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Substation for Medicine Hat denied by Alberta Utilities Commission

Jun 13, 2023 | 11:45 AM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – The city received an update on Monday in which they were notified that the city’s request for a substation in the southwest quadrant of the city was denied.

Plans for the substation began back in 2019 when the city began its site evaluation and cost estimations in southwest Medicine Hat to meet growing electricity needs. The city filed a regulatory application for approval to construct the substation last June. The plan was to build the substation either near Highway 3 or near South Boundary Road at the entrance to Desert Blume.

The application was denied on the grounds that the sites were not in the public’s interest. A public hearing was held on March 13, where the proposal was reviewed and submissions were made from three intervening parties.

The city says that the decision will delay the ability to increase a secure power supply in the southern portion of the city, and that electricity constraints may impede development. Development applications will be evaluated on a first-come, first-served basis and will work to help minimize the decision’s impacts on the area.

“Continued growth and development on the south side of our city requires a substation in this area, and we understand the concerns and disappointment that will arise because of this decision,” said Councillor Alison Van Dyke, chair of the Energy and Infrastructure Committee, in a statement on Tuesday.

“We will be aggressively recommencing the process in order to meet the needs of our community.”

“While we are disappointed, we respect the AUC decision and thank them for their diligence in regulating Alberta’s electric, gas, and water utilities in the best interest of Albertans. Our next step is to thoroughly review the decision report and consider our next steps,” city manager Ann Mitchell explained in a statement.

Read the Alberta Utilities Commission’s decision below.