AltaLink is pleased to announce that the recipients for the 2009 Aboriginal scholarships have been selected. Three students, one each from Treaty 6, 7 and 8, will receive some financial relief this year thanks to AltaLink’s $2,000 scholarships.

In the past 20 years, Alberta has grown at an exceptional rate. As people and businesses have moved to our province and our communities have grown, so has the demand for electricity. AltaLink’s Western Alberta Transmission Line will provide much needed reinforcement between Alberta’s two largest cities, Edmonton and Calgary, and is critical for our province’s electricity reliability.

Today AltaLink announced the launch of its consultation program for a new Direct Current (DC) transmission line between the Genesee area west of Edmonton and the Langdon area east of Calgary.

It’s been more than 30 years since our province has completed any major upgrades to the transmission system in Alberta and in this time our province has grown by more than a million people and the demand for power has doubled. New transmission is needed now to ensure power is there when customers need it.

Through the questions of the Business News Network’s Brett Harris, an important piece of the electricity debate in Alberta was provided by two key players in the province’s electrical industry, AltaLink and TransAlta. 

AltaLink is preparing to work on a major transmission line between the Edmonton and Calgary areas after the Government of Alberta announced the transmission system in the area needs to be reinforced.

AltaLink manages Alberta’s largest electricity transmission system serving 85 per cent of the province’s population. Alberta’s demand for greener electricity is growing which has created a backlog of much needed transmission infrastructure. AltaLink is working to meet that demand with numerous projects including two in Southern Alberta designed to help green Alberta’s future.

AltaLink, L.P. (AltaLink) is committed to providing value for Albertans through the delivery of reliable, cost-effective electricity through its transmission system.

Alberta has grown at an exceptional rate and the transmission system needs to catch up – to bring new generation on the grid, to connect people and business to power and to bring economic opportunities to our province.

AltaLink has received approval from the Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC) to build a double circuit, 240 kV (240,000 volt) transmission line between Pincher Creek and Lethbridge. The new 90-kilometre transmission line will allow for the continued development of southwest Alberta's wind-generated electricity industry.

In 2008, AltaLink continued to deliver much-needed electric transmission projects to keep the lights on for Albertans. Following the unprecedented period of expansion in our province, our focus is on reinforcing our system and building essential transmission infrastructure.

AltaLink is the first Canadian utility to develop an Avian Protection Plan and to celebrate, the company invited the Alberta Birds of Prey Foundation and their famous great horned owl, Mr. Bogle, to an open house featuring many of the birds AltaLink is committed to protecting.