Northland Power to build plant in Saskatchewan

Construction will start in July in North Battleford, Saskatchewan, and is scheduled for completion in 2013, Toronto- based Northland said today in a statement. SaskPower, the provinceÂ’s largest electricity distributor, agreed to buy all of the plantÂ’s output for 20 years and to cover any increase in fuel costs, according to the statement.

The 261-megawatt plant, located about 150 kilometers (93 miles) northwest of Saskatoon, will employ General Electric Co. turbines, Northland said. SaskPower, which is owned by the province, agreed in September to a 25-year power-supply contract for a $145 million, 86-megawatt plant that Northland is building in Spy Hill, Saskatchewan.

One megawatt can power about 800 average U.S. homes, according to an estimate by the Energy Department in Washington.