AltaLink, L.P. is one of Canada's largest electricity transmission companies. Based in

Alberta Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...

, AltaLink is responsible for the maintenance and operation of approximately 12,000 kilometres of transmission lines and 280 substations in Alberta. AltaLink is owned by

Berkshire Hathaway Energy Berkshire Hathaway Energy (previously known as MidAmerican Energy Holdings Company until 2014) is a holding company that is 92% owned by Berkshire Hathaway. Berkshire has owned a controlling stake since 1999. The company also controls power dist ...

Overview

AltaLink, L.P. is an Alberta-based utility company that provides electricity transmission services to most of Alberta. On April 30, 2002, AltaLink assumed control of Alberta's largest transmission system previously owned by

TransAlta TransAlta Corporation (formerly Calgary Power Company, Ltd.) is an electricity power generator and wholesale marketing company headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It is a privately owned corporation and its shares are traded publicly. It o ...

. It owns and operates approximately 12,000 km of transmission lines and approximately 280 substations, which makes up for the bulk of Alberta's high‐voltage electricity transmission infrastructure. AltaLink also owns and operates the Alberta portion of the interconnection that allows electricity to be exchanged between Alberta and

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

. AltaLink has more than 600 employees. Headquartered in

Calgary Calgary ( ) is the largest city in the western Canadian province of Alberta and the largest metro area of the three Prairie Provinces. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806, makin ...

, Alberta, the company also has offices in

Lethbridge Lethbridge ( ) is a city in the province of Alberta, Canada. With a population of 101,482 in its 2019 Alberta municipal censuses, 2019 municipal census, Lethbridge became the fourth Alberta city to surpass 100,000 people. The nearby Canadian ...

Red Deer The red deer (''Cervus elaphus'') is one of the largest deer species. A male red deer is called a stag or hart, and a female is called a hind. The red deer inhabits most of Europe, the Caucasus Mountains region, Anatolia, Iran, and parts of wes ...

, and

Edmonton Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city ancho ...

On May 1, 2014, AltaLink announced that

had agreed to purchase the company from

SNC-Lavalin SNC-Lavalin Group Inc. is a Canadian company based in Montreal that provides engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) services to various industries, including mining and metallurgy, oil and gas, environment and water, infrastructure, a ...

. The sale was completed December 1, 2014 following approval by the Alberta Utilities Commission.

Transmission in Alberta

Alberta's electricity market is separated into generation, transmission, and distribution. While the cost of electricity generation is dependent upon market forces, the cost of electricity transmission and distribution in Alberta is regulated by the provincial government. How Electricity Works in Alberta

The planning and operation of Alberta's electric system is done by the

Alberta Electric System Operator The Alberta Electric System Operator, (AESO), is the non-profit organization responsible for operating Alberta, Canada's power grid. AESO oversees the planning and operation of the Alberta Interconnected Electric System (AIES) in a "safe, reliable, ...

(AESO), a non-profit entity independent of any industry affiliations and owns no transmission or market assets. The AESO determines the need for the province, and then directs Transmission Facilities Owners (TFOs) to build the project. Transmission Facilities Owners (TFOs) are regulated by the Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC) and include companies like AltaLink,

ATCO Electric ATCO Electric is an electric utility company. Based in Edmonton, Alberta, ATCO Electric transmits and distributes electricity to two thirds of Alberta, namely in north and east-central Alberta, as well as communities in Yukon and the Northwest Terr ...

, ENMAX POWER in Calgary, and

EPCOR EPCOR Utilities Inc., formerly known as Edmonton Power Corporation, is a utility company based in Edmonton, Alberta. EPCOR manages water, wastewater, natural gas, and electricity distribution systems in the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British ...

in Edmonton. All TFOs must follow AUC regulations in engaging stakeholders, and the projects have to be approved by the AUC.

Current projects

AltaLink is currently involved in a number of major projects, a couple considered publicly and politically sensitive. * Heartland Transmission Project - approved after intense debate and discussion with delegates of Edmonton and Sherwood Park. This project will be connecting the "Heartland" industrial complex to the grid with a number of modern high capacity lines. * Western Alberta Transmission Line Reinforcement * Southern Alberta Transmission Line Reinforcement

Breaking down an electricity bill

AltaLink earns a regulated return on its investment to build, operate and maintain Alberta's power system, as determined by the AUC. AltaLink earns this return by recovering a portion of the transmission charge that is on every ratepayer's electricity bill. This transmission charge represents less than 10 per cent of the average total electricity bill. Breakdown of an Electricity Bill in Alberta

Breakdown of an Electricity Bill in Alberta

Corporate governance

AltaLink is governed by a Board of Directors. The current directors of the board include David Tuer (Chair), David R. Collyer, William J. Fehrman, Calvin D. Haack, Natalie Hocken, Susan Riddell Rose, Scott Thon, Brad Wall, Douglas Mitchell, Q.C., and Patricia Nelson.

Community Involvement

According to AltaLink's 2011 Report to Communities, through the building and maintenance of AltaLink's transmission facilities, the company expects to create more than 37,000 person-years of employment related to construction and local support services between 2010 and 2015. AltaLink has been a sponsor of Alberta 4-H since 2005. Currently, AltaLink is a Legacy Builder sponsor and is the title sponsor of all the regional, district, and provincial communications and public speaking programs. AltaLink is also a member of the Joint Utility Safety Team (JUST). JUST's mandate is to positively affect change in attitudes and behaviours toward power line safety, to help reduce power-line incidents. In partnership with the Avian Power Line Interaction Committee, AltaLink hosted Canada's first Avian Interactions with Power Lines Workshop that took place in Banff, Alberta from August 10 to 12, 2011. The international workshop brought together around 100 representatives from AltaLink and the Avian Power Line Interaction Committee, including government and industry professionals from across North America, to focus on protecting birds from electrical equipment. AltaLink also hosts an annual Farm Safety Day in May in Calgary, an event focused on safety within the agricultural sector.

References

*AltaLink (2011)
''2011 Report to Communities''
retrieved (2010-01-16) *AltaLink (2010)
''2010 Report to Communities''
retrieved (2010-01-16) *AltaLink (2014)

"Berkshire Hathaway Energy purchases SNC-Lavalin's equity in AltaLink "], retrieved (2014-01-03)

External links

AltaLink Website

Alberta Utilities Commission Website

Alberta Electric System Operator Website

Alberta Energy Website

Alberta 4-H Website

Joint Utility Safety Team Website

Avian Power Line Interaction Committee Website
{{Berkshire Hathaway Electric power companies of Canada Companies based in Calgary 2014 mergers and acquisitions Canadian subsidiaries of foreign companies