Noise Control – Deferred Facility Status
Application
Pursuant to Alberta Utilities Commission (“AUC”) Approval 28306-D02-2023 (“Approval”), Northstone Power Corp. (“Northstone”) is the operator of the Elmworth Generation Station power plant (“EGS”). The Approval was subject to a condition that prohibits the operation of the EGS between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. (“Nighttime Restriction”). Northstone applied to remove the Nighttime Restriction and to implement mitigation at the EGS that will reduce the noise associated with future modifications to equipment to remain compliant with Rule 012: Noise Control (“Rule 012“).
Decision
The AUC approved the application from Northstone, subject to conditions.
Pertinent Issues
Northstone submitted that, after the removal of the Nighttime Restriction, the power plant was still expected to comply with Rule 012 in its current configuration and that the Nighttime Restriction was causing a significant financial loss because pool prices during the night-time hours have been at record highs and were expected to continue above historical levels.
The AUC considered whether the removal of the Nighttime Restriction was in the public interest, including compliance with Rule 012, the adequacy of the participant involvement program (“PIP”), the potential environmental effects and the additional mitigation to accommodate future equipment changes.
The AUC approved Northstone’s application for the following reasons: other energy-related facilities in the project area were the dominant sound source; the noise impact of the EGS operation at nearby residences was predicted to be negligible relative to the noise impact of the other energy-related facilities; stakeholders did not have outstanding concerns; and no adverse environmental effects were expected since the EGS would continue to comply with ambient air quality objectives during the nighttime operation. The AUC also approved Northstone’s proposal to implement noise mitigation for one unit at the EGS.
The AUC imposed conditions of approval on Northstone in relation to the following: inform the AUC and submit a report regarding any noise complaints; file a report with the AUC after the first year of operation regarding any noise complaints received; implement the noise mitigation measures by the end of 2024; and for any future equipment modifications that may increase noise levels, Northstone must file an amendment application with the AUC.
