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Export Permit Application Requirement 9(a) (a) the names of the applicant and any authorized representative of the applicant and their mailing address, address for personal service, telephone number and any other telecommunications numbers of the applicant or the authorized representative of the applicant; Applicant Columbia Power Corporation Suite 200, 445-13th Avenue Castlegar, B.C. V1N 1G1 Attention: Glenn MacIntyre Director, Regulatory & Government Affairs 250.304.6039 Tel 250.608.0965 Cell 250.304.6083 Fax [email protected] Authorized Representative Spilker Watson Pigott 2 – 609 Baker Street Nelson, B.C. V1L 4J3 Attention: Leon Pigott 250.352.6580 Tel 250.352.6581 Fax [email protected] The Applicant requests that copies of all correspondence be directed to its Authorized Representative. Requirement 9(b) (b) a description of the applicant’s power system, a copy of the applicant’s latest annual report and, if applicable, the applicant’s most recent publicly available generation or development plan; Columbia Power Corporation (CPC) is a crown corporation of the Province of British Columbia. CPC develops and owns power plants in the Columbia-Kootenays region of southeastern BC through joint ventures with its partner Columbia Basin Trust (CBT). CPC/CBT owns the Brilliant Dam and 145 MW power plant, the 120 MW Brilliant Expansion, the 125 MW Arrow Lakes power plant located at the Hugh Keenleyside dam and expansion rights on the Waneta dam owned and operated by Teck Cominco Ltd. (“Teck”). The relationship between CPC and CBT is illustrated in the relationship chart attached as Appendix 3. CPC/CBT System Entitlement Agreement with BC Hydro All of CPC/CBT’s generating facilities, including the Waneta Expansion project which is in the design phase, have been committed to an agreement with BC Hydro under which the operation of each of the facilities is controlled by BC Hydro. Under this agreement, BC Hydro is responsible to manage and control the flows on the Columbia, Kootenay and Pend d’Oreille river systems including flows through CPC/CBT’s facilities. BC Hydro has assumed this coordination role to fulfill its responsibilities as administrator of the Columbia River Treaty. Under this agreement, CPC/CBT receives an entitlement in respect of each of its facilities from BC Hydro. This entitlement allocates to CPC/CBT a fixed amount of energy and capacity in each year for each facility, regardless of the actual water conditions or generation output of the facility. Under the agreement, CPC/CBT has only limited rights to affect physical operations at its facilities, including to protect local network stability or to prevent damage to a facility. In the case of the Arrow Lakes facility and the Brilliant Expansion facility, the entitlement is sold back to BC Hydro under a separate contract. Brilliant Power Plant CPC/CBT owns the Brilliant hydroelectric powerplant, dam and switchyard located just northeast of Castlegar, BC on the Kootenay River. The Brilliant generating station was constructed by Cominco (now Teck) and commissioned in 1944. It is a run-of-the-river type hydroelectric facility, with four turbines and generator units installed in a close-coupled powerhouse located adjacent to the 45m high concrete dam. The present power output capability of the facility is 145 MW. The dam and powerhouse were purchased in 1996 by a joint venture of CPC and CBT. CPC/CBT upgraded the performance of the Brilliant Dam through replacing the turbine runner of each of the four units. The upgrade was commenced in 2000 and was completed in 2003. As part of its agreement with BC Hydro, CPC/CBT receives an entitlement of 150 MW and 985 GWh of electricity in respect of the Brilliant Power Plant. The Brilliant Dam is connected through the Brilliant terminal station to FortisBC’s transmission system. Management of the facility, including operations and maintenance, is performed by FortisBC under long-term contract. FortisBC purchases the entitlement from the power plant under a separate long-term sales contract. Brilliant Expansion CPC/CBT owns the Brilliant Expansion hydroelectric powerplant located on the Kootenay River adjacent to and 160 metres downstream of the Brilliant Power Plant. The Brilliant Expansion was constructed by CPC/CBT and commissioned in 2007. It is a run-of-the-river type facility with a single turbine and generator unit. As part of its agreement with BC Hydro, CPC/CBT receives an entitlement of 139 MW and 477 GWh of electricity in respect of the Brilliant Expansion. The Brilliant Expansion facility is connected through the Brilliant terminal station to FortisBC’s system. Management of the facility, including operations and maintenance, is performed by FortisBC under long-term contract. Approximately 90% of the Brilliant Expansion energy and capacity is sold to BC Hydro under two long-term agreements. The balance of the energy is sold under short-term arrangements. Arrow Lakes Generating Station CPC/CBT owns the Arrow Lakes generating station located on the Columbia River system. The facility is located adjacent to and 400 metres downstream of BC Hydro’s Hugh Keenleyside Dam, impounding the Arrow Lakes reservoir and discharging into the upper Columbia River. The Arrow Lakes generating station was constructed by CPC/CBT and commissioned in 2003. It is a two-unit hydroelectric facility with a maximum capacity of 185 MW. As part of its agreement with BC Hydro, CPC/CBT receives an entitlement of 190 MW and 770 GWh of electricity in respect of the Arrow Lakes generating station. The Arrow Lakes generating station is connected through the Brilliant terminal station to FortisBC’s system. Management of the facility, including operations and maintenance, is performed by Fortis Pacific Holdings Inc., a corporation related to FortisBC Inc. BC Hydro purchases all of the output from the facility under a power sales contract. This contract expires in 2015. Waneta Expansion CPC/CBT is in the process of constructing a power plant adjacent to Teck’s Waneta Dam on the Pend d’Oreille River south of Trail, BC. This expansion project will share the existing dam’s hydraulic head and make use of water flows that would otherwise be spilled. The project will consist of two generating units and is in the process of design and engineering. The size of the project is subject to final design and engineering but is expected to be approximately 335 MW. As part of its agreement with BC Hydro, CPC/CBT will receive an entitlement of electricity. This entitlement may change but is currently expected to be approximately 335 MW and 665 GWh. The Waneta Expansion was the subject of a comprehensive environmental review process involving local, provincial and federal stakeholders and agencies, including significant input from and consultation with the two first nations claiming aboriginal rights on the lands on which the project is located. The project received Provincial Environmental Approval in November 2007. In May 2008, the federal Environment Minister determined that no federal environmental review was required. The current significant outstanding permits for the Waneta Expansion are Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) and Transport Canada’s Navigable Waters. CPC/CBT expects to have all permits by September, 2009. The Waneta Expansion will be connected to BC Hydro’s Selkirk substation through a 10km 230kV transmission line. This line is not yet constructed. Construction of the Waneta Expansion project is not dependent on CPC receiving an export permit. CPC/CBT is currently in negotiations to sell all of the output from the Waneta Expansion to a domestic customer under a long-term contract. Transmission Facilities CPC/CBT does not currently own any transmission facilities other than the Brilliant terminal station and the 49 km transmission line connecting the Arrow Lakes facility to BC Hydro’s Selkirk substation. As part of the Waneta Expansion project, CPC/CBT will construct a 10 km transmission line connecting the Waneta Expansion project to the Selkirk substation. No new transmission facilities will need to be constructed to facilitate the proposed export of power. Annual Report The Applicant’s latest annual report is included as Appendix 4. The Applicant has not prepared any publicly available generation or development plans. Requirement 9 (c) (c) a proof of publication of the notice; The Notice of Application and Directions on Procedures will be placed in the Canada Gazette and the following newspapers in both official languages: ● Trail Times ● Castlegar Sun ● Nelson Daily News ● Cranbrook Townsman ● Revelstoke Times ● Arrow Lakes News These newspapers have the largest paid circulation in the most populous communities in the region. Tear sheets and/or copies of the notice will be forwarded under separate cover. Requirement 9(d) (d) the name of each person or agency outside Canada to be supplied with electricity and the nature of the business carried on by the person or agency or, if that information is unknown at the time of the application, a brief description of the markets to be served; There are no specific customers to be served under the requested permits at this time. CPC/CBT may potentially pursue opportunities in the Pacific Northwest. Targeted customers may include public utility districts, investor-owned utilities, large industrial customers, brokers and marketers. CPC/CBT may also sell energy or capacity on the spot market at a price based on the Mid-Columbia hub in eastern Washington State or other trading hubs. CPC is a member of the WSPP, a marketing
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