AltaLink to host open houses on transmission line

AltaLink is hosting a series of upcoming open houses to discuss route options for the proposed $1.1 billion Western Alberta Transmission Line, which will be built between the Genesee and Langdon areas.

The first of the series will be held at the Crossfield Community Centre, Aug. 18 and the Irricana Community Hall, Aug.19, between 4 and 8 p.m.

Affected residents are encouraged to provide input to help determine the route with the least impact.

“We want to hear from them,” said Leigh Clarke of AltaLink.

“The information exchange is very vital and important to ensuring that we do the best job we can and also to give people confidence that we are listening.”

The new line will be between 325 and 375 kilometres depending on the route and it will be the first 500-kilovolt Direct Current (DC) line in Alberta.

The project, which is expected to be complete by the fall of 2014, includes a converter station at either end that changes electricity from DC to Alternating Current (AC) and back so the new line can connect with the rest of the province’s electricity system.

The advantage to the DC lines, said Clarke, is that they are scalable, meaning the amount of power the line is able to carry can be increased by adding equipment to the end of the line, and often requires smaller towers than AC lines.

“It is more costly, but it is scalable,” said Clarke.

“We are very excited about that, and landowners appreciate that accommodation. The land is a finite resource…this is a prudent investment in the future.”

This is the second round of consultation in the process.

The first, which included one-on-one consultations and 12 open houses between February and April, helped refine the preliminary route options.

This final round will help determine if the line will run predominantly west of Highway 2 through Eckville and Olds areas and cross over at Crossfield, or on the east side, through the Ponoka, Red Deer and Innisfail areas. In addition, the proposed route has several other options for crossing over from west to east.

The Alberta Utilities Commission will choose the final route.

“I am hopeful and confident that the robustness of our consultation program and the fact that we have made the decision not to rush it… will give Albertans confidence that we have done our homework and we have tried to be transparent in making our decision,” said Clarke.

In addition to the upcoming open houses, AltaLink will be hosting information centres, including one at the Indus Recreation Centre, Sept. 27-30 from noon to 8 p.m.

“They are open a little longer to accommodate the farm community,” said Clarke.

According to Clarke, the transmission system between Edmonton and Calgary hasn’t been reinforced for about 30 years.

However, in the past 20 years, the province has doubled its electricity consumption and grown by about one million people, he said.

“The need to reinforce the system was first identified by the Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO) as early as about 2004,” said Clarke.

“They are satisfied that the line is needed. You just get to the point where you have to expand your system, to ensure we have a reliable system.”

For more information about the project, upcoming workshops or a more detailed view of the proposed routes, visit www.albertaelectricityfuture.ca/westernline