AESO receives regulatory approval for transmission reinforcements in Hanna region

Friday, Apr 30, 2020

CALGARY, April 29 /CNW/ — CALGARY, April 29 /CNW/ – The Alberta Electric
System Operator (AESO) received approval for its plan to reinforce
electricity transmission throughout east central Alberta, allowing for the
connection of up to 700 megawatts (MW) of wind power and supply forecasted
demand of about 970 MW.

The regulatory approval was announced earlier today by the Alberta
Utilities Commission (AUC) when they accepted the AESO’s preferred
alternative to construct a single extended 240 kilovolt (kV) alternating
current (AC) looped system.

“We are pleased with the AUC’s approval of our application,” says Shan
Bhattacharya, AESO Vice-President of Transmission. “This reinforcement
will provide a transmission highway to wind farms spread over a wide
geographic area throughout east central Alberta while at the same time,
meeting demand for electricity caused by industrial development in the
area.”

The AESO estimates the total cost of this project to be approximately $1
billion. It will be developed in two stages; stage I is targeted to be in
service by 2012, and stage II is targeted to be in service by 2017.

Alberta currently has 629 MW of wind power connected to the Alberta
electric system representing about five per cent of the total installed
capacity of 12,502 MW.

As an independent system operator, the AESO leads the safe, reliable and
economic planning and operation of Alberta’s interconnected power system.
The AESO also facilitates Alberta’s fair, efficient and openly competitive
wholesale electricity market, which has about 200 participants and
approximately $5 billion in annual energy transactions (in 2009).

Source: Canada Newswire