Rates – Electricity
Application
Peace River Energy Project Inc. (“PREP”) applied for approval to construct and operate the 4.99-megawatt (“MW”) Peace River Energy Project solar power plant (the “Project”), located approximately 1.1 kilometers west of Peace River. PREP also applied to connect the Project to ATCO Electric Ltd.’s 25-kilovolt distribution system.
Decision
The AUC approved PREP’s applications, finding the approval in the public interest.
Pertinent Issues
The AUC determined that the information requirements in Rule 007: Applications for Power Plants, Substations, Transmission Lines, Industrial System Designations, Hydro Developments and Gas Utility Pipelines (“Rule 007”) were met and that the participant involvement program for the Project met the requirements of Rule 007.
In its participant involvement program, PREP identified an objecting resident. In communications with this resident, PREP committed to install a vegetative screen to reduce the visual impacts of the Project at the stakeholder’s residence. The AUC expressed an expectation that PREP will uphold its commitments. The AUC noted that it did not receive any submissions in response to its notice of application, which indicated that stakeholders have no outstanding concerns about the Project.
The AUC was satisfied that the Project’s environmental and agricultural effects were either minor in nature or can be mitigated to an acceptable degree. Overall, the AUC found that the proposed lands, mitigations and potential dual use commitments adequately addressed the agricultural considerations.
The AUC was satisfied with PREP’s commitment to establish a reclamation reserve account with the land lease owner as beneficiary and set aside the reclamation security in a reclamation account in the last 10 years of the Project life.
The AUC did not have any concerns with the preliminary emergency response measures, site monitoring and communication protocols.
The AUC found that the noise impact assessment summary submitted by PREP met the requirements of Rule 012: Noise Control (“Rule 012”) and accepted the conclusion that noise from the Project will comply with the permissible sound levels.
The AUC accepted that, given the small size of the Project and the nature of the surrounding landscape, the Project was expected to have a very limited overall impact on the identified viewscapes.
The AUC imposed conditions of approval regarding annual post-construction monitoring, solar glare and the final project update.
