Critical Transmission Infrastructure In Alberta Comes Full Circle

With the introduction of Bill 8, the Electric Utilities Amendment Act, 2012, in the Alberta legislature, the story of Critical Transmission Infrastructure (CTI) in the province is about to come full circle.

The Stelmach government introduced the concept of CTI in 2009.  Bill 50, the Electric Statutes Amendment Act, 2009,  provided that cabinet would have the right to designate certain transmission infrastructure as CTI.  For facilities designated as CTI, there would be no Alberta Utilities Commission review of the need for the facility, as is otherwise mandatory for new facilities.

Designation of facilities as "critical" proved to be controversial.  Upon her election in October, 2011, Premier Redford stopped hearings into the Western Alberta Transmission Line and the Eastern Alberta Transmission Line, and appointed an expert panel to review the need for those two facilities.