Power Plant – Expansion and Reconfiguration
Application
To meet the need identified by the Alberta Electric System Operator (“AESO”), EPCOR Distribution and Transmission Inc. (“EPCOR”) filed facility applications with the AUC requesting approval to expand and reconfigure the existing Genesee 330P Substation (the “Substation”) to allow for the connection of the Genesee Units 6 and 7 to the Alberta Interconnected Electric System (“AIES”).
Decision
The AUC approved the application from EPCOR to alter and operate the Genesee 330P Substation, Transmission Line 430L and Transmission Line 8L10.
Applicable Legislation
Alberta Utilities Commission Act, SA 2007, c A-37.2 – s. 17.
Hydro and Electric Energy Act, RSA 2000, c H-16 – ss. 14, 15, 19 and 21.
AEP Wetland Mitigation Directive
AUC Rule 001: Rules of Practice
AUC Rule 012: Noise Control
AUC Decision 26204-D01-2021: Capital Power Generation Services Inc. – Genesee Generating Station Units 1 and 2 Repowering Project
Pertinent Issues
EPCOR is the operator of Genesee 330P Substation. The Substation currently connects Genesee Generating Station Units (“Genesee Units”) 1 and 2 to the AIES. In a previous decision, the AUC approved the application from Capital Power Generation Services Inc. (“Capital Power”) to repower Genesee Units 1 and 2 by constructing and operating new natural gas-fired combustion turbine generators, Genesee Units 6 and 7. To connect the new Genesee Units 6 and 7 to the AIES, Capital Power filed system access service requests to the AESO. In response to the system access service requests, the AESO filed a needs identification document (“NID”) application with the AUC, requesting approval to modify the existing Genesee 330P Substation. The AUC granted NID approval. To meet the need identified by AESO, in this application EPCOR proposed to relocate parts of the 138-kilovolt (“kV”) infrastructure from the existing Substation to a substation expansion area to the west of the existing substation yard. The existing substation and expansion area would be connected through two 500-kV buses and four 138-kV transmission lines.
EPCOR received Water Act approval from Alberta Environment and Parks (“AEP”) in June 2022 for the proposed substation expansion project. As per AEP’s Wetland Mitigation Directive, EPCOR has paid wetland replacement fees. The AUC evaluated and accepted the mitigation measures proposed by EPCOR. Given the proposed mitigation measures, the AUC accepted that the proposed project’s environmental effects can be minimized and that there will be no significant adverse environmental effects.
