Pembina welcomes Canada's prioritization of five intertie projects

The Pembina Institute (David Pickup) issued a statement responding to the Government of Canada’s announcement supporting five specific intertie projects.

• The federal government named five priority intertie projects to advance grid reliability and affordability; Pembina says naming specific projects moves the conversation from abstract to concrete and highlights the need to prioritise “five specific lines” including an expansion of the Alberta–B.C. intertie. Key technical details: AB–BC intertie constructed in 1986, designed for 1,200 MW (B.C. → Alberta) and 1,000 MW (Alberta → B.C.), and current operational limits show Alberta restricting flows to 40–60% while B.C. allows up to 90% on its end.
• Background and implementation context: The statement notes Alberta has been directed since 2007 to implement a backup/ancillary services plan but has not done so; AESO is procuring new capacity (peaking gas or batteries) at the direction of the Minister to restore intertie capability; B.C. is skeptical of the timing/effectiveness of Alberta’s restoration efforts. The discussion is factual and focuses on project prioritization, technical capacity figures, regulatory direction, and AESO procurement activity.