerman said. “Before we looked at a 10 km and I’ve heard council said they couldn’t support that or back it up.”
The move lines up with what other rural counties have done. Kneehill County and the M.D. of Provost both put 1.6-kilometre setbacks in place back in 2024. The Alberta Utilities Commission has also signaled that municipalities can now set their own rules within a range of 800 to 1,500 metres, though Director of Planning and Development Gary Buchanan noted the commission is still in its consultation phase.
A citizens group called Wind Concerns had pushed for the 10-kilometre distance, but council turned that down in April 2026. The group has been active since the Pihew Waciy wind project was proposed and later cancelled in 2023. That project would have put 34 turbines southwest of Kehiwin Lake.
Residents who want to comment on the bylaw can do so in person at the July 28 hearing or send written comments to the county.
