Since their last open house in Bow Island in September, AltaLink has been making some tweaks and adjustments to the routes for the Wild Steer Butte Wind Energy Interconnection project that would connect the facility to Alberta's electric system, should the Wild Steer Butte Wind Energy project be completed.
Stage One would include building 27 to 29 kilometers of transmission line, connecting the Shell WSB1 collector substation, located at the project's north end to the Whitla substation at the south end. The Whitla substation would also be modified to include additional 240 kV equipment.
A switching station would be built adjacent to the Shell WSB2 substation along the west side of the proposed project.
Transmission lines towering 50 meters would also be build during Stage Two and would connect the line built in Stage One to the new switching station. The collector substation would then be connected to the switching station.
In Stage Three, seven to eight kilometers of transmission line would connect the WSB3 collector substation, at the project's southwest corner to the Whitla substation. A fifty-meter transmission line would then be built to connect the WSB3 collector substation to the Whitla substation.
While the preferred route was chosen because of its location to quarter lines, minimal impact on agricultural land, has few residents, and would have low impacts on native prairie and wetland areas. An alternative route with similar considerations will also be presented, as will the routes that are no longer being pursued.
Following the gathering of stakeholder input, long with technical and environmental information, any necessary adjustments will be made prior to AltaLink submitting a Facilities Application to the Alberta Utilities Commission.
The open house takes place on Thursday, Feb. 9 at the Bow Island Legion Hall from 4pm to 8 pm.