Alberta Electric System Operator Secord 2005S Substation Needs Identification Document

Transcription

1 Decision Alberta Electric System Operator Needs Identification Document Facility Application September 24, 2014

2 The Alberta Utilities Commission Decision : Alberta Electric System Operator Needs Identification Document Application No Facility Application Application No Proceeding No September 24, 2014 Published by The Alberta Utilities Commission Fifth Avenue Place, Fourth Floor, 425 First Street S.W. Calgary, Alberta T2P 3L8 Telephone: Fax: Website:

3 The Alberta Utilities Commission Calgary, Alberta Alberta Electric System Operator Needs Identification Document Decision Applications No and No Facility Application Proceeding No Introduction and background 1. The Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO) filed a needs identification document (NID) as Application No with the Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC or the Commission) on June 25, 2014, pursuant to Section 34 of the Electric Utilities Act, regarding the need to construct facilities for a customer connection in the Fort Hills area. 2. The development described in the NID would include the following components: a) the construction of the Secord 2005S substation, b) the alteration of transmission line 9L32, and c) the construction of approximately 2.2 kilometres of two single-circuit 24-kilovolt (kv) transmission lines (635PL and 635PL9-1001) connecting Secord 2005S substation to Fort Hills 505S substation. 3. Pursuant to Section 35 of the Electric Utilities Act, the AESO directed ATCO Electric Ltd. (ATCO) to submit a facility application to the AUC to meet the first two components of the NID identified above. 4. ATCO filed Application No (the facility application) with the AUC on June 26, 2014, pursuant to Section 14 of the Hydro and Electric Energy Act, for approval to construct Secord 2005S substation, to alter and salvage a portion of existing transmission line 9L32; and, pursuant Section 15 of the Hydro and Electric Energy Act, to operate the Secord 2005S substation. 5. Pursuant to Section 15.4 of the Hydro and Electric Energy Act, the AESO and ATCO requested that the Commission consider the need application and the facility application jointly. The Commission considered the applications jointly as Proceeding No On July 29, 2014, the Commission issued information requests to ATCO. ATCO responded to the information requests on August 15, On August 11, 2014, the Commission issued a notice of applications for Proceeding No. 3317, with a deadline date of August 29, 2014 to file submissions. The notice was sent to market participants, landowners, companies and agencies within 800 metres of the proposed AUC Decision (September 24, 2014) 1

4 Alberta Electric System Operator and development. The notice was also distributed electronically to market participants and published on the AUC website. No objections to the applications were received. 8. On June 4 and July 7, 2014, Fort Hills Energy Corporation (Fort Hills) filed, Applications No and No for approval of transmission lines designated as 635PL and 635PL (the transmission lines). The transmission lines would be used to connect Fort Hills 505S substation to Secord 2005S substation. The Fort Hills applications are presently under consideration by the Commission in Proceeding No Discussion NID application 9. The AESO stated that the proposed facilities would be required to supply Fort Hills load and future industrial electric load in the same area. 10. The AESO requested the assistance of ATCO in conducting a participant involvement program respecting the need of the proposed transmission facilities. Facility application 11. To meet two components of the need identified in the AESO s NID, ATCO proposed to construct the Secord 2005S substation and alter 240-kV transmission line 9L32 to connect Secord 2005S substation to the Alberta Interconnected Electric System. 12. The Secord 2005S substation would be located in the northwest quarter of Section 6 and the southwest quarter of Section 7 of Township 97, Range 10, west of the Fourth Meridian. There would be five 240-kV circuit breakers in the proposed substation within a 96-metre by 356-metre fenced area. 13. ATCO proposed to decommission and salvage approximately 305 metres of the existing transmission line 9L32 just outside of Secord 2005S substation bisecting the transmission line into two segments. 14. The segment of existing transmission line 9L32 between Joslyn 849S substation and Secord 2005S substation would continue to be operated as 9L32. The other segment of the transmission line between Secord 2005S substation and McClelland 957S substation would be renumbered as 9L101. Transmission lines 9L32 and 9L101 would both be terminated at Secord 2005S substation. 15. The cost of the project was estimated to be approximately $21 million and was classified as a participant-related cost, paid for by Fort Hills Energy Corporation. 16. ATCO indicated that the equipment to be installed in the substation would not produce continuous noise; therefore, a noise impact assessment was not prepared. 2 AUC Decision (September 24, 2014)

5 Alberta Electric System Operator and 17. The proposed Secord 2005S substation site was selected for the following reasons: a) it is adjacent to existing linear disturbances, b) it is close to an existing access road to Fort Hills mine expansion, c) it is in the vicinity of the Fort Hills 505S substation, and d) it would avoid the Athabasca River valley, and key wildlife and biodiversity zones, resulting in reduction of overall impacts on stakeholders and the surrounding environment. 18. The substation site is forested and non-forested industrially developed Crown land within the Lower Athabasca Regional Plan (LARP). ATCO stated that the proposed substation development is consistent with the LARP requirements. 19. ATCO submitted that it conducted a joint participant involvement program for both the needs and facility applications that included all occupants, landowners, companies, agencies within 800 metres of the proposed facilities. ATCO submitted that it received no objections or concerns about the proposed facilities. 20. ATCO stated that the proposed substation development would adhere to the Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development environmental protection guidelines. 21. ATCO stated that the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo is the municipal authority pursuant to the Municipal Government Act. The proposed facilities are exempt from Part 17 of the Municipal Government Act with respect to subdivision and development approvals. 22. ATCO submitted that it received Historical Resources Act clearance from Alberta Culture on May 29, ATCO indicated that it would provide structure design details to NAV Canada following completion of the transmission line design. ATCO also stated that, if required, it would apply to Transport Canada for Aeronautical Obstruction Clearance and would comply with the Aeronautics Act. 3 Findings 24. After a review of the applications filed by the AESO and ATCO, the Commission finds that the applications meet the information requirements stipulated in AUC Rule 007: Applications for Power Plants, Substations, Transmission Lines, Industrial System Designations and Hydro Developments (AUC Rule 007). 25. Because no interested party has demonstrated that the AESO s assessment of the need for the proposed facilities is technically deficient or not in the public interest, the Commission approves the needs identification document application pursuant to Section 38(e) of the Transmission Regulation. 26. The Commission finds that the facility application for the proposed substation and transmission line alterations proposed by ATCO satisfy the need as identified by the AESO NID. AUC Decision (September 24, 2014) 3

6 Alberta Electric System Operator and 27. The Commission recognizes that a participant involvement program was completed, and that there are no outstanding objections or concerns with the applications. The Commission finds that the participant involvement program meets the requirements of AUC Rule 007. The Commission notes that there were no objections in response to the notice of applications. 28. The Commission relies on ATCO s commitments that the relevant sections of the Alberta Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act, the Environmental Protection Guidelines for transmission lines and other relevant regulations and guidelines will be complied with. 29. The Commission acknowledges that the project is within the Lower Athabasca Regional Plan area and is satisfied that the project is in accordance with the requirements of the LARP. 30. The Commission considers that the technical, siting and environmental aspects of the facilities, as specified in AUC Rule 007, have been met. 31. Given the considerations discussed above, the Commission finds the proposed project to be in the public interest pursuant to Section 17 of the Alberta Utilities Commission Act. 4 Decision 32. Pursuant to Sections 34 of the Hydro and Electric Energy Act, the Commission approves the needs identification application and grants the AESO the approval set out in Appendix 1 Needs Identification Document Approval No. U September 24, Pursuant to sections 14, 15 and 19 of the Hydro and Electric Energy Act, the Commission approves the facility application and grants to ATCO: Permit and Licence No. U September 24, 2014, to construct and operate the Secord 2005S substation as set out in Appendix 2. Permit and Licence No. U September 24, 2014, to alter and operate 240-kV transmission line 9L32 set as set out in Appendix 3. Permit and Licence No. U September 24, 2014, to alter and operate 240-kV transmission line 9L101 as set out in Appendix 4. Approval No. U September 24, 2014, to salvage a portion of transmission line 9L32 as set out in Appendix The appendices will be distributed separately. Dated on September 24, The Alberta Utilities Commission (original signed by) Anne Michaud Commission Member 4 AUC Decision (September 24, 2014)