May 9, 2013 – The Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO) is launching what it calls “an innovative new approach” that will “elevate competition to the province’s electricity transmission industry”.

For the first time in Alberta, says AESO, interested parties will have the opportunity to participate in a “fair and open competition” that will identify the party who will develop, design, build, finance, own, operate and maintain a major transmission facility: the Fort McMurray West 500kV Transmission Project. This project will consist of about 500 kilometres of transmission line and associated facilities between the Edmonton and Fort McMurray regions.

“The introduction of this competition into the transmission industry is a very important and exciting milestone,” said David Erickson, AESO president and CEO. “The competitive process will assist in putting downward pressure on transmission costs as we expand the transmission system.”

AESO was mandated by the Government of Alberta to develop a competitive process and to have that process approved by the provincial electricity regulator, the Alberta Utilities Commission, says AESO, which received approval from the regulator on February 14, 2013.

* See below for bidder information session on Competitive Process, Request for Expression of Interest (REOI).

The first stage of the competitive process, the Request for Expressions of Interest, will help generate interest in the project. This will be followed by a Request for Qualifications stage, which is intended to shortlist up to five proponents to advance to the Request for Proposals stage. At the RFP stage, the qualified proponent who can undertake the project at the lowest cost will be identified.

There is A BIDDER information session on the Competitive Process, Request for Expression of Interest (REOI), June 11 from 1400 to 1600, at the Westin Hotel Mayfair, Room 320, 4 Avenue SW, Calgary. RSVP to competitive.process@aeso.ca by June 3, 2013, as space is limited.