Manitoba Call for Power: update on procurement process for Indigenous majority-owned wind projects Manitoba Call for Power: update on procurement process for Indigenous majority-owned wind projects

Manitoba Hydro is continuing to progress its procurement process for up to 600 megawatts (MW) of Indigenous majority-owned wind power through the current Call for Power. The process leading up to the Call for Power began with the government of Manitoba’s release of Manitoba’s Affordable Energy Plan [PDF] (Plan) in September 2024, which advised that Manitoba Hydro determined the province requires 600 MW of wind power to meet the demand for clean and affordable energy in the near term. As the vast majority of electricity generation in the province is owned and operated by Manitoba Hydro, the Call for Power represents a unique opportunity for renewable energy developers and their Indigenous partners to enter an electricity market that is home to minimal privately-owned generation.

The Call for Power involves two distinct Manitoba Hydro-led stages for wind power developers that are considering entering the Manitoba electricity market: firstly, the request for Qualified Suppliers (RFQS) and, secondly, request for proposals from Qualified Suppliers (RFP).

This blog provides a high-level overview of the various process steps and requirements that wind power developers and their Indigenous partners can expect during the Call for Power and subsequent regulatory reviews of selected projects.

Manitoba Hydro Call for Power

Stage 1: RFQS (closing January 23, 2026)

The current Call for Power process step, the RFQS, was initiated on October 8, 2025, and closes imminently on January 23, 2026.  To be selected as a Qualified Supplier, a proponent must meet certain requirements set by Manitoba Hydro, such as the majority Indigenous-ownership requirement and market experience thresholds. The proponent is not, at this stage, required to provide information that relates directly to any proposed projects. However, proponents may provide initial comments on the overall Call for Power framework, including underlying forms of agreements and other materials that have been made available prior to the closing of the RFQS.

Developers are expected to be notified in March 2026 if they have been selected as a Qualified Supplier. If a proponent is selected as a Qualified Supplier, it will be eligible to submit a proposal to Manitoba Hydro during the RFP stage of the Call for Power.

Stage 2: RFP (closing Summer 2026)

Similar to the timeline for selecting Qualified Suppliers, Manitoba Hydro is planning to issue the formal RFP in March 2026 (called RFP-1). The RFP stage allows a selected Qualified Supplier to submit a proposal for each physical wind power project it is proposing to construct and operate (i.e., Qualified Suppliers are permitted to propose more than one project). Each proposed wind power project is required to have a nameplate capacity of 90 MW to 200 MW and must connect to Manitoba’s electrical grid at an interconnection point within 20 kilometres of one of 14 existing substations identified by Manitoba Hydro. The Qualified Supplier will also need to enter into a long-term Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Manitoba Hydro to secure market access for a proposed project.

A Qualified Supplier that submits a project (or projects) for consideration will likely be required to provide a significant amount of information related to the proposed project, including layout information and comments on the form of PPA provided by Manitoba Hydro. As privately-owned generation is minimal in Manitoba, established renewable energy developers may be in a position to provide useful feedback on the PPA that is informed by their recent experience in other similar jurisdictions and bid-processes.

At this time, the RFP is expected to close at some point in “Summer 2026” (i.e., approximately three to six months after the formal RFP is issued). There is no publicly available indication yet as to when Manitoba Hydro expects to announce the projects it has selected through the RFP. However prior guidance [PDF] suggests it could be three to six months after the RFP closes in Summer 2026. Selected projects will then proceed to additional regulatory review and licensing.

Post-selection regulatory steps: environmental assessment and licensing process

All successful wind projects will be subject to Manitoba’s environmental assessment and licensing process pursuant to The Environment Act. Projects with a capacity between 90 and 100 MW will require a Class 2 development license whereas projects exceeding 100 MW will require a Class 3 development license.

There are two main steps that proponents will need to follow under The Environment Act process: the submission of ”Intent to Apply” forms and the submission of the formal Environment Act Proposal for the project. After this assessment process concludes, a decision will be made to either issue or refuse to issue a license.

Intent to Apply

The submission of the ”Intent to Apply” forms to the Environmental Approvals Branch (EAB) triggers the initial assessment of a selected project by the government of Manitoba. This submission is effectively “advance notice” being provided to the EAB that a proponent intends to submit an Environment Act Proposal for a project in the near-term. Proponents may be required to submit additional information following the submission of these forms, and the government can start Crown-Indigenous consultation related to a project after these forms are submitted.

Environment Act Proposal

The second step in the assessment process is for a proponent to submit a formal Environment Act Proposal to the EAB (Proposal). A Proposal will require an environmental assessment report and must be prepared following the Environment Act Proposal Guidelines [PDF]. Proponents should also provide specific information related to wind projects outlined in the Wind Power Supplementary Guidelines [PDF], which includes information about project siting, decommissioning plans, public engagement, anticipated environmental effects, proposed mitigation measures, and monitoring plans. Notably, the information requested is comparable to what proponents are required to provide when making an application to the Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC) for approval to construct and operate a wind power project under AUC Rules 007 [PDF] (Facility Applications) and 012 [PDF] (Noise Control).

Once the Proposal is received, proponents will be assigned a point of contact to assist in answering questions about the Proposal or further processes. Once the completed Proposal is received, a 30-day public engagement process is triggered, and the Proposal will be posted to the EAB’s Public Registry for public review and input. In addition, a technical review will also be started to assess potential environmental impacts. Based on both the public and technical review, proponents may need to provide additional information.

Although the timing of this process is not certain, the EAB notes that the Proposal should be submitted “by December 2027 to increase the success of receiving a licensing decision prior to the construction timelines provided by Manitoba Hydro”. Given the evolving nature of the Call for Power and the subsequent regulatory review that is required pursuant to The Environment Act, we expect that Manitoba Hydro and the EAB will provide further guidance as the process continues to progress through 2026.

Licensing decision

Once the environmental assessment process has concluded, a decision will be made to either issue a license with certain terms and conditions, or to refuse a licence. If a license is refused, proponents will receive written reasons for the decision for refusal. If a license is issued, compliance and monitoring will begin. At this stage, a selected project that has received an Environment Act Licence will be in a position to commence construction once it has received any additional permits that are required to construct and operate the project from other regulatory agencies (e.g., Federal or municipal permits).

Conclusion

The Call for Power represents a unique opportunity for established renewable energy developers to enter a previously unavailable Canadian electricity market and forge new partnerships with Indigenous groups in Manitoba. The process is now progressing at a relatively predictable pace, with the main developer and project-specific submissions coming due over the first half of 2026.

Osler’s power and regulatory teams have market-leading experience in electricity procurement initiatives throughout Canada. We are well positioned to support renewable energy developers looking to enter the Manitoba electricity market through the Call for Power and any future procurement opportunities.