Electricity – Facilities
Application
Greencells Indygen Alberta Ltd. (“Greencells”) applied for approval to construct and operate the 200-megawatt Eustary Solar Power Plant and the Eustary Solar 1006S Substation (the “Project”). Greencells also applied to connect the Project to the Alberta Interconnect Electric System (“AIES”).
Decision
The AUC approved Greencells’ application to construct and operate the Project, subject to the requirement to alter the Project to maintain a 30-metre setback from Class III and higher wetlands. The AUC denied the interconnection application as premature because the transmission facility operator had not applied for approval of the required transmission line.
Pertinent Issues
The solar power plant will consist of solar photovoltaic panels with a height of 0.8 – 1.56 metres above ground supported with fixed-tilt racking. The substation will include one 138/34.5-kilovolt (“kV”), 240-megavolt ampere transformer, and one 138-kV circuit breaker.
The AUC determined that Greencells’ application complied with applicable rules and that the Project will comply with applicable rules and legislation. The AUC found it appropriate to assess Greencells’ interconnection application at a later time, as no application for the facilities to connect the Project to the AIES had been filed at the time of the proceeding.
Based on Greencells’ environmental evaluation, the AUC determined that Greencells should apply a 30-metre setback to all Class III+ wetlands, to mitigate the high environmental risk identified by Alberta Environment and Protected Areas as a result of the Project and file an updated site plan showing the changes.
The AUC also imposed conditions of approval in relation to solar glare, specifying the finalized equipment selection for the Project and annual post-construction monitoring survey reports.
