Castle River — Canada

Castle River is a 44 MW wind power plant in Alberta, Canada. It is operated by Vision Quest (TransAlta). Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 37k homes (estimated). It ranks #445 of 1,210 Canada power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1997, it is around 29 years old — long-established. As a non-combustion source, it has no direct CO₂ emissions from generation. In context, wind supplies about 7.9% of Canada's electricity; the national grid averages 191 gCO₂/kWh (77.0% low-carbon) (2025).

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id CAN0007734.

Capacity provenance

The public capacity above is a source-verified 2026 capacity claim: 44 MW for Castle River wind farm.

GEM · 2026 · operating plant capacity

Data provenance

Source of the capacity and fuel values:

capacity: GEM · 2026 · L100000906638; fuel: WRI GPPD

In context: how this plant compares

At 44 MW, Castle River is well above the median wind plant in Canada (24 MW). Technically it is described as Onshore. Wind turbines convert moving air into electricity; output is variable and site-dependent, and modern turbines deliver some of the lowest-cost new generation on many grids.

Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.

Key facts

Share of Canada wind capacity

0.4% of 12,127 MW across 241 plants in this dataset

Age among peers

0 of 127 dated wind plants in Canada are older

Calculated from the capacity and generation records in this dataset (WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0)).

Capacity vs largest wind plants in Canada

Installed capacity (MW), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).

Owner

Operated by Vision Quest (TransAlta).

Local climate & thermal context

This wind plant converts the kinetic energy of wind into electricity through turbine rotors. It sits in a subarctic (boreal) climate (Köppen Dfc) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 49.5°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

Monthly mean temperature

Heating degree-days here run 100% above the median power plant in this dataset — a proxy for how much extra energy heated equipment must replace through its surfaces in winter.

Climate heat-demand index: 94/100 — this site sits in the top third of the power plants we cover by heating degree-days.

Climate normals: WorldClim 2.1 (1970–2000 monthly normals, 10 arc-min, CC BY 4.0); zone: Köppen-Geiger world climate classification (Kottek et al. 2006, 0.5° grid). Degree-days & heat-demand index computed by PowerAtlas — a modelled heat-demand proxy, not a measured site figure.

Site climate & environmental severity

This site sits in a mild atmospheric environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C2 — Low), with humidity / wetness the leading environmental stress.

Indicative estimate via the ISO 9223:2012 informative method (atmospheric corrosivity from temperature, time-of-wetness and airborne salinity), using WorldClim climate normals, the Köppen-Geiger class and coast distance. Indicative, not a measured corrosion rate.

How it compares & nearby plants

The #94 largest wind power plant of 241 in Canada by capacity.

Canada has 241 wind power plants in this dataset, together about 12,127 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

• Optimist · Wind · 1 MW · Alberta
• Sinnott · Wind · 6.5 MW · Alberta
• Castle Rock Ridge · Wind · 75.9 MW · Alberta
• Cowley North · Wind · 19.5 MW · Alberta
• Oldman River · Hydro · 32 MW · Alberta
• Old Man River · Wind · 3.6 MW · Alberta

Location

Coordinates 49.516, -114.0276 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions