Decision 25690-D01-2020 (Corrigenda) Barlow Solar Park Ltd. Corrigenda to Decision 25690-D01-2020 Barlow Solar Park November 16, 2020 Alberta Utilities Commission Decision 25690-D01-2020 (Corrigenda) Barlow Solar Park Ltd. Barlow Solar Park Proceeding 25690 Application 25690-A001 November 16, 2020 Published by the: Alberta Utilities Commission Eau Claire Tower, 1400, 600 Third Avenue S.W. Calgary, Alberta T2P 0G5 Telephone: 310-4AUC (in Alberta) 1-833-511-4AUC (outside Alberta) Fax: 403-592-4406 Website: www.auc.ab.ca Alberta Utilities Commission Calgary, Alberta Decision 25690-D01-2020 (Corrigenda) Barlow Solar Park Ltd. Proceeding 25690 Barlow Solar Park Application 25690-A001 1. On October 14, 2020, the Alberta Utilities Commission issued Decision 25690-D01-20201 approving the application from Barlow Solar Park Ltd. to construct and operate a 27-megawatt solar power plant, designated as the Barlow Solar Park, in the city of Calgary (the project). 2. In Decision 25690-D01-2020, the Commission included a condition of approval related to Rule 033: Post approval Monitoring Requirements for Wind and Solar Power Plants. The condition was imposed in error because Alberta Environment and Parks did not prepare a renewable energy referral report for the project given its specific circumstances and it neither required nor recommended post-construction monitoring. 3. Decision 25690-D01-2020 also stated in error that ENMAX Power Corporation had “… confirmed its willingness to connect the power plant to ENMAX’s 25-kilovolt electric distribution system provided that Barlow Solar can demonstrate compliance with applicable rules, standards and ENMAX’s interconnection requirements.” No connection voltage was stipulated by ENMAX. 4. Section 48.3 of Rule 001: Rules of Practice, states that “[t]he Commission may issue a Corrigenda decision to correct an error in a decision or order that is not in the nature of a typographical, spelling, calculation error or other similar type of error.” 5. Decision 25690-D01-2020 has been amended to remove the Rule 033 condition as well as the specific reference to ENMAX’s 25-kilovolt distribution system. Dated on November 16, 2020. Alberta Utilities Commission (original signed by) Carolyn Hutniak Commission Member 1 Decision 25690-D01-2020: Barlow Solar Park Ltd. – Barlow Solar Park, Proceeding 25690, Application 25690-A001, October 14, 2020. Decision 25690-D01-2020 (Corrigenda) (November 16, 2020) 1 Decision 25690-D01-2020 Barlow Solar Park Ltd. Barlow Solar Park October 14, 2020 Alberta Utilities Commission Decision 25690-D01-2020 Barlow Solar Park Ltd. Barlow Solar Park Proceeding 25690 Application 25690-A001 October 14, 2020 Published by the: Alberta Utilities Commission Eau Claire Tower 1400, 600 Third Avenue S.W. Calgary, Alberta T2P 0G5 Telephone: 310-4AUC (310-4282) in Alberta 1-833-511-4AUC (1-833-511-4282) outside Alberta Email: [email protected] Website: www.auc.ab.ca The Commission may, within 30 days of the date of this decision and without notice, correct typographical, spelling and calculation errors and other similar types of errors and post the corrected decision on its website. Contents 1 Decision summary ................................................................................................................. 1 2 Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 1 3 Discussion ............................................................................................................................... 1 4 Findings .................................................................................................................................. 4 5 Decision .................................................................................................................................. 6 Appendix A – Summary of Commission conditions of approval ............................................. 7 List of figures Figure 1: Barlow Solar Park location .......................................................................................... 2 Decision 25690-D01-2020 (October 14, 2020) i Alberta Utilities Commission Calgary, Alberta Decision 25690-D01-2020 Barlow Solar Park Ltd. Proceeding 25690 Barlow Solar Park Application 25690-A001 1 Decision summary 1. In this decision, the Alberta Utilities Commission considers whether to approve an application from Barlow Solar Park Ltd. (Barlow Solar) to construct and operate a 27-megawatt solar power plant in the city of Calgary, designated as the Barlow Solar Park, and to connect the power plant to the Alberta Interconnected Electric System, (collectively, the project). After consideration of the record of the proceeding, and for the reasons outlined in this decision, the Commission finds that approval of the project is in the public interest having regard to the social, economic, and other effects of the project, including its effect on the environment. 2 Introduction 2. On June 25, 2020, Barlow Solar filed an application with the AUC seeking approval for the project pursuant to sections 11 and 18 of the Hydro and Electric Energy Act. 3. The Commission issued a notice of application for the project and received one statement of intent to participate from Randy Cusson. For the reasons expressed in its September 8, 2020 ruling, the Commission denied standing to Mr. Cusson and determined that it would not hold a public hearing to further consider his concerns. 3 Discussion 4. Barlow Solar stated that the project would be located on previously disturbed land within the city of Calgary, west of Barlow Trail S.E. and north of 114th Avenue S.E., on the southeast quarter of Section 16, Township 23, Range 29, west of the Fourth Meridian, as shown in the map below. Decision 25690-D01-2020 (October 14, 2020) 1 Barlow Solar Park Barlow Solar Park Ltd. Figure 1: Barlow Solar Park location 5. The project would consist of approximately 100,000 solar panels grouped into approximately 1,500 rack-mounted fixed-tilt solar panel tables, 10 inverters, five transformer stations with medium voltage step-up transformers, a collector system, an on-site electrical building, an access road, a small area for construction or temporary laydown and storage, and a perimeter fence. Barlow Solar stated it had not yet finalized the specifics of the solar photovoltaic panels, the inverters and transfer stations or the final layout. The power plant would have a gross generation capability of 27 megawatts. 6. Barlow Solar filed a letter from ENMAX Power Corporation wherein ENMAX confirmed its willingness to connect the power plant to ENMAX’s distribution system provided that Barlow Solar can demonstrate compliance with applicable rules, standards and ENMAX’s interconnection requirements.1 7. Barlow Solar submitted a glare analysis report for the project prepared by Stantec Consulting Ltd. Stantec’s assessment considered the potential for glare impacts from the solar park on nearby receptors along Deerfoot Trail S.E, Barlow Trail S.E., 114th Avenue S.E. and flight paths to and from Calgary International Airport. Stantec predicted that Barlow Trail S.E., 114th Avenue S.E. and the flight paths would not experience any glare. Stantec identified two observation points along Deerfoot Trail S.E. that could receive up to 1,665 minutes of yellow-grade solar glare per year.2 However, Stantec concluded that due to the existence of buildings between the solar park and Deerfoot Trail S.E, the fact that drivers on Deerfoot Trail S.E. are at a lower elevation than the solar park and that there would be a perimeter fence surrounding the solar park, the potential for yellow-grade glare would be extremely low. Further, any glare would be far from the observer’s centre of vision and could be mitigated. Stantec 1 Exhibit 25690-X0027, Appendix1_EPC_Letter_Interconnection_Agreement_BarlowSolar_20200916. 2 Exhibit 25690-X0018, Glare Analysis, PDF page 15, Table 9. Decision 25690-D01-2020 (October 14, 2020) 2 Barlow Solar Park Barlow Solar Park Ltd. concluded that the solar park would pose a negligible potential for hazardous glare conditions for all the receptors it assessed. 8. Barlow Solar stated that the solar panels would have anti-reflective coating and any glare issues caused by the project could be addressed by selectively adjusting the angle of the solar panels on the southernmost row of the solar park or by installing screening within the project boundary. 9. Barlow Solar retained Stantec to prepare an environmental evaluation of the project (the environmental evaluation). The environmental evaluation stated that the project has been developed in accordance with the South Saskatchewan Regional Plan and is not located within any of the conservation areas or provincial recreation areas established in the plan.3 The environmental evaluation concluded that the potential adverse effects of the project can be mitigated with the implementation of the project-specific mitigation measures outlined in the environmental evaluation along with industry best management practices and that the residual adverse effects of the project are expected to be not significant. 10. Alberta Environment and Parks (AEP) determined that because the project would be located within an urban area, the Wildlife Directive for Alberta Solar Energy Projects (the directive) is not applicable and accordingly, a renewable energy referral report was not required. 4 Although the directive does not apply to the project, Barlow Solar stated that it consulted