Enmax Says Power Lines Not Needed

[farmers_son]

Maybe the cows won't have to graze around these lines after all...

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/story/2012/01/12/calgary-enmax-power-line-review.html
Enmax says two proposed power lines between Edmonton and Calgary aren't necessary.

Officials with the utility spoke Thursday afternoon to the independent panel examining the need for the power lines.

A vice-president with the City of Calgary-owned company says much has changed in Alberta's electrical industry since the new transmission lines were first proposed several years ago.

Dale McMaster says with the shutdown of some coal-fired power plants and new natural gas-fired plants in the works, the new power lines are no longer needed.

“These two 500 KV lines appear to us to be excessive capacity, well beyond the needs for Alberta in not only the near term but probably in the longer term as well,” he said. “As we see it today, congestion on the existing system is minimal.”

McMaster says the $4 billion cost for building the new power lines will be passed on to consumers.

The panel's hearing in Calgary is now over and the next sessions will be held in Edmonton next week. It has to complete its report for the energy minister by Feb. 10.

[forage]

Some good news after for a change. I really won't want my cattle grazing under these lines, I don't think there is enough research on the effect of hydrostatic electricity on livestock or humans from the leakage. I attended a demonstration a guy holding a normal 100 watt light bulb under a 400 kilowatt line and the bulb lit up like it was screwed into a light fixture.

[perfecho]

Was through Hanna just before Christmas and there was ground work for a rather large camp site being constructed that was meant for 400?? power line workers. Would this be the same project or??????
Also, has anyone else noticed how pricey this deregulated power has become? Wonder how high it would have gotten if we hadn't privatized.....not!

[farmers_son]

I was through there too and saw the same thing.

I phoned the AUC and got this. The 500 KV line is suspended and public hearings are taking place. The towers for the 500V line are considerable taller than the towers for 240 KV lines so it appears the towers I saw being put together along Hwy 36 would be for a 240 KV line. That is what I was told.

[forage]

Will be like the montana/alberta line MALT that was being constructed before the AUC hearing process was even convened.
The line from the States side was already under construction at the border just waiting for the alberta boys to finish their song and dance at a hearing that had a predetermined out come. Who said these power lines aren't for exporting power to US. Trans Alta has already an approved application from the NEB to shipped millions of kilowatt hours to the United States. Our rates for electric power are forecasted to hit 21 cents from 7 near future.

[Kathy]

Heresay, but this is what a neighbor heard from some electrical boys in Brooks (working on a project there), that the "project" they were presently working on was the DC power-lines. Can't confirm this, but the 400 man ATCO camp at Hanna seems awfully large for the folks building only the new line between the Sheerness power station and Oyen.

The Town of Hanna made a deal with ATCO that ATCO puts in the water and sewer (also flattened the hill) and they got the use of the land for free otherwise. My aunt lives across the street from the site, and is blessed with the daily dust storms which are making her life miserable.

Hanna's mayor sees only the immediate future and not the long term consequences of these DC lines. He even asked local businesses "not to take advantage" of the companies employees who will be 'in town' for a while.

The song "We're Here for a Good Time, Not a Long Time" sure seems fitting!