Archives for July 2014

abp 2014 plan to review

July 31, 2014 By Admin

Click here to view the 2014 Plan Review Discussion Paper

Filed Under: Bulletin

Fake passengers booked so Alison Redford could fly alone, auditor general says

July 30, 2014 By Admin

Opposition calls for RCMP investigation, but Redford denies any personal wrongdoing associated with auditor general’s findings.

By: Rob Drinkwater The Canadian Press, Published on Tue Jul 29 2014

EDMONTON—Former Alberta premier Alison Redford is denying any personal wrongdoing associated with findings by the province’s auditor general that passenger lists on government aircraft were altered so she could fly alone.

Redford issued the denial via Twitter on Tuesday, noting she has not been able to read the auditor general’s draft report because it has not been provided to her.

“But I have co-operated fully with the auditor general in the preparation of his report and will continue to do so,” she said.

“I understand from the media that the draft report supposedly refers to certain flight booking practices in the Office of the Premier. I would be surprised if these allegations are true but in any event, I also understand that the draft report makes clear that these were not practices that I had any knowledge of.

“It would not be true to suggest that I flew on the government plane alone. Despite the allegations raised today, as far as I am concerned there was never any directive preventing others from flying on government aircraft when I was a passenger. In fact, on most occasions that I can recall, when I was on government flights, I travelled with other elected officials, public servants and staff.”

Alberta’s Wildrose Opposition says there should be an RCMP investigation into Redford’s use of government aircraft.

Wildrose finance critic Rob Anderson says the public has an expectation that politicians who may have broken the law should be investigated.

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• Fake passengers booked so Alison Redford could fly alone: auditor general

A CBC News report on Tuesday said a review by auditor general Merwan Saher found Redford’s staff blocked others from flying on government planes by booking seats in advance and then removing passenger names before printing the flight manifest.

“The implications of this practice were that other government employees or elected officials would not have been able to travel on those aircraft,” Saher said in an internal government report obtained by the CBC.

Anderson said it appears the governing Progressive Conservatives were using the planes as “personal air limousines.”

“The PCs will undoubtedly try and pin this all on Ms. Redford and her departed staff as though they had absolutely nothing to do with it,” Anderson said.

“The fact is, there is simply no way that these actions could have been taken without other senior government staff and cabinet ministers knowing full well about it.”

Global Edmonton quoted unnamed sources as saying Alberta Justice Minister Jonathan Denis has asked that all relevant documents be forwarded to the RCMP so they can conduct an independent investigation if one is warranted.

Denis could not be reached for comment but issued the following tweet: “To be clear, the GOA would co-operate fully with any RCMP investigation into the use of (government) aircraft, including providing any info requested.”

Saher isn’t scheduled to release the report until next month, but a spokeswoman for Premier Dave Hancock said he would like the timeline pushed up.

Redford resigned as premier on March 23 amid caucus complaints about her lavish spending. It was Redford who, before she resigned, asked the auditor general to review the government’s flight program.

CBC News quoted the auditor’s report as saying that “false passengers” were booked on some government flights so Redford could fly alone.

The network said the auditor’s report also said Redford and her former chief of staff denied any knowledge of the altered passenger lists.

The CBC said Redford told the auditor general she did not request the government planes, but the report notes that, in every case, the request came from the premier’s office.

Opposition parties were already calling last spring for the province to scrap its fleet of four turboprop planes. Hancock has said the planes are sometimes the best and only way for government officials to get into remote communities.

Flight records show Redford took her daughter, Sarah, on 50 flights on government aircraft, including for two weekends in Jasper. The records simply list “meetings with government officials.”

Shortly before her resignation, Redford admitted to flying her daughter and her daughter’s friend around on a handful of flights and paid back the equivalent airfares. She also admitted taking a government plane to a family funeral in Vancouver and bringing a plane in to fly her back from a Palm Springs vacation.

She also paid back $45,000 spent on travel to and from South Africa for Nelson Mandela’s funeral in December. Redford and her aide flew to Ottawa, where the premier joined the prime minister’s entourage. Her aide, however, took a commercial flight to South Africa.

Filed Under: News

Protecting the interests of gov’t and not taxpayers

July 28, 2014 By Admin

By Lethbridge Herald Opinon on July 26, 2014.

Heather Forsyth

Wildrose Health Critic

MLA Calgary-Fish Creek

The Public Interest Commissioner revealed this past week that a senior Alberta Health Services (AHS) executive failed to disclose a direct conflict of interest in a $75,000 sole-source consulting contract.

In particular, this executive was the former partner and shareholder with the corporation that received this contract.

The Commissioner’s report began last January after my Wildrose colleague Kerry Towle wrote a letter to the Public Interest Commissioner’s office to investigate allegations of Alberta Health Services warehousing $11 million worth of computers.

Sadly, mishandling the deployment of $11 million in computers and handing out sole-source contracts that benefit AHS executives cannot be described as a wrongdoing under current legislation passed by the PC government.

It is further proof of what we have said about this government for a long time, their legislation is designed to protect the interests of government and not taxpayers.

Taxpayers also deserve to know why conflicts of interest for senior executives are not publicly disclosed and how this type of incident happened in the first place.

Every day, I hear from patients frustrated about being stuck in growing wait lines in emergency rooms and for key surgeries. I hear from front-line health-care workers who work day and night to hold our health-care system together, frustrated with the highly centralized leadership in our health-care system. And I hear from ordinary Albertans asking me why we keep reading stories of abuse of tax dollars in our health-care system, yet the government refuses to make the changes that need to be made to the system.

It all makes you give your head a shake.

But we know this is not the first time AHS has been caught handing out lucrative sole-source contracts, the practice is well established. Just last April, we released information showing AHS spent almost $1 billion on sole-source contracts between 2011 and 2013. That is 1,275 contracts that faced zero competitive bidding to ensure Alberta’s health-care system is getting best value for taxpayer dollars.

Remember, every dollar not saved in our health-care system, means less money that can go to hiring doctors and nurses or putting a stop to increasing wait times.

The question needs to be asked and answered why these contracts are being handed out to special friends of executives instead of being spent on the businesses that will provide best value for Alberta taxpayers.

Unfortunately, it is unlikely we will get the answers and the solutions we need from the current government.

Albertans can be assured the Wildrose will look to strengthening government legislation to crack down on this type of mishandling of taxpayer dollars.

We will work to end the ongoing abuse of sole-source contracting throughout the entire Alberta government.

Finally, Albertans can be assured that a Wildrose government will work to improve our health-care system, fix wait times and restore local decision making.

We owe it not only to taxpayers, but to our health-care workers and patients who rely on our entire health-care system.

Filed Under: News

Embrace the solar storm: Now’s the perfect time to expand renewable energy sector, Alberta told

July 28, 2014 By Admin

Province has ‘best solar resource in Canada,’ industry group says

By David Howell, Edmonton Journal July 28, 2014 7:08 AM

EDMONTON – Alberta needs to act now to take advantage of its huge, free, clean and largely untapped solar resource, an industry group says in a new report to the provincial government.

According to the Canadian Solar Industries Association, there is a perfect solar storm in this province right now: Electricity demand is rising sharply, coal-fired power plants are being phased out and prices of solar-electricity equipment are falling — all at the same time that the provincial government is developing a renewable energy framework.

CanSIA’s report, released Monday, calls on the government to set a goal of meeting 1.5 per cent of all of Alberta’s electricity demand with solar photovoltaics by 2022.

“Alberta has the best solar resource in Canada,” CanSIA president John Gorman said in an interview. “It has a population that understands the value of an energy resource, and solar electricity has the ability to give residents and businesses and farmers a choice for their electricity and how they generate it and consume it.

“They’re going to embrace it if they’re given the opportunity.”

A goal of less than two per cent might sound rather small, yet currently, solar electricty makes up only 0.02 per cent of the province’s generation capacity — a system that is dominated by gas-fired and coal-fired power plants. To put it into context, Alberta has four megawatts of solar electricty capacity; the entire system is 15,900 MW.

The 1.5-per-cent goal “is what we think is required to get an efficient industry going,” Gorman said. “It has quite a powerful impact. Even 1.5 per cent of the electricity supply coming from solar actually means many hundreds — if not thousands — of people and business owners who have got solar on their rooftops, and farmers who are using excess land for larger solar installations. And so involvement in solar goes beyond just phasing out a coal plant.”

Alberta can learn from other jurisdictions that are doing more to embrace solar, Gorman said.

“Germany, over the last few years, has installed enough solar so that during peak periods of the day, on some days, it’s generating 50 per cent of its electricity needs from solar.

“In the United States last year, one-third of all new electricity generation that was installed was solar.”

CanSIA, which represents 500 solar energy companies across Canada, promotes industry growth and develops policy options for governments. Its report to the Alberta government comes as the province promises to announce a renewable and alternative energy framework sometime in 2014 — currently, Alberta is the only province without such a strategy.

“It is now time to take action,” the report says. “Solar energy is a meaningful part of Alberta’s electricity mix, reducing (greenhouse gas) emissions; diversifying supply; and maintaining a social licence.”

Among its recommendations, CanSIA calls for Albertans to get “fair value” for excess solar electricity they export to the grid when the sun is shining. Currently, smaller contributors often get only seven or eight cents per kilowatt/hour they export, even though in 2013 the average daytime electricity price was 13 cents/kWh, Gorman said.

CanSIA also recommends a fund to support speeded-up deployment of solar generation, and for the government to introduce a demonstration pilot for large-scale solar development.

Currently, Alberta doesn’t have any large-scale facilities that generate electricity using solar photovoltaic technology.

One 15-megawatt utility-level facility proposed for a 65-acre site near Brooks won regulatory approval in 2012, but construction hasn’t started. Ian Rogers, president and CEO of GTE Solar Inc., said financing is the holdup.

The project can be built for less than $30 million, but investors have been hard to find, in part because it’s a trail-blazing project that some view as risky. But another factor is that investors can make more money in the oil and gas sector than the Brooks project can offer, Rogers said.

“In the end, you have to have somebody who is backstopping the price tag of these facilities, and we don’t have that yet,” he said.

Rogers said government help for the industry would be welcome, but he doesn’t favour a feed-in tariff program like those used in other jurisdictions. Under such programs, owners of solar PV systems are paid a set price over a fixed period for electricity they send to the grid, thus guaranteeing a return on the owners’ investment.

But Rogers argues such programs aren’t fair to other renewables like wind and biomass — he would prefer an increase in the carbon tax charged to heavy emitters of greenhouse gases.

CanSIA estimates that if Alberta set a target for 1.5 per cent of electricity demand to be met by solar, it would ultimately lead to the development of more than one gigawatt (1,000 megawatts) of solar facilities. Other benefits the group predicts: Greenhouse gas emissions would be reduced by 625,000 tonnes each year; the industry would provide more than 24,000 direct and jobs and 9,500 indirect jobs; the diversity in electricity sources would reduce consumers’ exposure to the volatility of energy prices; and private sector investment would top $3.2 billion.

Solar could also help increase the province’s electricity generation capacity.

The Alberta Electric System Operator predicts Alberta’s electricity consumption will grow by 2.5 per cent each year over the next two decades, due primarily to oilsands development and the strong economy. Much of the new generation required to meet the demand will be gas-fired, as coal-fired plants are being phased out under federal regulations introduced in 2012.

The CanSIA proposal is being welcomed by groups such as the Pembina Institute and Clean Energy Canada, which earlier this year issued a joint report on the potential of renewable energy in Alberta.

Dan Woynillowicz, Clean Energy Canada’s policy director, said that as coal-fired electricity generation gets phased out, the best replacement will be a mix of gas-fired generation and renewable sources.

Steep declines in the costs of solar equipment are making both small-scale and utility-scale solar electricity generation more attractive, Woynillowicz said.

“Solar plays an interesting role,” he said. “We’re seeing a really steep decline in the price of solar panels, largely driven by China’s interest in being a manufacturer of solar panels and a consumer of solar panels. We’re going to continue to see price decreases.

“That empowers individuals to put solar on their rooftops … and it starts making utility-scale solar possible.”

[email protected]

Twitter.com/HowellEJ

Coming on Tuesday

Our special report on the solar energy potential in Alberta continues on Tuesday with these stories:

How it works: Learn how a Camrose arts centre was designed specifically for solar.

Success stories: Looking for solar leadership? Try Germany.

Report recommendations

The Canadian Solar Industries Association’s report, From Proven Reserve to Developed Resource: Realizing the True Value of Solar Energy in Alberta, makes these recommendations to the government:

1. Introduce a renewable and alternative energy framework that charts the path for a minimum of 1.5 per cent of Alberta’s electricity demand to be met by solar in 2022. The framework should address investor financial return and stability for small-scale to utility-scale applications. It should include a renewable portfolio standard or clean electricity standard.

2. Increase the price paid for exported solar electricity under Alberta’s Micro-Generation Regulation to reflect “an appropriate market value” for solar power. CanSIA recommends a minimum 15 cents/kWh, and a minimum term of 15 years to “provide the required investor stability.” The micro-generation rule, in place since 2009, allows Albertans to get credit for electricity they send into the grid from renewable or alternative sources. In 2013, Albertans who exported solar electricity to the grid typically received 8.5 cents/kWh, CanSIA says.

3. Introduce a program, funded by the Climate Change and Emissions Management Fund, targeting accelerated deployment of solar. Residential micro-generators would get a top-up of 10 cents/kWh on solar electricity they export to the grid, for a fixed term of 15 years. Non-residential micro-generators would get a top-up of 15 cents/kWh. The program would have benefits of a feed-in tariff but would avoid “many of the potential issues that could arise from introducing one in Alberta’s deregulated market,” CanSIA says.

4. Bring in a demonstration pilot for large-scale solar generation. The aim would be to spur construction of 150 MW of large-scale solar facilities between 2015 and 2017, CanSIA says. It would be an interim measure that would build capacity and expertise while a longer-term renewable energy strategy is devised and introduced.

Original source article: Embrace the solar storm: Now’s the perfect time to expand renewable energy sector, Alberta told

Filed Under: News

Public hearing unnecessary for proposed Wabamun power plants, says regulator

July 28, 2014 By Admin

By Sheila Pratt, Edmonton Journal July 27, 2014

EDMONTON – Despite concerns from environmental groups and landowners, a public hearing is not necessary into two new gas-fired power plants proposed by Capital Power near Wabamun.

That decision by the Alberta Utilities Commission has raised concerns that the regulator is stifling public discussion and taking a more restrictive of view of who has a right to raise concerns about a new electricity project.

But the AUC firmly rejected that suggestion, saying there has “absolutely not” been any change its approach.

None of the concerned landowners or groups qualified under the AUC rules, which require a person be “directly and adversely affected” and live within 2,000 metres of a proposed power plant — though that distance is flexible, said AUC spokesperson Jim Law.

Capital Power maintains its position that additional emissions from the two new plants, Genesee 4 and 5, will be under legal limits and accepts the AUC decision, said Capital Power’s Michael Sheehan.

Brian Staszenski of the Strawberry Landowners Group, which has qualified for standing at the AUC in the past, says a hearing is necessary to give the public confidence in resolving conflicting views about air pollution from the proposed plants.

“The AUC has taken the company’s word that the new plants will not add to the pollution load,” said Staszenski, with the group that represents about 60 area landowners and was turned down by the AUC.

“But how do we know that, and where is the public test? That’s how the system is supposed to work,” said Staszenski, adding that his group qualified for standing at a 2010 hearing.

The Pembina Institute, an environmental research group, was also turned down for standing, though it also qualified in 2010.

The Pembina notes that the airshed in Edmonton, downwind from the coal and proposed gas plants to the southeast, is already at the legal limit for particulate matter. It says emissions from the new plants will exceed those levels — a view disputed by the company.

Lawyer Debbie Bishop, who has been representing landowners and other groups for years at the AUC, says the AUC’s June decision is “troubling” and “surprising.”

“The AUC used to be really good about hearings and this is the first time these same groups did not get standing as they have in the past,” said Bishop, who represents the Strawberry landowners.

“There are benefits to everyone going through the process and the result can be conditions on the operator to do a better job.”

The nearby Gunn Métis settlement was also turned down.

Bishop also said it is odd that the AUC asked the company for additional information on its pollution estimates after the hearing was denied.

That new information should be tested at a hearing, she said.

Ben Thibault, director of electricity policy at the Pembina Institute, says the decision not to hold a hearing shows the AUC process is “flawed.”

The AUC is supposed to make decisions on new projects based on the public interest, but the public is excluded without a hearing, he said.

But it’s not clear how larger issues, such as Edmonton’s airshed, get addressed, he said.

“To air these concerns at a hearing, why would it have been harmful?” he said.

Also, no one is looking at the cumulative impacts of each new plant that adds more to the already high pollution load, he said.

“We had hoped to get conditions on the project to make sure it does not make air pollution worse,” said Thibault.

“These concerns don’t go away just because people are denied standing.”

Capital Power is also looking to extend the life of its nearby coal-fired plants.

Since new transmission lines were recently completed into the area, activity is high. Two more plants are in the works — TransAlta’s 800 megawatt Sundance 7 plant and Atco’s 400-megawatt plant in the Industrial Heartland east of Edmonton.

The area landowners are also dealing with an application to expand the coal mine, and that goes through the Alberta Energy Regulator, said Staszenski.

It’s not possible for landowners to live within the 2,000 metre radius of the proposed plants due to the large coal mine, he added.

The AUC is reviewing the application and the additional emissions information supplied by the company on July 5, said Law.

In making its decision on a hearing, the AUC looks at a number of factors, including “the nature of the project, the specific concerns and who would be directly affected,” said Law in an email.

In this case, “the AUC determined there were not individuals or groups with a direct connection …”

[email protected]

Original source article: Public hearing unnecessary for proposed Wabamun power plants, says regulator

Filed Under: News

The National Energy Board has ordered Enbridge Inc. to stop work along an oil pipeline in Manitoba

July 26, 2014 By Admin

Pipeline Observer

Posted on 26 Jul 2014 by Lethbridge Herald

The National Energy Board has ordered Enbridge Inc. to stop work along an oil pipeline in Manitoba because of safety and environmental concerns.

The federal energy watchdog says an inspection earlier this month on the company’s Line 3 pipeline, which runs between Alberta and Wisconsin, revealed numerous problems.

It says wetlands and agricultural land near Cromer, Man., were damaged and open excavations posed safety hazards.

Enbridge announced plans earlier this year to replace Line 3 in its entirety – a $7.5-billion undertaking that would be the largest project in the company’s history.

Company spokesman Graham White says the stop-work order was not related to that project, but to regular maintenance work on the existing 46-year-old pipeline.

White says the company has already started working on some of the issues raised by the NEB and that safety concerns will be dealt with immediately.

Filed Under: News

Fracking sand spill prompts health warning in Bashaw

July 25, 2014 By Admin

By Renee Francoeur – Red Deer Advocate
Published: July 24, 2014 7:32 PM

Bashaw residents are being urged to take precautions after a spill of sand used for fracking was left for nearly a month before being cleaned up.

About 580 tonnes of frac sand was spilled on June 17 at the Wild Rose Country Commodities site near the Canadian National Railway in Bashaw, a town east of Ponoka.

A concerned citizen called the Environmental Public Health department of Alberta Health Services on July 15.

“We were not aware of it until that day,” said Central Zone Medical Officer of Health Deena Hinshaw. “A site inspection was done that day and then an order for cleanup was issued the following day so the site was remediated within a couple of days.”

A health advisory was issued for the community on Wednesday as frac sand is a very fine crystalline silica material and can easily be mistaken for sand used in children’s sandboxes or playgrounds. It can pose a risk to public health through inhalation and direct exposure to the material. Silicosis, a lung disease, is caused by inhaling silica.

However, limited short-term exposure would not be expected to cause serious health effects, said AHS.

“We issued the advisory because we’re not sure, given that the sand was out for a month with no restriction to public access, whether people might have taken some of that sand home to use in play boxes or that kind of thing and so we’re being very cautious,” Hinshaw said.

AHS also put posters up in Bashaw warning residents about the harmful effects of the sand.

“If people did take sand away, we recommend they dispose of it in a municipal landfill but they need to wet it down to reduce the possibility of dust and be sure not to breathe it in. Bag it. Wear gloves.”

Hinshaw said so far no reports have come in of any residents who have been in close contact with the sand or taken it away for person use.

Penny Shantz, mayor of Bashaw, said the town knew about the spill “very soon” after it happened.

“It’s a small town. We’d heard about it from other citizens … I am assuming the company called the town office to report it but I can’t confirm that,” Shantz said.

Shantz said the spill was contained with a fence around it and that it’s the first frac sand spill the community has seen.

The sand was being stored in a large bin, waiting to be transported elsewhere by truck or rail, Shantz said.

“For whatever reason, that bin gave way.”

She said she was not aware that anyone had fallen ill or been hospitalized due to the spill.

“It’s a private company on private land and accidents happen,” said Shantz. “We’re pleased it’s been cleaned up and are moving forward.”

Wild Rose Country Commodities could not be reached for comment on Thursday.

Fracking is a controversial process of extracting hard-to-get oil. It is done by fracturing the shale bed with high-pressured injections of water and toxic fracking chemicals.

An American report found 750 chemicals are used in fracking, at least 29 of which are considered carcinogenic or toxic.

Environment Canada recently found itself in hot water after a number of environmental groups and experts criticized it for leaving fracking chemicals out of its updated list for the National Pollutant Release Inventory.

Anyone in Bashaw who believes they may have been exposed to the material should contact AHS Environmental Public Health at 1-877-360-6366.

[email protected]

Filed Under: News

NDP Applauds the Protection of the Castle Special Place but Calls South Saskatchewan Regional Plan Disappointing

July 23, 2014 By Admin

July 23, 2014

David Eggen

NDP applauds the protection of the Castle Special Place but calls South Saskatchewan Regional Plan disappointing

EDMONTON – The NDP is applauding the government for listening to the activists and opposition parties who worked tirelessly to get the Castle Special Place protected NDP MLA, David Eggen said today.

The government released the South Saskatchewan Regional Plan, outlining land use framework for 44 per cent of the province, today.

The report includes significant changes to SSRP draft that came out earlier this year, increasing the area of the Castle Special Place that will be protected.

“The castle is such a special area. It needed to be protected. The government completely overlooked it in the first place, but we’re very happy to see the PCs have finally listened to Albertans and protected it,” said Eggen.

“That being said, the NDP would still like to see the entire Castle Special Place receive the same level of protection.”

The plan also fails to protect against industrial activity in the area. The SSRP maintains the status quo and prioritizes fossil fuel production and transportation over conservation, environmental protection and the development of southern Alberta’s abundant natural resources for renewable energy.

“Earlier this year we saw the PCs unwillingness to limit drilling within Lethbridge city limits. Only the sustained public pressure from residents and the NDP, got results,” said Eggen.
“This is yet another example of the PCs inability to put Southern Alberta families first by creating meaningful, responsible limits on industrial development in and around communities.”

“This government can’t be trusted to stand up to their corporate insider friends.”

Filed Under: Blog

Release of the South Saskatchewan Regional Plan

July 23, 2014 By Admin

Date: Wed, 23 Jul 2014 17:59:10 +0000

Following three phases of consultation from November 2009 to February 2014, the Government of Alberta has released the final version of the South Saskatchewan Regional Plan (SSRP). The SSRP is a forward-looking and comprehensive blueprint to ensure our continued success over the next 50 years.

Thank you for providing your input and feedback during the SSRP consultation process. You may view and download the SSRP at www.landuse.alberta.ca.

Some of the highlights of the SSRP include:

Eight new and expanded Conservation Areas on provincial Crown land including the 54,588 hectare Castle Wildland Provincial Park and the 34,356 Pekisko Heritage Rangeland.
An increase in tenure terms from 10 to 20 years for leaseholders with high-level stewardship management practices throughout any region where protection of intact native grasslands is needed.
Air and surface water quality management frameworks to help ensure negative trends are identified and assessed, and the environment remains healthy for residents and ecosystems.
Commitment to a Biodiversity Management Framework to support cumulative effects management of important elements of biodiversity that are affected by land uses in the region.
Regional trail system plan that will identify and designate winter and summer motorized, non-motorized and mixed-use land and water-based trails, routes, and areas that link communities, neighbourhoods, destinations and tourism areas.
Development of approaches to address the climate variability found in the region supporting flood risk management and drought management.
Endorsement of the Efficient Use of Land Principles and the release of the Efficient Use of Land Tools Compendium to encourage municipalities to minimize the amount of land taken up by the built environment.

Once effective, a regional plan is implemented as part of a larger integrated resource management system. All regional plans are reviewed every five and 10 years to evaluate its ongoing effectiveness and relevance to the region.

Land Use Secretariat

9th Fl. 10035-108 St. Centre West Bldg.

Edmonton Alberta, T5J 3E1
Phone: 780-644-7972 / 780-644-7973

Fax: 780- 644-1034

www.landuse.alberta.ca

This is our land, and it’s up to us to ensure the aspects of this province that we enjoy are there for current and future generations.

Filed Under: Bulletin

AltaLink president confident of approval of sale to U.S. firm

July 18, 2014 By Admin

By James Wood, Calgary Herald July 16, 2014

As the planned sale of Alberta’s largest electrical transmission company to an American firm comes under scrutiny from politicians and the public, the president of AltaLink remains confident the deal will win approval from provincial and federal reviews.

The $3.2-billion sale of AltaLink by Quebec-based SNC Lavalin to Berkshire Hathaway Energy — owned by billionaire Warren Buffett — is attracting attention, from the hiring of lobbyists to full-page newspaper ads from ATCO warning about “serious consequences” if the deal goes ahead.

Jim Law of the Alberta Utilities Commission said the ads — along with a response from AltaLink — prompted an outpouring of about 300 emails to the independent provincial agency that’s mandated to examine whether the sale is in the interests of consumers.

“There were some in favour but the majority followed the ATCO ad, expressing concern or raising questions,” Law said in an interview Tuesday.

Besides the AUC review, the sale could also be halted by the federal government, which analyzes the transaction based on whether it provides a net benefit to Canada.

The provincial government can provide input to Ottawa as part of the review, and the three candidates running to become Progressive Conservative leader say they are watching the sale closely.

The provincial NDP has called for the deal to be killed by the federal government, while other opposition parties say they have concerns.

But AltaLink president Scott Thon said Tuesday he isn’t fazed either by the public input to the AUC or the comments from concerned politicians.

The more people look at the takeover by Berkshire Hathaway Energy, the more they will see it is to Alberta’s benefit, he said in an interview.

“This is a great investor for our country. It’s someone who actually wants to be in the country, who wants to leave all the profits in the country and you just don’t hear that in the utility (sector) in Canada,” said Thon.

“All the profits, we would hope to reinvest in Alberta.”

However, foreign takeovers have prompted political brawls in the past, with the most notable recent example being Saskatchewan’s successful push in 2010 to get Ottawa to block the sale of Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan to BHP Billiton.

Thon said there is absolutely no comparison between the two transactions and he ultimately expects little controversy.

However, he said the companies are prepared to make their case to political leaders about the merits of the deal.

The federal lobbyist registry shows Berkshire Hathaway Energy retained lobbyists from the firm Hill and Knowlton Strategies in May in relation to the company seeking approval for its investment in Canada.

In Alberta, Elan MacDonald — a former senior official in the offices of premiers Ed Stelmach and Alison Redford — was hired in May as a lobbyist by Berkshire Hathaway, according to the provincial registry.

ATCO is also a registered lobbyist both provincially and federally. The federal registry shows a flurry of contact with federal ministers and officials at the end of May by ATCO, although the company declined to comment on the nature of the discussions.

ATCO CEO Nancy Southern — who has said critical infrastructure such as transmission lines should remain Canadian-owned — declined an interview request, but the company said in a statement it was hoping for a serious policy review in relation to the AltaLink sale.

International and Intergovernmental Relations Minister Cal Dallas, who was in Nebraska this week for a state government conference, said he has met with officials from Berkshire Hathaway.

Dallas said he was not looking for particular assurances from the company and the conversation instead dealt with Alberta’s economic and regulatory environment.

But he noted the province will ultimately make its position on the sale known to the federal government.

“We’d be getting ahead of ourselves for me to articulate an opinion today,” he said.

With files from Chris Varcoe, Calgary Herald

[email protected]

Filed Under: News