30 Fairmont Park Lane S
Lethbridge, AB
T1K 7H7
Phone: (403) 328-1804
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
The Editor
The Lethbridge Herald
P.O. Box 670
Lethbridge, AB, T1J 3Z7
Dear Editor,
It is good to see that the entrepreneurs behind the proposed power line from Great Falls to Lethbridge are going forward with the approval process. (“Cross- border power line faces $5M detour”, June 20, A3)
It is notable that half of the lines capacity has already been sold and the company is looking to tie into wind energy in Alberta. That raises the interesting possibility that Alberta wind energy subsidized by Canadian taxpayers will be generously exported to our good neighbors in Montana. The company’s website at www.matl.ca also mentions an opportunity to export electricity co-generated from Alberta oil sands operations.
The really intriguing prospect for this project is that it might finally bring some competition into Alberta’s electricity system. Montana has some coal power plants. Power plants south of the border are so far unfettered by the anticipated additional expense of producing electricity under the carbon dioxide emission constraints of the Kyoto Protocol. Perhaps another entrepreneur will investigate the potential this power line provides to profitably offer lower electricity prices to Lethbridge businesses and homeowners.
Yours truly,
Duane Pendergast