ATCO's Innovative Electric Utility Project in Jasper Earns National Profile

EDMONTON, ALBERTA--(Marketwired - Nov. 6, 2014) - ATCO Electric announced today that an environmentally innovative power-line construction project the company completed in Jasper National Park has received national profile as an environmental performance case study in the Canadian Electricity Association's (CEA) 2014 annual report, Engaged for a Sustainable Future.

The project involved upgrading a section of power-line serving major Jasper tourist attractions that was built on rocky terrain along a narrow, heavily treed right-of-way crossing three mountain rivers. As many sections of the line could not be accessed by traditional means, ATCO Electric developed several innovative solutions that allowed the work to be completed while protecting the environment and ultimately increasing the reliability of the line.

"Balancing the need for reliable service with the many environmental requirements of this project called for careful planning and ingenuity," said Bobbi Lambright, President, ATCO Electric Distribution Division. "This recognition is a real honour for our company. It demonstrates the value of our commitment to not only protecting the environment but to innovation as well."

Using helicopters and small rubber-tracked vehicles to reduce ground disturbance in the environmentally-sensitive area, the company also brought in boatswain's chairs that allowed workers to perform aerial work in areas not accessible by bucket truck. To protect the line from falling trees and heavy snowfall, ATCO Electric used spacer cable along a six-kilometre section of the line, which is an insulated power cable with a heavy-gauge non-energized messenger wire above it for protection. By doing this, the company has reduced the risk of power outages and the need for emergency maintenance.

"Each year, CEA reports on significant progress our members are making to secure a sustainable electricity future for Canada," said Jim Burpee, President and CEO of the Canadian Electricity Association. "Given the complexity of delivering reliable service in an area that is sensitive environmentally, socially and economically, the work done by ATCO Electric does deserve to be recognized in Alberta and nationally."

To read the CEA's annual report in full, please visit: www.electricity.ca.

ATCO Electric provides safe, reliable delivery of electricity to nearly 220,000 customers in 245 communities across Alberta and is part of the ATCO Group of Companies. With more than 9,000 employees and assets of approximately $18 billion, ATCO is a diversified global corporation delivering service excellence and innovative business solutions through leading companies engaged in Structures & Logistics (manufacturing, logistics and noise abatement), Utilities (pipelines, natural gas and electricity transmission and distribution) and Energy (power generation and sales, industrial water infrastructure, natural gas gathering, processing, storage and liquids extraction).