Electricity – Facilities
Application
ATCO Electric Ltd. (“AE”) applied for approval to construct and operate a new transmission line, a transmission line alteration and a connection to the approved Kiwetinohk Opal Gas Project.
Decision
The AUC approved the facility application, issuing the necessary permits and licences.
Pertinent Issues
- Kiwetinohk Energy Corp. (“KEC”) received approval from the AUC to construct and operate a 101.133-megawatt power plant designated as the Opal Power Plant, including an associated substation, located approximately 1.3 kilometres (“km”) south of the town of Fox Creek.
- The AESO issued a letter of approval for the need for transmission development to respond to the system access service request from KEC and directed AE to file a facility application with the AUC. This application was filed in response to the AESO direction.
The AUC found that AE’s application complied with the information requirements prescribed in Rule 007: Applications for Power Plants, Substations, Transmission Lines, Industrial System Designations, Hydro Developments and Gas Utility Pipelines (“Rule 007”) and that the proposed development was consistent with meeting the approved need and the requirements of the AESO’s functional specification.
The AUC found that the participant involvement program for the proposed project met the requirements of Rule 007 and was satisfied that there were no outstanding concerns. The AUC accepted that project-related residual effects on the environment were anticipated to be minimal and with no significant adverse effects, provided that AE implemented the applicable standards and project-specific mitigation, including industry best practices.
Consequently, the AUC found the approval of the proposed development in the public interest having regard to the social, economic, and other effects of the proposed facilities, including their effect on the environment.
