Customer Interconnections typically take from 18 to 36 months depending on a number of factors such as the time the customer takes to make decisions throughout the project, the volume of active projects, complexity of the project, stakeholder (public) impact (i.e. landowner consultations), availability of material and labour and timing of the procurement of materials with long lead times (i.e. transformers).

The following table shows approximate timelines for the key stages of a typical interconnection:

Below is a brief description of each stage.

This is the stage where the interconnection process begins. The customer or the distribution facility owner initiates the process after having reviewed the distribution alternatives and deciding a transmission assessment is needed. An application and fees are then submitted to the Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO) and a study of the transmission alternatives available is executed. The AESO requests an Order of Magnitude (+/- 30%) estimate from AltaLink for the transmission alternatives.

AltaLink provides an Order of Magnitude estimate to the AESO for the transmission alternatives requested by the AESO. The AESO reviews the transmission alternatives, selects the preferred alternative, determines what portion of the costs would be considered customer costs and provides an Interconnection Proposal and Customer Proposal. The customer reviews the Customer Proposal and provides authorization to continue. The AESO files the Interconnection Proposal with the Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC) and the AUC publishes it as public information on its website. The AUC will authorize the project to proceed provided no valid objections are received (if a valid objection is received a formal need application may be required which can impact the planned schedule).

Once the AUC authorizes the project to continue, the AESO prepares the functional specifications to support the interconnection and delegates the project to AltaLink.  AltaLink will commence work on the Proposal to Provide Service (PPS) based on the functional specifications. The PPS includes a Class Three (+20/-10%) estimate for the preferred transmission alternative. Once the PPS is submitted to the AESO for approval and if the customer is still prepared to proceed, the AESO will endorse the estimate and direct AltaLink to file the Facilities Application. AltaLink is required to collect the required security from the customer to cover the customer-related costs of the project prior to filing the Facilities Application. Once the Facilities Application is filed by AltaLink, the AUC reviews the application and issues a Permit and Licence (P&L) to AltaLink (on occasion a public hearing may be required which can impact the planned schedule).

Once P&L is received, the AESO proceeds to execute its System Access Agreement(s) with the customer. AltaLink will collect the customer contribution (in cash) and initiate the construction phase of the project. At this stage, AltaLink performs detailed engineering, procures materials and acquires land and/or land rights to facilitate building of the required facilities. AltaLink then builds the facilities and submits data to the AESO. As the customer may be building customer facilities in parallel with AltaLink, they also may be required to submit data to the AESO. Once construction is complete, the AESO authorizes energization and AltaLink energizes the facilities.

Within six months of energization, AltaLink will settle final costs with the AESO and the customer and perform other project closure activities (i.e. preparation of as-built drawings).

Please contact AltaLink's Client Services Team at 403 267-4255 for answers about the interconnection timelines and the corresponding steps required for customers to connect to the transmission system.