South and West of Transmission System Development

Approximately 110 people Project update attended our five open houses

The Electric System Operator (AESO) would like Stony Plain 24 attendees Monday, November 28 to thank all stakeholders who participated in the recent Stony Plain Community Centre open houses for the South and West of Edmonton Area Spruce Grove 17 attendees Transmission System Development project. Tuesday, November 29 Melcor Hall, Pioneer Centre We would like to share the feedback we industrial growth in the area. Transmission heard at the open houses, address some system developments are required to Devon 28 attendees of the most commonly asked questions, ensure the system has sufficient capacity Wednesday, November 30 and outline the next steps involved in to meet this forecasted growth. Braun Hall, Community Centre seeking the Alberta Utilities Commission’s 18 656 As part of the participant18 involvement Leduc 30 attendeesSmoky Lake (AUC) approval of the need for this Westlock

program for the South and West of Edmonton2 Thursday, December 1 development. Area Transmission System Development, the Royal Canadian Legion (Branch 108) The AESO identified the need to reinforce AESO held a series of public open houses the transmission system south and west of to discuss the need for the project with Edmonton 11 attendees Monday, DecemberRedwater 5 Edmonton to meet the growing demand for stakeholders. AESO staff were on handLegal Hampton Inn Edmonton South electricity from residential, commercial and to address any651 questions or concerns. 28 Bon Accord What does the Bruderheim project include? 642 Gibbons Morinville 29 The proposed transmission system Sandy Lake Lamont developments include: 37

15 Fort Saskatchewan n a new 240/138 kV substation just St. Albert north of Leduc 43 Big Lake n a new 240/138 kV substation south 16 16 of Stony Plain 16 Stony Sherwood Park Plain n new 138 kV and 240 kV transmission Spruce EDMONTON lines south and west of Stony Plain Grove and south and east of Edmonton 627

60 Cooking Lake 770 n rebuilding 240 kV transmission lines around south Edmonton Devon Beaumont n potential modifications to the Acheson 305S, Carvel 432S, Cooking Lake 522S, 39 Leduc East Camrose 285S, Ellerslie 89S, Calmar Miquelon Lakes Leduc 325S, 149S, N.W. Cardiff 2A 191S and Onoway 352S substations.

778 616 795 Bittern Lake The map indicates the approximate area where 616 Millet the need for transmission development has been 616 21 Camrose Coal Lake identified. The transmission facilities owner will propose specific substation sites and transmission 2 Wetaskiwin 26 13 line routes that may be located inside or outside Proposed Development Areas the area shown. What we heard at the open houses All participants were invited to fill out a survey to give us their feedback. Of the 110 attendees, 48 completed feedback forms. The information below summarizes the feedback collected. What city or town How did you hear about What were you hoping to learn do you live in? the open house? at the open house?

30% Devon 8% Spruce Grove 44% Newapaper Ad 16% Word of Mouth 42% Facilities (Routing and Siting) 17% Stony Plain 4% Edmonton 32% Direct Mail 8% Other * 36% General Information 11% Leduc 30% Other* 18% Need for Transmission Development 4% Other *

* Other communities include Rural Stony Plain, * Other way respondents heard about the * Other things respondents hoped to learn about , Calmar and Beaumont. open house was through media coverage. include costs, load balancing and generation.

Respondents were very pleased with the quality of the open houses and information provided, giving positive evaluations overall. The information helped me The information presented The staff was able to adequately understand the need for this project. was easy to understand. answer my questions.

62% Agree 9% Disagree 68% Agree 4% Disagree 49% Agree 4% Disagree 24% Strongly Agree 5% Strongly Disagree 24% Strongly Agree 4% Strongly Disagree 45% Strongly Agree 2% Strongly Disagree

The large majority (86 per cent) agreed or strongly The large majority (92 per cent) agreed or strongly The large majority (94 per cent) agreed or strongly agreed the information helped them understand agreed the information was easy to understand. agreed staff were able to adequately answer the need for this project. their questions.

Most of the questions raised at the open houses related (TFO) in the area, who will be consulting with the public while to transmission facilities, such as questions about siting preparing facility applications. These applications will include and routing. These topics will be addressed by AltaLink detailed design, siting and routing. AltaLink's planning, including Management Ltd. (AltaLink), the transmission facilities owner the routing and siting of facilities, is in the early stages. Answers to your commonly asked questions

What is the cost of transmission Why is there a need for How does the AESO involve development in Alberta? transmission development? the public? For every $1 billion spent on transmission, Alberta’s transmission system is running The AESO consults with the public when the cost to the average residential close to capacity and there is congestion on we identify a need for new or upgraded consumer is about one dollar per month. the lines across the province. The backbone transmission lines, substations or other of the province’s transmission grid hasn’t equipment associated with the transmission The cost of transmission is paid by all seen a major investment in more than 20 system. In the case of the South and ratepayers based on their use of the years. Yet, over that same period, Alberta’s West of Edmonton Area Transmission transmission system. The approximate demand for electricity grew 80 per cent. Development project, the AESO mailed division of transmission system costs Upgrades and new developments are almost 50,000 information packages to is as follows: needed to expand the transmission system stakeholders throughout the area, which in order to connect new customers, meet included an invitation to the open houses. Industrial Commercial growing electricity demand, and maintain Open houses were also advertised in the overall reliability of the system now and 12 local newspapers. We held five open into the future. houses to explain the need for transmission system development. We also provided 61% 19% For the south and west of Edmonton information to and offered to meet directly area, transmission system development with municipal and provincial government Residential Farms is needed to meet a growing demand for representatives, community organizations, electricity due to residential, commercial large commercial stakeholders and a and industrial growth. There are already First Nation. 16% 4% constraints on the transmission system and the AESO forecasts that over the What is the AESO’s role and next 10 years demand for electricity in how do all the industry players Albertans pay for all infrastructure in this area will increase by approximately work together? the province, such as roads, hospitals 600 MW from the current demand of The AESO operates the provincial transmission and schools. The transmission system 2,199 MW. Transmission developments system so that all Albertans can count on is no different. The AESO considers are required to ensure the system has safe and reliable electricity to power our factors such as cost comparisons when sufficient capacity to reliably meet the homes and businesses each and every day. planning transmission development and growing demand. The AESO also carefully plans upgrades to the AUC reviews cost estimates submitted the system to ensure we keep pace with as part of the AESO’s application, and Alberta’s growing demand for power. as part of facility applications submitted by the TFO. Alberta’s demand for As a result of stakeholders’ questions, we electricity reached a record have developed a fact sheet to help explain The AESO acts in the public interest of the complex electricity industry and how Albertans and has no financial interest all-time high of 10,609 MW its players work together. Please visit or investment of any kind in the on January 16, 2012, breaking the www.poweringalberta.com/publications/ electricity industry. previous record set in 2009. and take a look at our Key Industry Where will the new lines and Players fact sheet. substations be located? Many stakeholders wanted more information on specific siting and routing of transmission facilities. These matters are the responsibility of the TFO, in this case AltaLink. AltaLink will be developing facility applications to submit to the AUC at a later date. These applications will include the development of detailed design, siting and routing. Additional public consultation will be required as part of this process. Once completed, detailed line routes and substation locations will be filed by AltaLink with the AUC for approval. The AESO’s Leduc open house was held on December 1, 2011. What happens now? Needs Identification Document (NID) Having consulted with the public and For more information on public involvement A Needs Identification Document considered the feedback, the AESO in the AUC application process, please describes either the conditions that will is preparing a Needs Identification visit http://www.auc.ab.ca/involving- affect the operation and performance Document (NID) to file with the AUC albertans/getting-involved/Pages/ of the transmission system or the outlining the need for transmission system FacilityApplicationProcess.aspx need to improve the efficiency of the development in the area south and west The NID will not include specific line transmission system, and indicates of Edmonton. routes or facility locations. Route how these will be addressed. The NID will be filed for approval by the selection and facility locations are the Siting of facilities and routing of AUC in mid-2012. Once the NID is filed, responsibility of AltaLink as the TFO transmission lines are determined it will be posted on the AESO website in the area and are a part of their facility later in the Regulatory Process. at http://www.aeso.ca/transmission/ applications. AltaLink is required 24626.html When the AUC considers to submit these applications to the AUC the NID is complete, they will issue a for approval. These applications will be Notice of Application inviting parties submitted after the AESO submits its NID to become involved in the process. to the AUC. As part of preparing these facility applications, AltaLink will consult with potentially affected stakeholders.

Regulatory Process

AESO Process Alberta Utilities Commission Process AESO Identifies Need for Transmission Development

AESO Consultation (Mailouts, Open Houses, Meetings)

AESO Applies to AUC Approval of Need For More for Approval of Need* Information

AESO directs the TFO We believe anyone potentially to file Facility Application affected by transmission planning should have the opportunity to participate in the process and TFO Process provide input. Should you have any questions, please contact: TFO Consultation, Detailed Design, Routing and Siting Megan Harris AESO Stakeholder Relations

EMAIL: TFO Applies to the AUC Approval of Siting and for Approval of Siting and [email protected] Routing, and to Construct Routing, and to Construct and Operate PHONE: and Operate 1-888-866-2959

ADDRESS: * Need for specified Critical Transmission Infrastructure projects are approved 2500, 330 – 5th Avenue SW by the Lieutenant Governor In Council (LGIC) Calgary, Alberta T2P 0L4

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