Transmission

Once a facility application is received by the AUC, Albertans who may be directly and adversely affected are notified by mail. Notice is also typically published in local newspapers. The notice provides information about the public hearings including key dates, contacts and information on how Albertans may participate in the hearing process. 

Directly and adversely affected Albertans are able to participate in public hearing on transmission facilities. The public hearing process is an opportunity for directly and adversely affected Albertans to express their views to the AUC. The AUC decides who is eligible to participate.

The AUC conducts hearings in a similar manner to a court proceeding. The hearing is open to the general public.

 

Yes, the Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC), requires consultation on all transmission projects siting. Please see AUC Rule 007 for public involvement requirements.

Directly and adversely affected landowners will continue to have the right to be heard by the AUC during the public hearing process that will be held for the siting of transmission projects. These are the hearings at which the AUC determines the specific route for transmission lines or locations for substations.

This hearing process starts after a facilities application has been filed.

 

Once an application for a transmission line or facility is sent to the Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC), the provincial regulator, notice is given to directly and adversely affected Albertans. Those Albertans may send in their concerns and position on the proposed transmission line or facility. Once the public hearings are finished, the AUC makes a decision on where transmission lines and facilities will be located.

If a transmission line or facility has been proposed to go on, across or near your property you can become involved in the AUC process. The AUC provides step by step information on how you can get involved:

Public Involvement In Facility Applications to the Alberta Utilities Commission

Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC) contact information

By Mail	HSBC Building 10th Floor, 10055-106 Street Edmonton, Alberta T5J 2Y2	Fifth Avenue Place East 4th Floor, 425 - 1 Street SW Calgary, Alberta T2P 3L8
Website	www.auc.ab.ca
General Inquiries	780-427-4901	403-592-8845 To call toll-free within Alberta, dial 310-0000 first.
Facilities Group		403-592-4403 and ask to speak to the facilities group
Complaints Group	780-427-4903	or email utilitiesconcerns@auc.ab.ca
Customer Information Services	780-427-9362	or email info@auc.ab.ca
Electronic Filing Systems Help	780-643-1055	or email systemservices@auc.ab.ca

 

Transmission rates are regulated by the Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC), the provincial regulator. Transmission and distribution companies must apply to the AUC for approval of their rates and terms and conditions of service. The AUC makes sure rates are just and reasonable.

If an Alberta consumer is concerned about the rates or the terms and conditions of service that impact them, they may get directly involved as an intervener in rate applications sent to the AUC. The AUC recommends that concerned consumers contact the Utilities Consumer Advocate (UCA) before they apply to participate in the hearings. The UCA represent Alberta residential, farm and small commercial utility consumers in regulatory hearings. Working with the UCA will help reduce duplication of intervener efforts and regulatory hearing costs. The costs of regulatory proceedings, including all approved legal and consulting fees for interveners, end up in consumers’ utility (electricity) rates.

You can subscribe to the AUC RSS feed to find out about applications, notices and hearings. RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication, and it is a technology to provide a "feed" of recently updated items on a website.

Office of the Utilities Consumer Advocate (UCA) contact information

By Mail	TD Tower Suite 1701, 10088 - 102 Avenue Edmonton, Alberta T5J 2Z1
Website	www.ucahelps.gov.ab.ca	email UCAhelps@gov.ab.ca
General Inquiries	310-4822 toll-free withing Alberta	Outside Alberta 780-644-5130

 

 

The Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC), the provincial regulator, decides who is directly and adversely affected.

If Albertans decide they would like to participate directly in the AUC’s hearing on a transmission line or facility application, they must make a written submission to be considered for intervener status. Submissions must contain:

• a description of the nature of the party’s interest in the application, including in particular how the party considers that they may be directly and adversely affected by the AUC’s decision to approve the application under consideration; and
• a brief explanation of the party’s position including the reasons why the party believes that the AUC should decide in the manner the person recommends.

More information is available in:

Public Involvement In Facility Applications to the Alberta Utilities Commission

The AUC evaluates the submissions and identifies those who are considered local interveners. Local interveners with standing may vary by application, however historically most utility facility siting applications consider a landowner or entitled occupant of land to have standing if he/she lives or operates a business within 800 meters of the proposed site.

 

Before a transmission line can be built, the transmission facility owner must secure easements, rights-of-way, or agreements from owners or administrators of affected lands. Where affected lands are privately owned, the transmission facility owner will negotiate agreements directly with the landowner.