I’d like to take this opportunity to express the Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO) point of view with regard to certain information stated in a Sept. 15 article on the Heartland Transmission Development Project.
There is agreement among Albertans that we need a strong transmission grid to power our homes, businesses and industries. Getting power reliably and efficiently from the plants that produce it to the businesses and homes that use it is the key to Alberta’s economic wellbeing and our excellent quality of life – and part of what makes us the envy of every other province in Canada.
Over the last 20 years Alberta’s population has increased 45 per cent, from 2.5 million to 3.6 million and our peak demand for electricity grew by 180 per cent from 5,692 MW to 10,236 MW. Yet, over that same period, there was no major investment in the electricity grid. While new generation has been able to keep pace with demand, the tremendous growth experienced over this timeframe has placed pressure on the existing transmission system, which is now carrying a much higher level of power. Significant upgrades to this infrastructure are necessary if it is to continue to provide the level of service and reliability that Albertans have come to need and expect.
The Heartland Project is a critical part of these necessary infrastructure upgrades and is required to help reinforce the backbone of the electricity grid between Edmonton and Calgary, to support local demand in the Heartland area, and for electricity supply to oilsands development and associated industries in northeast Alberta, including Fort McMurray.
As part of our role as the independent, not-for-profit organization that plans and operates the electricity grid for the benefit of all Albertans, the AESO develops a long-term transmission system plan that serves as a blueprint for the future of our province’s electricity system.
The AESO has valid reasons to believe that investment in the oilsands is expected to be strong over the long term and power requirements to extract and upgrade bitumen, as well as the associated pipelines and other industries, require strengthening of the transmission system in northeastern Alberta. In the AESO’s most recent 2009 load forecast, our detailed studies in the northeast area of Alberta indicate electricity use of over 850 MW or 36 per cent from 2009 to 2014 and over 1,700 MW or 72 per cent growth by 2019.
With regards to Albertans’ opportunity to have their opinions heard on the Heartland Project, the history of stakeholder consultation on the Heartland Project goes back to spring 2007 when an extensive schedule of open houses, meetings with municipal authorities, community groups, associations, industry briefings and other stakeholder correspondence was undertaken. The AESO continues to work collaboratively with transmission facility owners to consult with stakeholders by participating in open houses held throughout the impacted area.
Ultimately, it is the Alberta Utilities Commission’s role to ensure the costs of transmission upgrades are prudent. In Alberta, as in most jurisdictions, consumers pay for the transmission system that delivers electricity to them and these costs are shared among all consumers – residential, farm, commercial and industrial.
In summary, the Heartland Transmission Development project is a key part of ensuring a reliable supply of electricity and a robust transmission system that works for all Albertans – a system that protects our quality of life and the economic well being of this province now and well into the future.
Neil J. Brausen, senior planning advisor, AESO
