AltaLink and AEP Partner to Bid on Fort McMurray West 500 kV Transmission Project

CALGARY, ALBERTA--(Marketwired - Jan. 17, 2014) - AltaLink, L.P. (AltaLink) and AEP Transmission Holding Company, LLC. (AEP) announced they have partnered to participate in the Alberta Electric System Operator's (AESO) competitive process for the construction and operation of the Fort McMurray West 500 kV Transmission Project (Fort McMurray West). The partnership operates as Athabasca Transmission.

In October, the partnership submitted details about its qualifications to build and operate the Fort McMurray West project. Today, the AESO announced Athabasca Transmission was selected as one of five qualified organizations to move through to the Request for Proposals stage of the process.

"As Alberta's largest transmission company, we know what it takes to develop reliable, cost-effective transmission infrastructure to serve the electricity needs of Albertans. Combining our local consultation, siting, construction and operations expertise with AEP's nearly 100 years of experience building and operating one of North America's largest Interstate transmission systems, Albertans can be confident Athabasca Transmission can deliver on all aspects of this vital project," said Dennis Frehlich, AltaLink's interim president and chief executive officer.

Fort McMurray West is the first project launched under the AESO's competitive bid process. In late 2014, Athabasca Transmission will submit a proposal to the AESO to develop, design, construct, own, operate and maintain the Fort McMurray West Project.

"AEP has led the U.S. utility industry in transmission design, engineering and construction innovation for more than a century, and we're excited to partner with AltaLink, Alberta's largest transmission company, to develop an innovative, cost-effective transmission solution to benefit this fast growing region of Canada," said Nicholas K. Akins, AEP chairman, president and chief executive officer.

The Fort McMurray West Project is intended to increase transmission capacity into and out of the Fort McMurray, Alberta region to accommodate current and future load growth associated with the area's large industrial operations. The project, approximately 500 km in length, consists of a 500 kilovolt (kV)

AC single circuit transmission line from the Thickwood Hills 500 kV substation in the Fort McMurray area to the Livock substation in Alberta and then on to the Sunnybrook substation west of Edmonton.

More information can be found on the Athabasca Transmission website at www.athabascatransmission.ca.

Information about the competitive process can be found on the AESO's website at www.poweringalberta.com/cp/.

AltaLink, LP.

Headquartered in Calgary, with offices in Edmonton, Red Deer and Lethbridge, AltaLink is Alberta's largest transmission provider. The company is actively working with stakeholders to build new transmission projects in response to the province's growth thus ensuring the transmission system will meet Albertans' energy needs today and in the future. These projects will provide Albertans with access to clean, renewable electric energy and the lowest-priced supply available in the province.

AEP Transmission Holding Company, LLC

American Electric Power is one of the largest electric utilities in the United States, delivering electricity to more than 5.3 million customers in 11 states. AEP ranks among the largest generators of electricity in the U.S., owning nearly 38,000 megawatts of generating capacity in the U.S. AEP also owns the largest electricity transmission system in the U.S., a 40,000-mile network that includes more 765 kilovolt extra- high voltage transmission lines than all other U.S. transmission systems combined. AEP's transmission system directly or indirectly serves about 10 percent of the electricity demand in the Eastern Interconnection, the interconnected transmission system that covers 38 eastern and central U.S. states and eastern Canada, and approximately 11 percent of the electricity demand in ERCOT, the transmission system that covers much of Texas.