By Matthew Bains

 DAWSON CREEK – The BC Transmission Corporation is proposing to build a new transmission line between Chetwynd and Dawson Creek to accommodate increased industrial demand in the area.

 The Dawson Creek-Chetwynd Area Transmission Project (DCAT) proposes the construction of a new and/or expanded station and transmission assets to meet forecasted demand, which is largely being driven by natural gas development in the Dawson Creek area. Project manager Brooke Dutka and community relations specialist Lesley Wood made a presentation on the project to the board of the Peace River Regional District on Feb. 25.
 Dutka said the initial plan is to construct a 60 kilometre-long, 230 kilovolt line from the existing Bear Mountain Terminal near Dawson Creek to a new Sundance Station close to Chetwynd. The Bear Mountain Terminal and the existing Dawson Creek Substation would be expanded to accommodate a 12 kilometre-long, 138 kilovolt line between them. The proposed route would closely mirror the existing 138 kilovolt transmission line which forms a loop between Chetwynd, Dawson Creek, Taylor and Hudson’s Hope. The estimated cost would be between $100 million and $200 million dollars.
 “Within this, we’ll be looking at route options, consulting landowners, tenure holders and First Nations to see if there’s any other options for the route,” said Dutka.

 When asked, she said they are exploring the possibility of double-circuiting the existing transmission line, but that opens the possibility of a third line being needed in the future. Wood said that option might require larger power poles, or even taking the existing circuit out of service, which may not be feasible. She added they are exploring the possibility of expanding the existing right-of-way to minimize the project’s footprint, but that would still require consultation with landowners.

 Wood said the project will be designed with Site C and wind energy projects proposed for the Northeast in mind, so it fits with the long-term transmission needs of the region.

 The BC Utilities Commission approved the definition phase of the project, which will include examining alternatives, conducting studies, seeking input from First Nations, stakeholders and the public and applying for regulatory approvals. The project will require a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) from the BCUC. The project would not trigger an environmental assessment by the Province, and Dutka said it’s not likely to trigger a federal assessment, but she added the project would be built to minimize environmental and public impacts and consultants have been retained to conduct environmental and archeological studies.

 First Nations and public consultation will start this spring and will continue throughout the project. If the CPCN and right-of-way/land acquisition processes are successful, construction would be expected to start in the spring of 2012, and the project would be in service by fall of 2013.

 In between then and now, Dutka said a number of projects will take place at the Dawson Creek Substation to increase capacity, enable the addition of industrial transmission-level customers and meet distribution load growth.

 • When asked, Lesley Wood, community relations specialist with the BC Transmission Corporation, said the project would not address the problem of prolonged power outages experienced in Tumbler Ridge. However, she said officials with BCTC, BC Hydro and the District of Tumbler Ridge met a few weeks ago to discuss those issues. She said all three parties are working on a mitigation strategy that will include procuring local snow-clearing equipment and compressed gas, installing a new transformer in the next few months and installing a new circuit breaker so that if one transformer is tripped the other would still be live. She added they are also exploring the option of a new generator to keep the equipment at a good operating temperature.