You are invited to review the motion, and contact your Member of the Legislative Assembly, Dr. Ted Morton, and Premier Redford to express support for the spirit and content therein. Also, we are asking you to forward this site and request to your contacts as well.
Thank you,
Connie
IN THE MATTER OF the Alberta m m ission Act, R.S.A. 2000,
c. A-37.2, the Electric Utilities Act, R.S.A. 2000, c. E-5.1 and the Hydro and
Electric Energy Act, R.S.A. 2000, c. H-16;
- and -
IN THE MATTER OF an application filed by AltaLink Managem ent Ltd
for approval of the proposed WESTERN ALBERTA TRANSMISSION LINE
(WATL) referred to as APPLICATION NO. 1607067, PROCEEDING ID 1045
BETWEEN:
THE LAVESTA AREA GROUP
Applicants
- and -
ALTALINK MANAGEMENT LTD
Respondents
Notice of Motion
TAKE NOTICE the applicants, the Lavesta Area Group, hereby bring a m otion
before the Alberta Utilities Com m ission (“AUC” or “Com m ission”) pursuant to
Section 9(1) of the Alberta m m ission Rules of Practice, Rule 001 and
Section 8 of the Alberta Utilities Com m ission Act as follows:
MOTION
Cabinet, have determ ined that the transm ission line or transm ission facility which
purports to be the subject of Application 1607067, and AUC Proceeding 1045, [a.k.a. the
Western Alberta Transm ission Line (“WATL”)] to be critical transm ission infrastructure
AND;
2. Whereas the Governm ent of Alberta by dem ocratic process has elected a new Prem ier
and subsequently appointed and changed its Honourable Ministers in Cabinet, form al
The Com m ission, respectful of the privilege of the Honourable Ministers of the
Crown in Cabinet, adjourn the hearing process identified as Application No.
1607067 Proceeding ID 1045 Sine Die pending clarification of the new policies
affecting Critical Transm ission Infrastructure (CTI)
BACKGROUND
3. The Alberta m s Operator (AESO) has proposed to construct two HVDC
transm ission lines to reinforce the Alberta Interconnected Electricity System (AIES)
between Edm onton and Calgary
cabinet in accordance with, and upon the passage of, the Electric Statues Am endm ent Act
am ended 2009: “Designation of Critical Transm ission Infrastructure” (CTI): paragraph
#1; and the Electric Utilities Act (EUA) “Schedule” Section: 41. 1(1).
4. With regard to the two transm ission lines referenced in paragraph #3 above, the AESO
further proposed to locate the first HVDC line, known as the Western Alberta
Transm ission Line (“WATL” and /or Application No. 1607067 Proceeding ID 1045) in
the west/central portion of the province connecting the Wabam un Lake/Edm onton hub to
the Calgary Eastern Alberta
Transm ission Line (EATL), is proposed to be located on the eastern side of the province,
connecting the Heartland hub northeast of Edm onton
REASON FOR A REQUEST FOR ADJOURNMENT
5. The Honourable Prem ier, Alison Redford, and the Honourable Minister of Energy, Dr.
Ted Morton, both cam paigned on, and publically declared that they fully intend to am end
existing policies, including the AESO’s proposal, referred to in paragraph #3 above, to
reflect the approval of only a single N-S transm ission line upgrade, if it is deem ed
necessary, between Calgary and Edm onton
6. Given the newly elected Prem ier’s inclination to follow through on cam paign prom ises, a reasonable and prudent person can, and should, conclude that a policy change is im m inent relative to the AESO’s WATL and EATL proposals, referred to in paragraph
#4 above.
7. I respectfully subm it, the Alberta Utilities Com m ission, board proper, should adopt the
precautionary m axim of a reasonable and prudent person, and adjourn the Western
Alberta Transm ission Line (WATL) hearings Sine Die pending policy clarification from
the newly elected Prem ier, and the newly appointed cabinet for the following three
reasons:
a) An im m inent policy change of the m agnitude described, in paragraph #5 above,
significantly raises the possibility of rendering the WATL hearing process m oot. I
respectfully subm it, policy clarification should be the highest and only priority for
the Com m ission at this tim e before expending any additional resources on a
WATL hearing process.
b) An im m inent policy change of the m agnitude described, in paragraphs #5 above,
renders the Western Alberta Transm ission Line (WATL) technically deficient and
inapplicable. AESO’s 2009 Long-Term Transm ission System s Plan (LTTP page
#37), attached as exhibit #1, confirm s this assessm ent wherein it states, “The first
line alone cannot be fully utilized without the second line being in service as the
loss of the first line would create too large of a contingency on the system .”
c) An im m inent policy change of the m agnitude described, in paragraph #5 above,
creates an im m ediate conflict for all law firm s and legal counsels representing
clients in both the WATL and EATL proceedings. Presum ably a policy change of
this m agnitude places the WATL in direct conflict with the EATL.
8. I respectfully subm it the first line referenced in the 2009 Long-Term Transm ission
System s Plan, (LTTP page #37), attached as exhibit #1 to this m otion, is the AESO’s
WATL proposal (a.k.a. Application No. 1607067 Proceeding ID 1045). The contingency
forewarned is the result of potentially exacerbating an already identified im balance of the
east/west attributes of the AIES to accom m odate load flows. Stated another way the
WATL option requires a second HVDC transm ission line in the east to achieve full
utilization. An EATL option does not require a second HVDC transm ission line in the
west to achieve full utilization.
9. Purportedly the new Prem ier and Energy Minister have the com petency and capacity to
understand that the Alberta Interconnected Electricity System (AIES) can be upgraded, if
it is determ ined that the AIES needs to be enhanced or upgraded, econom ically and
efficiently with the strategic placem ent on one transm ission line.
10. An im m inent policy change of the m agnitude described, in paragraph #5 elim inates the WATL (a.k.a. Application No. 1607067 Proceeding ID 1045) from consideration due to its inability to be consistent with a single transm ission line solution.
ALL OF WHICH IS RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED ON BEHALF OF THE LAVESTA AREA GROUP
THIS 17TH DAY OF OCTOBER, 2011
<Original signed by>
Joseph V. Anglin
Lavesta Area Group Chairm an
4.0 LONG-TERM TRANSMISSION SYSTEM PLAN PAGE 37
AESO LONG-TERM TRANSMISSION SYSTEM PLAN 2009
4.3 Edm onton to Calgary m ission system reinforcem ents
4.3.1 Overview
The existing transm ission system to deliver power from the Edm onton to Calgary
on six 240 kV transm ission lines in the Edm onton to Red Deer
between Red Deer and Calgary
aggregate capacity, but the m ajority of the capacity is provided by 240 kV lines. The Edm onton
to Calgary m has not been upgraded in over 20 years. Load growth in southern and central
by 2014.
Reinforcem ent of the transm ission system between the Edm onton and Calgary
needed to:
_ avoid reliability issues for consum ers in south and central Alberta
_ im prove the efficiency of the transm ission system .
_ restore the capacity of existing interties.
_ avoid congestion, which prevents the m arket from achieving a fully com petitive outcom e.
Transm ission constraints and congestion also slow developm ent of new com petitive generation
in the Edm onton
Meeting the long-term capacity requirem ent for the Edm onton to Calgary m ponent of
the bulk system using high capacity HVDC transm ission lines m akes m ost efficient use of
rights-of-way and m inim izes land-use im pacts.
While a num ber of factors and conditions are considered in m aking this technology choice,
including consultation, econom ics and efficiency, a priority is given to m inim izing land-use
im pacts in support of governm ent policy as presented in the Provincial Energy Strategy.
Given all of the conditions noted in Section 4.2, two HVDC high capacity lines are planned as
soon as possible. Analysis indicates the preferred orientation of these lines is for one line on the
west/central portion of the province connecting the existing Wabam un Lake/Edm onton hub to
the Calgary
province, connecting the Heartland hub northeast of Edm onton
Construction of both lines substantially increases the usable capacity of the first line. The first
line alone cannot be fully utilized without the second line being in service as the loss of the first
line would create too large of a contingency on the system . Construction of these lines sends
a positive and concrete signal to consum ers and generation developers that transm ission
capacity will be in place to deliver future generation to m arket and reliably m eet the electricity
needs of consum ers in central and southern Alberta
Construction of both lines substantially increases the usable capacity of the first line. The first
line alone cannot be fully utilized without the second line being in service as the loss of the first
line would create too large of a contingency on the system . C
