The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has approved a transaction that will help finance the construction of the Montana Alberta Tie Line (MATL).
Western Area Power is loaning $161-million dollars of stimulus money to Tonbridge, the Canadian company in charge of constructing the 214-mile line between Great Falls and Lethbridge. The total price tag for the 230 kilovolt line is $215-million dollars.
As part of the agreement, Western Area Power will receive one-twelfth ownership of the line and the rights to 50 megawatts of southbound capacity.
Construction on the line started earlier this month and a dedication ceremony will be held on November 30th. The project is scheduled to begin commercial operation by late 2010.
(November 6, 2009) Developers of the Montana Alberta Tie Line have announced initial plans for another major transmission line out of Great Falls.
Tonbridge Power Inc. in Toronto is just beginning construction on a 214-mile transmission line between Lethbridge and Great Falls.
Now the company has entered an agreement with Ireland-based Gaelectric North America to explore the possibility of building a 100-mile line running south of Great Falls to either Townsend or Garrison. The proposed line is being dubbed "The Green Line."
MATL officials say it's a point they've been working towards for a long time.
Bob Williams, Vice President of MATL, explained, "Montana has a tremendous wind power resource that has been largely stranded because of the lack of sufficient transmission capacity, so this next project will enable the development of a significantly additional amount of wind energy in the state."
Van Jamison of Gaelectric noted, "This particular project will have substantial regional benefits in and around Great Falls. It will create jobs. High paying jobs. Hopefully jobs that are filled by students who are going to MSU-Great Falls and are involved in the new wind technician program that they're putting together over there."
The first phase in developing the proposed Green Line is a feasibility study; it's expected to cost roughly $500,000 and may take up to a year. Transmission on the line is anticipated by 2013.
WEB EXTRA: from the press release announcing the project:
This project will be approximately 100 miles in length and is Tonbridge's second transmission line project. The proposed Green Line would connect the Company's existing MATL transmission line, which is currently under construction, with Bonneville Power Administration's transmission system on the 500kV Colstrip transmission line (the "Colstrip line") at or west of Townsend or Garrison, Montana. The Colstrip line is the major "electricity highway" that runs East to West out of Montana and enables renewable and other power to reach load centers in the Pacific Northwest region.
