APPLICATION TO THE ALBERTA UTILITIES COMMISSION FOR A TIME EXTENSION TO COMPLETE CONSTRUCTION NORTHERN PRAIRIE POWER PROEJCT Prepared for: Grande Prairie Generation, Inc. 1005 Brandon Shores Road Baltimore, MD 21226 Submitted to: Alberta Utilities Commission Fifth Avenue Place 4th Floor, 425-1 Street S.W. Calgary, Alberta T2P 3L8 March 24, 2015 Grande Prairie Generation, Inc. March 2015 Northern Prairie Power Project AUC Rule 007 Power Plant Application TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 3 2.0 Schedule 1 Applicant General Information ..................................................................... 4 3.0 Other Applications .......................................................................................................... 5 3.1 Information Requirements .................................................................................... 5 3.2 Other Application Attachments ............................................................................. 7 Page 2 Grande Prairie Generation, Inc. March 2015 Northern Prairie Power Project AUC Rule 007 Power Plant Application INTRODUCTION Grande Prairie Generation, Inc. (GPG), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Exelon Corporation, owns and operates the Northern Prairie Power Plant (Power Plant). The Power Plant operates under Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC) Power Plant Approval U2017-218 and Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development (AESRD) Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act (EPEA) Approval Number 238762-00-02. A copy of Power Plant Approval U2007-218 is provided in Attachment A, a copy of AESRD EPEA Approval 238762-00-02 is provided in Attachment B. The Power Plant operates a General Electric (GE) Model MS7001/EA (Frame 7EA) natural gas-fired turbine. The turbine-generator has a nominal output of 85 MW. The turbine-generator is capable of generating 105 MW of electricity under its current configuration; however, constraints on the electric system limit the generator output to 99 MW. GPG has applied to the Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO) to remove the operating constraints. Authorization from AESO is expected in June 2015. Clause 2 of AUC Power Plant Approval U2007-218 specifies the Power Plant has a ‘total generating capacity’ of 85 MW. Once the generating constraints issued by AESO are removed, GPG is seeking authorization to operate the turbine-generator at the maximum generating capacity of 105 MW. As such, GPG is hereby applying under Section 10 of AUC Rule 007 to amend the Clause 2 of AUC Power Plant Approval U2007-218 to change total generating capacity from the existing 85 MW to 105 MW. The requested change is purely administrative in nature as there will be no change to the design of the Power Plant. The Power Plant is currently authorized under the EPEA Approval 238762-00-02 to emit up to 0.030 t/h of NOx. Furthermore, emissions from the turbine are required to remain within the limit of 0.3 kg/MWhoutput required by the Alberta Air Emissions Standards for Electricity Generation and AESRD EPEA Approval Number 238762-00-02. Emissions from the turbine will remain within the existing authorized emission limits. As such, the public and stakeholders will not be affected by this change. BACKGROUND The AESO recently posted on July 29, 2014 a revision to Information Document "Northwest Area Transmission Constraint Management ID # 2011-004R" that relates to Section 302.1 of the ISO Rules "Real Time Transmission Constraint Management". This latest revision eliminates the generation capacity limit at the Power Plant that was previously established for transmission congestion management. Furthermore, the Power Plant has undergone combustion controls tuning and is now capable of achieving a maximum capability of 105 MWs during periods when ambient temperatures are at or below -20 degrees Celsius. On August 14, 2014, GPG filed a System Access Service Request (SASR) Form formally increase the contract capacity of an existing system access service agreement for the Power Plant. GPG requested to increase the Supply Transmission Service (STS) to 105 MW. GPG is now seeking to amend the total generating capacity identified in AUC Power Plant Approval U2007-218 to reflect the unconstrained maximum generating capacity of the turbine-generator of 105 MW, as reflected in the SASR. Copies of the SASR documents, along with the Connection Plan and Connection System Study, are provided in Attachment C. Page 3 Grande Prairie Generation, Inc. March 2015 Northern Prairie Power Project AUC Rule 007 Power Plant Application SCHEDULE 1 APPLICANT GENERAL INFORMATION Part 1: Applicant Information Company Name Grande Prairie Generation, Inc. Contact Name Karen Hunt Telephone/Fax (610) 765-6784 / (610) 765-5980 Email Address [email protected] Mailing Address 300 Exelon Way, Kennett Square, Pa 19348 Part 2: Project Overview Application description Grande Prairie Generation, Inc. (GPG), a wholly owned subsidiary of Exelon Corporation, hereby applying under Section 10 of AUC Rule 007 to amend the Clause 2 of AUC Power Plant Approval U2007-218 to change total generating capacity from the existing 85 MW to 105 MW. Are there any other AUC applications directly No. related to this application? Part 3: Application Types 1. Identify what this application is for Application Category Electric Power Plant Application Type Application Type: Stipulation - Facility 2. Is this application for a power plant less than No. 1 MW? Page 4 Grande Prairie Generation, Inc. March 2015 Northern Prairie Power Project AUC Rule 007 Power Plant Application 10.0 OTHER APPLICATIONS 10.1 INFORMATION REQUIREMENTS OTH1) Identify the sections of the Hydro and Electric Energy Act and Hydro and Electric Energy Regulation under which the application is made. This application is made pursuant to Section 19 of the Hydro and Electric Energy Act. OTH2) State the approvals that are being applied for from the Commission. Grande Prairie Generation, Inc. (GPG) hereby submits this application to the Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC) to amend the Clause 2 of AUC Power Plant Approval U2007-218 to change total generating capacity from the existing 85 MW to 105 MW. OTH3) Provide a list of existing approvals for facilities directly affected by the application, if any. A copy of AUC Power Plant Approval is provided in Attachment A. GPG also owns and operate the Lowe Lake Substation 944S, which operates under AUC Substation Permit and Licence No. U2007- 220. The requested change will not result in any changes to the design or operation of the Lowe Lake Substation 944S. OTH4) For a minor alteration, provide details regarding the work being proposed. Not applicable. GPG is not proposing any changes to the design of the Power Plant. OTH5) Provide a list of companies that may be affected by the project, confirm that these companies have no concerns regarding the application, and indicate which other agreements are necessary to carry out the project. Not applicable. The requested change is purely administrative in nature as there will be no change to the design of the Power Plant. The Power Plant is currently authorized under the EPEA Approval 238762-00-02 to emit up to 0.030 t/h of NOx. Furthermore, emissions from the turbine are required to remain within the limit of 0.3 kg/MWhoutput required by the Alberta Air Emissions Standards for Electricity Generation and AESRD EPEA Approval Number 238762-00-02. Emissions from the turbine will remain within the existing authorized emission limits. As such, the public and stakeholders will not be affected by this change. OTH6) Describe the participant involvement program that has been conducted, if any. Not applicable. GPG believes that a participant involvement program is not necessary to be conducted since the change being requested is administrative in nature and that there will not be any change to the design of the Power Plant. Page 5 Grande Prairie Generation, Inc. March 2015 Northern Prairie Power Project AUC Rule 007 Power Plant Application OTH7) List all occupants, residents and landowners, as well as other interested parties that were contacted as part of the participant involvement program, if any. Not applicable. The requested change is purely administrative in nature as there will be no change to the design of the Power Plant. The Power Plant is currently authorized under the EPEA Approval 238762-00-02 to emit up to 0.030 t/h of NOx. Furthermore, emissions from the turbine are required to remain within the limit of 0.3 kg/MWhoutput required by the Alberta Air Emissions Standards for Electricity Generation and AESRD EPEA Approval Number 238762-00-02. Emissions from the turbine will remain within the existing authorized emission limits. As such, the public and stakeholders will not be affected by this change. OTH8) If potentially directly and adversely affected persons raised any concerns, describe how the concerns were dealt with or will be dealt with. Not applicable. No participant involvement program was required to be conducted. OTH9) For a change of ownership application, the applicant shall provide details of the ownership structure, including providing the names of all companies having an ownership interest in the project and their ownership share, and if applicable, the name of the operator, for the facilities for which they are seeking to acquire the approval, permit or license. The details should include confirmation of whether and in which of