Two New Power Plants To Be Built In Alberta

March/April 2001

Two New Power Plants To Be Built In Alberta

The construction of two new power plants, one for southern Alberta and the other for northern Alberta, have been announced by ATCO Power. The plant for southern Alberta will be a $33-million, 32 MW hydroelectric generating station at the existing Oldman River Dam northeast of Pincher Creek. This is the first generation project for ATCO Power in southern Alberta and its first hydroelectric project. The plant, which is expected to be on-line by May 2002, will produce sufficient electricity for 25,000 households.

Gary Bauer, president of ATCO Power Ltd., said, "This is an environmentally positive renewable energy project. It creates no emissions and has absolutely no impact on terrain or water because it utilizes an existing dam and reservoir. ATCO Power was awarded the right to develop the project, as a result of an open competition for proposals by Alberta Environment will receive long-term rental fees and will continue to have full control over water levels and releases. Operation of the power project will not affect the water levels in the reservoir. Power will be generated year round, but predominately during periods of high water availability, generally May through September.

Earlier, at the end of February, ATCO announced a $70 million, 92 MW generating facility to be built at the company's existing Sturgeon site, near Valleyview, Alberta, 100 kms east of Grande Prairie. The new plant, which will be capable of supplying enough electricity for 75,000 homes, is an environmentally progressive, low nitrous oxide plant.

The plant is expected to be built in a record time of 10 months so it will be delivering power by winter.

The power plant is comprised of two General Electric natural turbine generators, similar to ATCO Power's tow other plants in northwestern Alberta at Polar Hill and Rainbow Lake. The choice of this technology and the Sturgeon site was made to bring additional electricity to Alberta as rapidly as possible. As it is located at an existing power plant site, electricity grid connections and other required infrastructure are already in place. The tow, small 18 MW capacity natural gas turbines at the site, which have been in service since 1957, will continue in operation.