APPENDIX D AESO PARTICIPANT INVOLVEMENT PROGRAM 138 kV Transmission System Reinforcement in Downtown Calgary Needs Identification Document 1.0 Participant Involvement Program From August 2014 to November 2015, the AESO conducted a Participant Involvement Program (“PIP”) to assist in preparing its 138 kV Transmission System Reinforcement in Downtown Calgary Needs Identification Document (“Application”) in accordance with the requirements of NID14 and Appendix A2 of Alberta Utilities Commission Rule 007: Applications for Power Plants, Substations, Transmission Lines, Industrial System Designations and Hydro Developments. 1.1 Stakeholder Notification The AESO’s PIP was designed to notify and provide information to stakeholders in the area where the AESO determined that transmission facilities could be installed to implement the AESO’s preferred option to meet the identified need (“Notification Area”). Specifically, occupants, residents and landowners within the Notification Area, as well as the following government bodies, agencies and other stakeholder groups were notified by the AESO (collectively, “Stakeholders”):1 MLA, Honourable Jonathon Denis, Councillor Peter Demong, Ward 14 Calgary-Acadia (August 2014 Newsletter) Fort Calgary MLA, Ms. Brandy Payne, Calgary-Acadia Calgary Stampede (October 2015 Newsletter) Prince’s Island Park MLA, Kent Hehr Calgary Buffalo Calgary Chamber of Commerce (August 2014 Newsletter) Calgary Downtown Association MLA, Honourable Kathleen Ganley, Cliff Bungalow - Mission Community Calgary-Buffalo (October 2015 Association Newsletter) Beltline Community Association MLA, Wayne Cao Calgary-Fort Downtown Commercial Core Community (August 2014 Newsletter) Association MLA, Honourable Joe Ceci, Calgary-Fort Downtown West Community Association (October 2015 Newsletter) Downtown East Village Community Councillor Druh Farrell, Ward 7 Association Councillor Evan Woolley, Ward 8 Eau Claire Community Association Councillor Gian-Carlo Carra, Ward 9 Erlton Community Association 1 Stakeholders that received only one of the newsletters are noted; all others received both newsletters Alberta Electric System Operator 1 November 2015 Ramsay Community Association City of Calgary - Transportation Planning Office of the Mayor – Mayor Nenshi Department City of Calgary - Office of the Councillors City of Calgary - Transportation City of Calgary - City Manager Infrastructure Department City of Calgary - Land Use Planning & City of Calgary - Calgary Transit Policy Department Calgary Municipal Land Corporation Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd. The AESO’s PIP activities are more fully described below. 1.1.1 AESO Newsletters In August 2014, the AESO mailed its newsletter titled Downtown Calgary Transmission Reinforcement through direct unaddressed mail via postal code to all occupants, residents and landowners in the Notification Area. Additionally, the AESO mailed this newsletter directly to the government agencies and other organizations listed in Section 1.1.2 The newsletter was also posted to the AESO website at www.aeso.ca/downtowncalgary and a notice was published in the AESO Stakeholder Newsletter3 on August 19, 2014. Copies of the newsletter and the AESO Stakeholder Newsletter posting are included in Attachments 1 and 2, respectively. In October 2015, the AESO issued a Stakeholder Update newsletter, titled Downtown Calgary Transmission Reinforcement - Stakeholder Update, to notify the Stakeholders of its revised preferred option to use a lower voltage, 138 kV instead of 240 kV, transmission line to address the identified need. The Notification Area was unaffected by the changes in the AESO’s preferred option. On October 9, 2015, this newsletter was mailed to all occupants, residents and landowners in the Notification Area through direct unaddressed mail via postal code. Further, the AESO mailed the newsletter directly to the government agencies and other organizations listed in Section 1.14, as well as to everyone who had requested to be kept informed following the notification mailed in August 2014. The newsletter was posted to the AESO website at www.aeso.ca/downtowncalgary on October 13, 2015, and a notice was published in the AESO Stakeholder Newsletter on October 20, 2015. Copies of the newsletter and the 2 Those listed in Section 1.1 as receiving the October 2015 Newsletter did not receive the August 2014 Newsletter. 3 The AESO’s twice-weekly Stakeholder Newsletter is offered by subscription to anyone that would like to receive it distributed via e-mail. 4 Those listed in Section 1.1 as receiving the August 2014 Newsletter did not receive the October 2015 Newsletter. Alberta Electric System Operator 2 November 2015 AESO Stakeholder Newsletter posting are included in Attachments 5 and 6, respectively. 1.1.2 Open Houses The AESO hosted four open houses at various locations in Calgary, as described in the table below. Date Location Time September 9, 2014 Fort Calgary – JOW Gallery 2 p.m. - 7 p.m. 750 – 9 Avenue SE September 10, 2014 Blackfoot Hotel – Heritage Room 2 p.m. - 7 p.m. 5940 Blackfoot Trail SE September 16, 2014 Hotel Arts – Spectrum 1 / 2 Room 2 p.m. - 7 p.m. 119 – 12 Avenue SW September 18, 2014 Sheraton Suites Eau Claire Hotel 2 p.m. - 7 p.m. Wildrose North Ballroom 255 Barclay Parade SW These open houses were advertised in the August 2014 newsletter as well as in the following local publications for three consecutive weeks. Publications Dates Calgary Herald September 3, 2014 September 9, 2014 September 16, 2014 Calgary Sun September 3, 2014 September 9, 2014 September 16, 2014 A copy of the advertisement for the open houses was posted to the AESO website www.aeso.ca/downtowncalgary. A copy of the final proof has been included as Attachment 3 and a notice was published in the AESO Stakeholder Newsletter on September 4, 2014. A copy of the AESO’s Stakeholder Newsletter posting has been included as Attachment 4. AESO personnel were available at the open houses to discuss the need for the transmission system reinforcement in the downtown Calgary area, answer questions, and arrange for follow-up discussions, as necessary. The August 2014 newsletter was available at these open houses. Representatives from ENMAX Power Corporation (“ENMAX”), in its capacity as the owner of transmission facilities in the area, were also Alberta Electric System Operator 3 November 2015 available at the open houses to discuss the routing and siting process that will occur at the next stage of the transmission development process. A virtual open house was also available between September 9, 2014 and September 18, 2014 on the AESO’s public engagement website at www.poweringalberta.com 1.2 Public Notification of Application Filing Advertisement Most recently, the AESO advertised its intention to file the Application in both the Calgary Herald and Calgary Sun newspapers on November 3, 2015. A copy of the final proof has been included as Attachment 7. This document was posted to the AESO website at www.aeso.ca/downtowncalgary and a notice was published in the AESO Stakeholder Newsletter on November 3, 2015. A copy of the AESO Stakeholder Newsletter posting has been included as Attachment 8. 1.3 Opportunities to Directly Contact the AESO To ensure that Stakeholders had the opportunity to provide feedback, the AESO also provided Stakeholders with a dedicated, toll-free telephone line (1-888-866-2959) and a dedicated email address ([email protected]). AESO contact information, along with the AESO’s mailing address (2500, 330 5th Ave. SW, Calgary) and website address (www.aeso.ca), and a privacy statement that describes how the AESO is committed to protecting Stakeholders’ privacy, were included in the August 2014 and October 2015 newsletters. 1.4 Stakeholder Inquiries The AESO has responded to all email and telephone inquiries received directly from Stakeholders. These inquiries generally involved questions regarding the regulatory process for transmission development, as well as specific transmission facilities matters, such as routing, siting and potential construction impacts. All inquiries were answered and addressed by the AESO in a timely manner. No follow-up inquiries or questions were received. The AESO has not received any objections, or indication of concern, from any Stakeholder or other party regarding the need for transmission system reinforcement in the downtown Calgary area, or the AESO’s preferred transmission development to meet the identified need. Alberta Electric System Operator 4 November 2015 1.5 List of Attachments Attachment 1 - AESO Newsletter - Downtown Calgary Transmission Reinforcement (August 2014) Attachment 2 - AESO Stakeholder Newsletter Posting (August 19, 2014) Attachment 3 - AESO Open House Advertisement – Final Proof (September 2014) Attachment 4 - AESO Stakeholder Newsletter Posting (September 4, 2014) Attachment 5 - AESO Stakeholder Update Newsletter - Downtown Calgary Transmission Reinforcement – Stakeholder Update (October 2015) Attachment 6 - AESO Stakeholder Newsletter Posting (October 20, 2015) Attachment 7 - Public Notification of Application Filing Advertisement – Final Proof (November 3, 2015) Attachment 8 - AESO Stakeholder Newsletter Posting (November 3, 2015) Alberta Electric System Operator 5 November 2015 Attachment 1 – AESO Newsletter - Downtown Calgary Transmission Reinforcement (August 2014) Alberta Electric System Operator 1456 November 2015 Foothills Area TransmissionDowntown Calgary Development TransmissionSouth Calgary Reinforcement