Construction is underway on the Eastern Alberta Transmission Line (EATL) project. Three laydown yards have been set up for the project in Duchess, Ryley and Forestburg and materials have been arriving since late 2012. Construction started in December of 2012 and work got underway in Paintearth County and Special Areas No.2 in March. As materials arrive on the construction site, towers are assembled on the ground. This will be followed by the installation of foundations and the erection of the towers on site by crane. Work on the converter stations is set to begin in May. Stringing of the line is expected to start in the summer of 2013 with the facilities scheduled to be in-service late 2014.

For more information on the EATL construction activities, view the Project Update mailed to landowners in January 2013.

The Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC) approved the Eastern Alberta Transmission Line on November 15, 2012.  The Decision is available on the AUC website.

Progress to date on the Eastern Alberta Transmission Line:
ATCO Electric filed a Facility Application with the Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC) for the Eastern Alberta Transmission Line that was registered effective March 29, 2011. The Application includes a proposed 500 kilovolt (kV) Direct Current (DC) transmission line and two converter stations and associated facilities located in the Gibbons-Redwater and Brooks areas.

A process decision was issued May 31, 2011, outlining the AUC process schedule including a public hearing to begin January 16, 2012.

From June 7 to 16, 2011, ATCO Electric hosted Information Sessions on the Eastern Alberta Transmission Line regarding construction practices, agricultural and environmental considerations for landowners and occupants on the preferred or alternative routes. In total 168 people attended the sessions held in Bruderheim, Mundare, Forestburg, Brooks, Hanna and Holden. To view the displays and information available at these sessions click on the virtual information session below.

An update on the project was mailed to landowners and interested parties in August & October 2011.

On October 21, 2011, the Alberta Utilities Commission, in response to a request from the Alberta government, announced it had suspended the regulatory process and hearings for the two proposed north-south critical transmission lines including ATCO Electric’s Eastern Alberta Transmission Line (EATL) to conduct a review.

In December, the Government of Alberta appointed a panel of experts, the Critical Transmission Review Committee (CTRC), to review the two north-south lines. The CTRC report, outlining its recommendations, was submitted to the Minister of Energy, on February 10, 2012. On February 23, the Government announced that it had accepted all of the recommendations of the CTRC and subsequently requested the AUC to resume its review of the facility application.

In March, a Project Update was mailed to approximately 2700 landowners and interested parties to advise that the regulatory process on EATL had resumed and the hearing is scheduled to commence July 23, 2012.

Since filing the Application, in consultation with landowners, ATCO Electric identified some minor route adjustments that were filed with the AUC as amendments to the Application in the spring of 2012.

The Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC) public hearing for the Eastern Alberta Transmission Line commenced in Stettler on July 23, 2012 and the oral hearing concluded on August 10. The AUC approved the application November 15, 2012 and construction is scheduled to begin at the end of 2012 or early 2013. ATCO Electric is continuing to negotiate agreements with landowners for right-of-way and early access to conduct preliminary surveying and engineering activities.

Regular updates will be posted to our website or you can call 1-866-650-2463 for more information.For more information on the AUC process or to view the Application or decision please visit the AUC website at www.auc.ab.ca.

View our Information Session Materials

ATCO Electric hosted a series of six Information Sessions on the Eastern Alberta Transmission Line in June 2011, to share construction practices and agricultural and environmental considerations on the preferred or alternative routes with landowners and occupants. If you were unable to attend an information session, you can view the information that was on display in our virtual information session below.

Background

The Government of Alberta has confirmed the need for new critical transmission infrastructure to meet Alberta's long-term electricity demand. To help meet this need, ATCO Electric has been directed by the Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO) to prepare a Facility Application for the construction of a 500 kV transmission line. If approved by the AUC, this transmission line will be built along a corridor between the Edmonton and Calgary areas on the eastern side of the province.

The Eastern Alberta Transmission Line will be approximately 500 km in length and connect a hub in the Gibbons-Redwater area northeast of Edmonton to a southeast hub in the Brooks area. A converter station wil be constructed at each end of the line to convert power from AC to DC and back again.

Another transmission facility owner has been directed to plan a similar line on the western side of the province. These two HVDC lines are part of the AESO's Long-term Transmission System Plan, identifying top-priority critical transmission infrastructure projects in Alberta.

ATCO Electric's public consultation on the Eastern Alberta Transmission Line began in the spring of 2010. In June, project information packages were mailed to landowners and interested parties and 14 open houses were hosted in the summer of 2010 to provide more information on the Project. Approximately 7,000 one-on-one consultations were conducted on the preliminary route options from June to December.

In January 2011, a preferred route, alternative route and converter station sites were announced and consultation began with over 2,400 landowners, occupants and interested parties. On March 25, 2011, following a review of the feedback received, ATCO Electric filed its Facility Application with the AUC.