Westbridge Signs Deal to Sell Red Willow Solar-Plus-Storage Project in Alberta
Westbridge Renewable Energy has signed a definitive agreement to sell its Red Willow solar-plus-storage project in Alberta, with potential consideration reaching C$26.725 million. The advanced-stage project combines up to 225 MWac of solar with a 100 MW battery system.
Microgrid Media Editorial Desk
Published · Updated · 3 min read
Westbridge Renewable Energy announced August 28 that it has signed a definitive agreement to sell the Red Willow solar-plus-storage project in Stettler County, Alberta, through the sale of all shares in its Red Willow Solar subsidiary. The transaction matters because it would monetize an advanced-stage Canadian renewable project that has already secured major provincial approvals while transferring its future construction and operating milestones to a new owner.
Westbridge said potential consideration could reach C$26.725 million if all conditions and milestones are met, including C$10.5 million in cash at closing, reimbursement or replacement of a C$4.725 million grid-related security amount, C$4.5 million when the battery reaches commercial operation and an estimated C$7 million tied to solar commercial operation.
The project combines utility-scale solar and battery storage
The Red Willow solar-plus-storage project is planned for Stettler County No. 6 in central Alberta. According to Westbridge’s August 28 transaction announcement, the development includes a solar power plant of up to 225 MWac and a proposed 100 MW battery energy storage system.
Earlier project documentation describes the storage system as having up to 200 MWh of energy capacity, equivalent to approximately two hours of storage at its 100 MW rated output.
Westbridge’s Red Willow project page describes the development as part of the company’s Alberta solar-and-storage portfolio. The project remains pre-construction and should not be described as an operating solar or battery facility.
Regulators have already approved the power plant and storage system
Red Willow received a major regulatory milestone earlier this year when the Alberta Utilities Commission approved the power plant and battery energy storage system and issued a permit and licence for the associated Birch 1075S Substation.
Westbridge’s January regulatory announcement identified the approval as AUC Decision 29258-D01-2026 and said it allows Red Willow Solar to construct and operate the project subject to applicable regulatory requirements.
The underlying AUC facility application provides additional primary regulatory documentation for the project.
Westbridge says Red Willow also holds an interconnection position in the Alberta Electric System Operator connection process.
The transaction includes payments tied to commercial operation
The payment structure means the headline C$26.725 million figure is not guaranteed at closing.
Westbridge expects C$10.5 million in cash at closing plus reimbursement or replacement of a C$4.725 million GUOC amount. Another C$4.5 million would become payable when the battery reaches commercial operation.
The solar portion carries a separate payment of C$25,000 per MWdc at commercial operation, currently estimated by Westbridge at approximately C$7 million.
The transaction itself remains subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals and other conditions precedent. Westbridge did not identify the buyer in the public announcement reviewed for this article.
Alberta is confronting rapidly changing electricity demand
The sale comes as Alberta’s power system faces an unusually large pipeline of proposed new electricity loads, particularly from data centers.
The Alberta Electric System Operator previously reported that 29 proposed large-load projects representing more than 16 GW of demand had sought grid connections, prompting an interim approach intended to allow up to 1,200 MW of new large-load connections through 2028 while protecting reliability.
Westbridge cited that prospective demand in discussing the market backdrop for its Alberta portfolio, but the company did not announce a data-center power contract for Red Willow. Any relationship between future large-load growth and the project’s eventual electricity sales therefore remains prospective rather than contracted.
What happens next
The immediate milestone is transaction closing. Until the closing conditions are satisfied, Westbridge remains the announced seller under a definitive agreement rather than having completed the disposition.
Beyond closing, the battery and solar commercial-operation dates will be particularly important because roughly C$11.5 million of the potential transaction consideration is tied to those future milestones.
The project’s eventual owner will also need to advance the remaining interconnection, construction and commercial steps required to turn the approved development into an operating solar-and-storage facility.
The transaction adds another example of developers monetizing advanced-stage renewable assets after reducing permitting risk but before commercial operation, while battery storage increasingly forms part of the value proposition for large solar developments. Microgrid Media has also tracked that broader trend through projects such as Tata Power’s recently commissioned solar-and-storage development in Rajasthan.
The Microgrid Media Editorial Desk reports on microgrids, energy storage, grid modernization, data center power demand, distributed energy resources, and energy policy. Reporting published under the Editorial Desk byline is developed from primary regulatory records, utility filings, government documents, company disclosures, and independently verifiable sources, and is reviewed under Microgrid Media’s editorial standards.
Editorial oversight: Jonas Muthoni, Editor-in-Chief
