AltaLink's Strong Year For Projects Delivers Greater Reliability And A Greener Future For Alberta Communities

The December commissioning of the Western Alberta Transmission Line WATL capped a strong year for AltaLink in ensuring a reliable electricity network and helping prepare Alberta for a renewable energy future.

The first time WATL was energized to its current full capacity of 1,000 MW during testing, it carried wind-generated energy up from the Crossings substation east of Calgary to the Sunnybrook substation west of Edmonton.

"With WATL, the South Foothills Transmission Project and the Foothills Area Transmission Development all energized in 2015, we have completed the much-needed links to reinforce the grid, readying our grid to carry wind energy in southern Alberta to all areas of our province," said Scott Thon, AltaLink president and CEO. "We are proud to have delivered each of these projects on or under budget."

In 2015, AltaLink also moved forward with a plan to reduce costs to its customers by more than half a billion dollars in these difficult economic times. In June, the company submitted a proposal to the Alberta Utilities Commission AUC to amend its previously filed 2015-2016 General Tariff Application GTA. If approved, the amendment will save Albertans more than $560 million between 2015 and 2017.

"We are actively seeking opportunities to reduce costs for customers," said Thon. "In our proposal, Alberta residents and business owners will pay hundreds of millions of dollars less for our transmission service during this three-year period, including savings of more than $100 million for residential customers alone."

Today, AltaLink, L.P. announced comprehensive income for 2015 was $209.8 million compared to $215.7 million for 2014. Comprehensive income was $65.7 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2015 compared with $66.3 million for the same period in 2014. Despite AltaLink's capital investment in 2015, the Generic Cost of Capital decision in Q1 2015 reduced annual net income by $40 million in a market noted for the lowest return on equity ROE in Canada. Revenue for 2015 was $829.1 million compared to $728.5 million in 2014. Revenue for the quarter was $241.4 million compared to $219.0 million in 2014. Revenue growth is primarily due to the increase in our investments to expand and reinforce the Alberta transmission system.

As a partnership, AltaLink, L.P. reports its net income before income taxes therefore its results are not directly comparable with net income reported by corporations that recognize income taxes in their financial statements.

AltaLink's full financial results and management's discussion and analysis can be found on AltaLink's website at www.altalink.ca or on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

Headquartered in Calgary, with offices in Edmonton, Red Deer and Lethbridge, AltaLink is Alberta's largest electricity transmission provider. We are committed to meeting the province's demand for electricity, providing innovative solutions, and partnering with our stakeholders and communities in doing so. A wholly-owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Energy, AltaLink is part of a global group of companies delivering electricity and utility services to customers worldwide.