Montana-Alberta tie line now fully operational

subscribe

In September 2013, the Montana-Alberta Tie Line MATL became fully operational. MATL is a 230 kilovolt “merchant inter-tie”—a transmission line owned by private investors Enbridge—that connects the Alberta Interconnected Electric System AIES to the NorthWestern Energy power grid system in Montana.

MATL is AlbertaÂ’s first merchant inter-tie and the provinceÂ’s first interconnection to the U.S. Alberta electricity consumers will not bear the cost of constructing or operating this line.

Inter-ties are transmission interconnections between neighboring electric systems that allow power to be imported and exported. Alberta currently has two other interconnections with neighboring jurisdictions—an inter-tie to Saskatchewan capable of importing and exporting 153 megawatts MW, and a larger inter-tie to B.C. that, under current reliability limits, can transfer 700 MW for import and 735 MW for export.

MATL has the capacity to import and export approximately 300 MW between Montana and Alberta. The line is 345 km long, with the Canadian portion stretching approximately 123 km between the U.S. and the new Picture Butte substation in the Lethbridge area.

The addition of MATL to the AIES will bring more diversity to AlbertaÂ’s electricity supply and will help support the development of wind generation.

The new line will be primarily used to import electricity from Montana. Initially there will be few exports on it due to limited access from Montana to the Pacific NorthwestÂ’s connection. Alberta has been a net importer of electricity for 16 of the last 17 years.

Related News

Alameda County Sheriff's deputy A. Gogna

Victims of California's mega-fire will sue electricity company

LOS ANGELES - Victims of California's most destructive wildfire have filed a lawsuit accusing Pacific Gas & Electric Co. of causing the massive blaze.

The suit filed on Tuesday in state court in California accuses the utility of failing to maintain its infrastructure and properly inspect and manage its power transmission lines.

The utility's president said earlier the company doesn't know what caused the fire, but is cooperating with the investigation by state agencies.

PG&E told state regulators last week that it experienced a problem with a transmission line in the area of the fire just before the blaze erupted.

A landowner near where…

READ MORE

Why the Texas Power Grid Is Facing Another Crisis

READ MORE

Tracking Progress on 100% Clean Energy Targets

READ MORE

clean grid laboratories

From smart meters to big batteries, co-ops emerge as clean grid laboratories

READ MORE

concrete power poles

Chinese-built electricity poles plant inaugurated in South Sudan

READ MORE