Transmission

Getting Transmission Built: What changes under Bill 50?

Presently, in order to build a transmission project, two approvals are required from the AUC.  The first is in response to a needs application filed by the AESO and the second is in response to a facility or siting application that described the specific location of the transmission line.

Bill 50, the Electric Statutes Amendment Act, proposes to approve the need for critical transmission infrastructure.  Additional transmission lines are required to meet Alberta’s electricity needs.

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Do you have questions about public involvement?

Will landowners have an opportunity to share their input into where lines are located? Will there be consultation?
Have any consultations been done? 
When will decisions be made? What do I need to know about getting involved? 
What about cost? Can I provide my input on how transmission rates are determined?
Who is directly and adversely affected?
When is landowner compensation determined?
Read all the frequently asked questions about consultation or transmission.  

 Consultation

The Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO), the province's electricity system planner will be required to carry out consultation during the preparation of their plans. 

The Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC),the provinicial regulator, requires transmission facility owners, the companies that build, own and operate transmission infrastructure to carry out consultations before submitting an application for a transmission project.  

Consultation takes many forms including open houses, town halls, small and large group meetings and/or one-on-one sessions.

 Notice

Once a facility application is received by the AUC, Albertans who may be directly and adversely affected are notified by mail. Notice is also typically published in local newspapers. The notice provides information about the public hearings including key dates, contacts and information on how Albertans may participate in the hearing process.

 Public Hearings

Directly and adversely affected Albertans are able to participate in public hearing on transmission facilities.  The public hearing process is an opportunity for directly and adversely affected Albertans to express their views to the AUC. The AUC decides who is eligible to participate.

The AUC conducts hearings in a similar manner to a court proceeding. The hearing is open to the general public.

 Frequently Asked Questions

Will landowners have an opportunity to share their input into where lines are located? Will there be consultation?

Yes, the Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC), requires consultation on all transmission projects siting. Please see AUC Rule 007 for public involvement requirements.

Directly and adversely affected landowners will continue to have rights to be heard by the AUC during the public hearing process that will be held for the siting of transmission projects. These are the hearings at which the AUC determines the specific route for transmission lines or locations for substations.

This hearing process starts after a facilities application has been filed. No facilities applications have been filed for the five critical transmission infrastructure projects.

Have any consultations been done? 

Yes, the following is an overview of the Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO) consultations to date.  

General consultations

In 2007 and 2008, the Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO) carried out almost 300 consultations and meetings to obtain input from Albertans. There were 92 open houses held with more than 2,500 attendees. Over a million copies of the Powering Albertans magazine were distributed to all homes in Alberta. AESO attended 48 meetings with small groups and made 148 presentations to municipalities.

In 2009, additional consultations and meeting were held by the AESO and transmission facility owners. More than 4,800 individuals attended these 2009 consultations.

In July and August 2009, the Government of Alberta held 20 information sessions on Bill 50. Albertans were invited to submit comments and share their views on the plan for transmission upgrades.

Southern system reinforcement critical transmission infrastructure project

From 2007 to 2008, the AESO held 21 open houses on the need to reinforce the southern transmission system. Approximately 300 people attended one or more of the open houses. The AESO also held 48 meetings and presentations with First Nations, municipal representatives and industry.

Edmonton to Calgary project

Starting in May 2008, landowner and stakeholder consultations on the need and options for this project were held.

Between June and early December 2008, the AESO hosted 40 open houses throughout the geographic area between Edmonton and Calgary. Nearly 1,500 people attended one or more of these sessions. The AESO also held meetings with First Nations, landowner groups, environmental groups, electricity industry representatives as well as county councils and staff to get their viewpoints on this specific project.

Heartland project

Throughout 2007, the AESO and the transmission facility owners (EPCOR and AltaLink) held consultations. From April to June 2007, the AESO held 11 open houses. Approximately 400 people attended one or more of the open houses.

Consultation on the siting of this project is ongoing.

Future opportunities

Bill 50 does not change the requirement for consultation on the siting of transmission projects.

Directly and adversely affected landowners will continue to have right to be heard by the AUC during public siting hearings. These are the hearings at which the AUC determines the specific route for transmission lines or locations for substations.

The AUC may consider the following at a facilities hearing: the specific location of proposed substations and the route(s) of proposed transmission lines; its impacts on residents and the environment; its impacts on agricultural operations; its visual impacts; the cost of the proposed facilities; technical issues; and safety matters.

When will decisions be made? What do I need to know about getting involved?

Once an application for a transmission line or facility is sent to the Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC), the provincial regulator, notice is given to directly and adversely affected Albertans. Those Albertans may send in their concerns and position on the proposed transmission line or facility. Once the public hearings are finished, the AUC makes a decision on where transmission lines and facilities will be located. 

If a transmission line or facility has been proposed to go on, across or near your property you can become involved in the AUC process. The AUC provides step by step information on how you can get involved:

Public Involvement In Facility Applications to the Alberta Utilities Commission

Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC) contact information

What about cost? Can I provide my input on how transmission rates are determined?

Transmission rates are regulated by the Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC), the provincial regulator. Transmission and distribution companies must apply to the AUC for approval of their rates and terms and conditions of service. The AUC makes sure rates are just and reasonable.

If an Albertan consumer is concerned about the rates or the terms and conditions of service that impact them, they may get directly involved as an intervener in rate applications sent to the AUC. The AUC recommends that concerned consumers contact the Utilities Consumer Advocate (UCA) before they apply to participate in the hearings. The UCA represent Alberta residential, farm and small commercial utility consumers in regulatory hearings. Working with the UCA will help reduce duplication of intervener efforts and regulatory hearing costs. The costs of regulatory proceedings, including all approved legal and consulting fees for interveners, end up in consumers’ utility (electricity) rates.

You can subscribe to the AUC RSS feed to find out about applications, notices and hearings. RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication, and it is a technology to provide a "feed" of recently updated items on a website.

Office of the Utilities Consumer Advocate (UCA) contact information 

Who is directly and adversely affected?

The Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC), the provincial regulator, decides who is directly and adversely affected.

If Albertans decide they would like to participate directly in the AUC’s hearing on a transmission line or facility application, they must make a written submission to be considered for intervener status. Submissions must contain:

• a description of the nature of the party’s interest in the application, including in particular how the party considers that they may be directly and adversely affected by the AUC’s decision to approve the application under consideration; and
• a brief explanation of the party’s position including the reasons why the party believes that the AUC should decide in the manner the person recommends.  

More information is available in:

Public Involvement In Facility Applications to the Alberta Utilities Commission

The AUC evaluates the submissions and identifies those who are considered local interveners. Local interveners with standing may vary by application, however historically most utility facility siting applications consider a landowner or entitled occupant of land to have standing if he/she lives or operates a business within 800 meters of the proposed site.

When is landowner compensation determined?

Before a transmission line can be built, the transmission facility owner must secure easements, rights-of-way, or agreements from owners or administrators of affected lands. Where affected lands are privately owned, the transmission facility owner will negotiate agreements directly with the landowner.