A Hatter strolls by power lines that run through the north-end community of Parkview on Tuesday. The city's electrical distribution department is proposing to double the capacity of the line to allow more power to flow along the eastern edge of the city to reinforce the system.--News Photo Collin Gallant
cgallant@medicinehatnews.com@CollinGallant
The city’s power distribution department plans to complete upgrades of the “ring” around city limits and will outline plans to the public at an open house tonight at city hall.
All major departments will answer operational questions and outline priority projects from 4-8 p.m. tonight.
In terms of power distribution, that is a multi-year process to approve and build on a beefed-up “east ring” power line that would deliver power from the Brier Park area in the north to South Ridge across the South Saskatchewan River and along the eastern city limits.
The doubled capacity would match the “west” half of the ring – completed several years ago – to provide a better route to manage power flow on the system, according to officials.
“Based on growth forecast, we will need it in about six years to remain reliable,” said project manager Devon Hanson.
Since planning, application and approval from Alberta Utilities Commission and construction are multi-year processes, and the department started public engagement with landowners immediately beside the existing route with a mail-out this fall.
That includes residents of Terrace and Parkview communities, as well as Cypress County (near Veinerville), though most of the route is along major road corridors, like 23rd Avenue NW, Parkview Drive, S. Boundary Road and 13th Avenue SE.
The initial plan is to use the right-of-way of the existing 69-kilovolt line to install new 138-kilovolt line and insulators on poles that could be 10 to 15 feet taller, said Hanson.
Potential alternate routes will be developed and put out for public feedback in the next month.
The work is similar to work started in 2015 to double capacity along a west ring of the city. That permitting process saw 23 residents register for an AUC hearing, though all but one was resolved prior to a hearing.
At that time, Lansdowne Equity Ventures (owners of the Hamptons subdivision) argued that lines should be buried, though city officials argued that would raise the cost of the $1.5-million project by 600 per cent.
Eventually the taller poles and higher capacity line were approved.
Infrastructure projects are paid for through adjustments to customer fees.
The department is not releasing a preliminary budget estimate for the “East Ring” project. Hanson said the project is “mutually exclusive” of a failed plan to located and build a new $20-million substation near the southwest corner of the city that was rejected by regulators last summer.
The eastern line, known as “60L”, runs from a substation near 23rd Street, then Parkview Drive and Terrace before crossing the South Saskatchewan north of Police Point Park. Running through Cypress County, it re-enters the city in the far southwest corner and would connect to the South Ridge Substation on 13th Avenue.
Open house
Tonight’s open house will provide Hatters a chance to ask questions about general city operations as well as provide feedback on major projects, including the city’s environmental roadmap, the Strong Towns initiative, and planned work to update the transportation master plan and the land-use bylaw. Staff from relative departments will be on hand from 4-8 p.m. in city hall.
