Notice of Application

Proceeding ID 262:

Application No. 1605199– Electric System Operator Application No. 1605252–AltaLink Management Ltd. Application No. 1605280–ATCO Electric Ltd. Buffalo Creek Substation Upgrade

The Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC or the Commission) is a quasi-judicial regulatory body responsible for making decisions about utility-related applications, such as building transmission lines, substations and power plants. The AUC is also responsible for making decisions about the need for transmission system development, including the need for new or rebuilt transmission lines and facilities.

The Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO) filed Application No. 1605199 with the Alberta Utilities Commission on June 24, 2009 pursuant to Section 34 of the Electric Utilities Act respecting approval of the Needs Identification Document (NID) to upgrade the existing Buffalo Creek 526S substation located in the Municipal District of Wainwright, approximately 38 kilometres northwest of the town of Wainwright, in the southwest quarter of Section 12, Township 48, Range 9, west of the 4th meridian.

AltaLink Management Ltd. (AltaLink), the owners and operator of the Buffalo Creek substation, filed Application No. 1605252 with the Alberta Utilities Commission on July 10, 2009, pursuant to Sections 14, 15, and 18 of the Hydro and Electric Energy Act to carry out the work identified in the NID to upgrade the existing Buffalo Creek substation.

ATCO Electric Ltd (ATCO), the owner and operator of transmission lines that currently feed the Buffalo Creek substation, filed Application No. 1605280 pursuant to Sections 14, 15, and 18 of the Hydro and Electric Energy Act to carry out the work identified in the NID to modify transmission lines that currently feed the Buffalo Creek substation.

Pursuant to section 15.4 of the Hydro Electric Energy Act, the Commission is issuing a single notice of application for the above-referenced applications due to the interconnected nature of the applied-for-facilities and related approvals requested.

Take notice:

Any parties having concerns with these applications should file an intervention with the Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC or the Commission) by 2:30 p.m. on February 17, 2010. If no bona fide objections are received by the above date, the AUC will process these applications without a hearing or other proceeding.

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Nature of AESO’s Application No. 1605199:

The need for the substation upgrade is driven by the increased loading of a distribution feeder predicted to exceed 13 megavolt amperes (MVA) by the winter of 2009 due to a large distribution customer load being connected in the area. The proposed development is to install one (1) additional 138kV/25kV 15/20/25MVA transformer and one (1) additional 25 kV breaker.

Nature of AltaLink’s Application No. 1605252:

To satisfy the need identified by the AESO, AltaLink proposes to decommission and salvage the current Buffalo Creek substation and to re-build it at a location approximately 200 metres north of the existing substation. AltaLink also proposes to reuse the current 15/20/25 MVA 138/25 kV LTC transformer and the 15/20/25 MVA 25 kV voltage regulator and to install a new 15/20/25 MVA 138/25 kV LTC transformer, three (3) 138 kV circuit breakers, a 18.92 MVAR capacitor bank, three (3) 25 kV circuit breakers, and two (2) new switchgear buildings.

Nature of ATCO’s Application No. 1605280:

To satisfy the need identified by the AESO, ATCO proposes to alter the existing Battle River to Vermilion 144 kV transmission line 7L50 by re-terminating the line at the new Buffalo Creek substation, to operate the line between ATCO's Battle River substation 757S and AltaLink's Buffalo Creek substation as 144 kV transmission line 7L50, to operate the line between AltaLink's Buffalo Creek substation and ATCO's Vermillion substation 710S as 144 kV transmission line 7L129, and for the AUC’s orders to connect these lines to AltaLink's Buffalo Creek substation

Additional information:

Copies of the applications and details regarding the proceeding are available for viewing through the Proceeding Search link on the home page of the AUC website www.auc.ab.ca or by using the following URL: https://www.auc.ab.ca/eub/dds/EPS_Query/ProceedingDetail.aspx?ProceedingID=262 To obtain additional information or a paper copy of the applications, contact each applicant at:

Ms. Zena Ukisu Ms. Erin Van Overloop, Siting and Consultation Alberta Electric System Operator AltaLink Management Ltd 2500, 330 - 5 Avenue SW 2611 - 3 Avenue SE , AB T2P 0L4 Calgary, AB T2A 7W7 Telephone: (403) 539-2709 Telephone: (877) 267-1453 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected]

Mr. Wes Caldwell ATCO Electric Ltd. 10035 - 105 Street, , AB, T5J 2V6 Telephone: (780) 733-2700 Email: [email protected]

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Intervention submissions:

After reviewing the privacy information in this notice, if you intend to participate in the proceeding, please send a letter or submission to the applicant and to the AUC containing the following information prior to 2:30 p.m. on February 17, 2010:

• Your name or organization name, address and/or legal land description, telephone number and email address (if available); • The manner in which your rights may be directly and adversely affected by a decision of the commission on the application; • State your position and whether in your view the application is contrary to the public interest, or is technically deficient, and the reasons for your position; • A list of the issues that you have with the proposed project and a summary of reference materials or evidence that you plan to use to support your views; and • The decision you would like the AUC to make in regard to the application.

Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act Subject to the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, all documents filed in this proceeding, including any documents filed prior to the start of this proceeding, must be placed on the public record. Your written submissions and any other documents you file will be accessible to the public and all other participants in the proceeding through the Proceeding Search system on the AUC website. Please ensure that any document you file is free of information that you do not want to appear on a public record. If you do not want your document or part thereof placed on the public record, you must apply to the commission under section 13 of the AUC Rules of Practice for a confidentiality order before you file your document.

Electronic copies of intervention letters can be submitted to: Email: [email protected] Subject: Proceeding 262

Paper copies of intervention letters should be sent to: Alberta Utilities Commission Re: Proceeding 262 Facilities Division Fifth Avenue Place, 4th floor, 425 – 1 Street SW Calgary, Alberta T2P 3L8 For information about AUC procedures, contact the AUC lead application officer at: Facilities Division, Calgary Office Attention: Pat Wickel Telephone: 403-592-4418 Email: [email protected]

Issued at Calgary, Alberta on January 20, 2010.

ALBERTA UTILITIES COMMISSION Douglas A. Larder, Q.C., General Counsel - 4 -

R.9W.4M. RANGE 91 RD.

EXISTING 144-kV PROPOSED 7L50 TRANSMISSION BUFFALO LINE CREEK 526S SUBSTATION 12 T.48

NEW 144-kV TRANSMISSION LINE

EXISTING BUFFALO CREEK 526S SUBSTATION