About the Southern Alberta Transmission Reinforcement
Welcome to the Southern Alberta Transmission Reinforcement You are receiving this information because you are a landowner or resident located near one of the proposed Southern Alberta Transmission Reinforcement (SATR) projects, a series of electrical transmission projects to strengthen the transmission system in the southern part of the province.
New wind generation is being developed in Southern Alberta. The Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO), an independent, not-for-profit entity responsible for the safe, reliable and economic planning and operation of the Alberta Interconnected Electric System, has received applications for more than 11,000 megawatts of new wind-powered generation requesting connection to Alberta’s electricity grid. Today, Alberta has roughly 500 megawatts of wind-powered generation connected to the grid.
The existing transmission lines and substations in the southern part of the province do not have the Alberta’s power sources capacity to allow new wind-powered generation to connect to Alberta’s electricity grid. In much the same Coal: 5,893 megawatts way that highways get congested with more traffic, Gas: 4,635 megawatts transmission lines get congested when additional Hydro: 869 megawatts power is added. In an effort to allow for this new Wind: 497 megawatts wind generated power, new transmission projects are Other renewables*: 178 megawatts being proposed to move the wind power from where it’s generated to the communities where you live and *(e.g. biomass, solar, run-of-river hydro) work. - Spring 2008 Powering Albertans
As Alberta’s largest supplier of electrical transmission, AltaLink is committed to providing a transmission system that will continue to meet the needs of Albertans.
Demand for wind power Renewable energy, including wind-powered electricity, is an important part of the future of Alberta’s electricity system. Wind energy is a clean, inexhaustible, plentiful resource.
Large volumes of wind generation are planned for southern Alberta. The AESO anticipates that of the 11,000 megawatts seeking connection to the electricity grid, up to 2,700 megawatts will be connected over the next 10 years. That is more than five times the current amount of wind power available in Alberta. About the Southern Alberta Transmission Reinforcement
Proposed development The AESO has identified a need to reinforce the transmission system to allow for the future development of wind farm projects. The map below illustrates the potential areas for transmission development in southern Alberta. The purple ovals on the map show the areas where future wind generation is expected to seek connection to Alberta’s electrical system. The orange shaded area shows the potential corridors in which new transmission projects will connect this new wind generation.
AESO Preferred Option for Transmission Reinforcement in Southern Alberta
Airdrie Cochrane Banff Canmore Calgary Strathmore
Bassano Okotoks Black Diamond Turner Valley High River Brooks
Saskatchewan Vulcan
Nanton
Stavely Redcliff British Vauxhall Columbia Claresholm Medicine Hat Bow Island Granum Picture Butte Taber Fort Macleod Coaldale
Crowsnest Pass Lethbridge Substations Raymond Foremost 500 kV Pincher Creek Magrath 240 kV 138 kV 69 kV Cardston Rivers Milk River Cities NID Approved 240 kV Double Circuit Wind Interest Zones Canada/United States Border Potential Areas For Transmission Development
Where you can get more information To learn more about the Southern Alberta Transmission Reinforcement please visit www.albertaelectricityfuture.ca. To learn more about AltaLink visit www.altalink.ca.
For more information about the AESO and the need for the Southern Alberta Transmission Reinforcement please visit www.aeso.ca/transmission/16869.html.