Preferred and Alternate Routes by Comparing Specific Factors As They Applied to Each Route

Preferred and Alternate Route Selection Bowmanton to Whitla

July 2010

The summary below is designed to help you understand how we arrived at the selection of the proposed preferred and alternate routes by comparing specific factors as they applied to each route. All of the routes have the following common characteristics: • None are located within 150 metres of a residence • None are located within 800 metres of Parks and/or Protected Areas • None are located within 800 metres of a Historical Resource Site with a Historical Resource Value of 1, 2 or 3 • Each route crosses between 56 and 65 kilometres of native vegetation • Each route cross between 49 and 58 kilometres of agricultural land • Each route is within 10 per cent of the cost of the preferred route

Preferred Route Alternate One Alternate Two Alternate Three Residential Number of residences within 150 m 0 0 0 0 Number of residences within 800 m 22 20 35 33 Agricultural Total agricultural land crossed (km) 54 49 58 53 Irrigation parcels crossed (km) 0 0 1 1 Class 3 soils crossed (highest ranking soil in project area) (km) 15 26 15 26 Environmental Native vegetation crossed (km) 56 60 61 65 Environmentally Significant Areas crossed (km) 10 13 13 16 Parks and Protected Areas crossed in or within 800 m 0 0 0 0 of right-of-way edge (ha) Sensitive Wetland Areas in or within 800 m of right-of-way edge (ha) 1 11 2 12 Coulees crossed (km) 6 7 7 8 Coulees crossed (#) 15 17 19 21 Existing infrastructure Existing roads and railways paralleled (within 250 metres) 36 43 32 38 Length Total length (km) 111 111 119 118 Cost, % difference from preferred route* – – 10% more 10% more * These cost comparisons represent the cost of the transmission line only and are used for comparison purposes.

1-877-269-5903 (toll-free) [email protected] www.albertaelectricityfuture.ca/satr Electricity. When you needBRO Oit.KS " Tilley

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L 0 C . F . B . S u f f i e l d 6 7 THE PREFERRED ROUTE " Suffield Proposed ! Bowmanton 8 92 Substation SUFFIELD L 244S " 895S AltaLink believes the preferred route has the lowest overall impact. UV1

" Preferred route considerations: VAUXHALL REDCLIFF " Dunmore • Is 111 kilometres in length, and along with alternate one is MEDICINE HAT ! Irvine " ! ! BULLSHEAD

the shortest route 523S BOW ISLAND L

Seven Persons 0 0

! 6 UV3 • Along with alternate one, has the lowest estimated cost 879L Grassy Lake ! " ! TABER " Burdett

BURDETT 2

• Has 22 residences within 800 metres 368S L " PEACE BUTTE

404S • Crosses the least amount of native vegetation " " WESTFIELD • Crosses the least amount of Environmentally Sensitive Areas 107S " Proposed Whitla • Is near the least amount of sensitive wetland areas within" Substation 251S Foremost Etzikom ! Orion 800 metres ! Manyberries • Parallels 36 kilometres of existing linear features ! (existing roads and railways) Preferred route • Crosses the fewest coulees and has the shortest amount of Alternate routes

line length within coulees MILK RIVER BROOKS • Crosses" Seven Persons Creek parallel to an existing road Tilley UV4 • Crosses the least amount of class 3 agricultural soil (the highest ranking soil in the project area)

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L C . F . B . S u f f i e l d 0 6 Preferred route options 7 " Suffield Proposed ! Bowmanton 8 92 Substation SUFFIELD L The preferred and alternate routes share two common 244S " 895S UV1 portions. The common portions are indicated in red on Map " VAUXHALL REDCLIFF one and Map two. Where practical, AltaLink works to develop " Dunmore more than one route option for an area and is proposing two MEDICINE HAT ! Irvine " ! !

BULLSHEAD route options identified in green. The green route options are

523S BOW ISLAND L

Seven Persons 0 0

! 6 the same length and have similar impacts to the proposed UV3 879L Grassy Lake ! " ! TABER " Burdett common red portions. Both of these route options will be

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368S L " PEACE BUTTE

404S included in the Facilities Application submitted to the Alberta " Utilities Commission. " WESTFIELD 107S " The green route option identified in Map one is being Proposed Whitla considered to address concerns raised by stakeholders in " Substation 251S Foremost Etzikom the area. This option would alter the way that the NaturEner ! Orion ! Manyberries Map one !

MILK RIVER

UV4 BROOKS " Tilley

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L 0 C . F . B . S u f f i e l d 6 7 " Suffield Proposed ! Bowmanton 8 Wild Rose 1 and 2 wind farm projects connect to the new 92 Substation SUFFIELD L 244S " 895S transmission line and add two new 240 kV (240,000 volts) lines, UV1

" each approximately 3.2 kilometres in length. The twoV AnewUXHAL L REDCLIFF transmission lines are not part of this project, but do increase " Dunmore MEDICINE HAT ! Irvine ! " !

the amount of transmission line development in the area. BULLSHEAD

523S BOW ISLAND L

Seven Persons 0 0

! 6 UV3 The red common portion on Map two was identified as having 879L Grassy Lake ! " ! TABER " Burdett the lowest overall impact. The green route option in this area is 7 BURDETT 2

368S L " PEACE BUTTE

being considered to address concerns raised by stakeholders. 404S " " WESTFIELD ALTERNATE ROUTES 107S " Proposed Whitla AltaLink has identified three alternate routes for the " Substation 251S Foremost Etzikom ! Orion Alberta Utilities Commission’s (AUC) consideration. AltaLink ! Manyberries is prepared to build any one of these routes should it be ! approved by the AUC. Map two

Alternate one BROOKS MILK RIVER " Alternate one considerations: Tilley

UV4 • Along with the preferred route, is the shortest route at 10 0 L

111 kilometres L 0 C . F . B . S u f f i e l d 6 7 " Suffield Proposed ! Bowmanton • Along with the preferred route, has the lowest 89 2L Substation SUFFIELD 244S " 895S estimated cost UV1

" • Has 20 residences within 800 metres VAUXHALL REDCLIFF " Dunmore • Crosses three kilometres more Environmentally Significant MEDICINE HAT ! Irvine " ! !

BULLSHEAD

523S Areas than the preferred route BOW ISLAND L

Seven Persons 0 0

! 6 UV3 879L Grassy Lake ! • Crosses four kilometres more native vegetation than the " ! TABER " Burdett

BURDETT 2

368S L " PEACE BUTTE

preferred route 404S " • Crosses two more coulees and has one kilometre more " WESTFIELD line length in coulees than the preferred route 107S " Proposed Whitla • Has 10 more hectares of sensitive wetlands within 800 " Substation 251S Foremost Etzikom ! Orion metres of the right-of-way than the preferred route ! Manyberries • Unlike the preferred, crosses Seven Persons Creek through ! previously undisturbed land on native vegetation Alternate route one

MILK RIVER

UV4 " BROOKS " Tilley

1 Alternate two 0 0 L

L 0 Alternate two considerations: C . F . B . S u f f i e l d 6 7 " Suffield Proposed ! Bowmanton 89 • Is 119 kilometres and the longest route, eight kilometres 2L Substation SUFFIELD 244S " 895S UV1 longer than the preferred route

" • Along with alternate three, has the highest estimated cost VAUXHALL REDCLIFF " • Has the highest number of residences (35) within 800 metres Dunmore MEDICINE HAT ! Irvine " ! !• Crosses three more kilometres of Environmentally Significant

BULLSHEAD

523S BOW ISLAND L Areas than the preferred route

Seven Persons 0 0

! 6 UV3 879L Grassy Lake ! • Crosses five kilometres more native vegetation than the " ! TABER " Burdett

BURDETT 2 preferred route

368S L " PEACE BUTTE

404S • Has one hectare more sensitive wetlands within 800 metres " " of the right-of-way than the preferred route WESTFIELD 107S " • Crosses four more coulees and has one kilometre more line Proposed " Whitla length in coulees than the preferred route " Substation BROOKS 251S Foremost Etzikom • Like the preferred, crosses Seven Persons Creek parallel to an " ! Orion ! existing road Tilley Manyberries ! Alternate route two Alternate three 10 0 L

L Alternate three considerations: Warner 0 C . F . B . S u f f i e l d 6 7 " Suffield Proposed ! Bowmanton • Is 118 kilometres in length, seven kilometres longer than the 89 2L Substation MILK RIVER SUFFIELD 244S " 895S preferred route UV1 • Along with alternate two, has the highest estimated cost UV4 " VAUXHALL REDCLIFF " • Has 11 more residences within 800 metres than the Dunmore MEDICINE HAT ! Irvinepreferred route " ! !

BULLSHEAD

523S • Crosses six more kilometres of Environmentally Significant BOW ISLAND L

Seven Persons 0 0

! 6 UV3 Areas than the preferred route 879L Grassy Lake ! " ! TABER " Burdett • Crosses nine kilometres more native vegetation than the 7

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368S L " PEACE BUTTE

404S preferred route " • Crosses six more coulees and has two kilometres more line " WESTFIELD length in coulees than the preferred route 107S " Proposed • Has 11 hectares more sensitive wetlands within 800 metres Whitla " Substation 251S of the right-of-way than the preferred route Foremost Etzikom ! Orion ! • Unlike the preferred, crosses Seven Persons Creek through Manyberries ! previously undisturbed land on native vegetation Alternate route three

Warner

MILK RIVER

UV4