New hydroelectric project on the Peace River?

Hydro Electric In mid-July, a joint review panel was announced to review the proposed Glacier Power Ltd. Hydroelectric Project near Dunvegan on the Peace River. The project proposes a 100-megawatt run-of-the-river infrastructure project to capture the energy of the river. This is the project's second time before the panel. A previous joint review panel rejected the project in March 2003 because the panel felt that the project posed an elevated risk of flooding in the lower town of Peace River and uncertainty around fish migration. The company had the opportunity to reapply once they addressed the panel's concerns. Presumably they have done so.

Watch for day-by-day updates on the Dunvegan hydroelectric project at Alberta Wilderness Society's website.The joint panel hearing commenced on Monday, September 22, 2008 at 10:30 a.m. at the Dunvegan Motor Inn (9812 - 113 Street) in Fairview, Alberta. Government of Canada, Natural Resources Conservation Board, and the Alberta Utilities Commission appointed representatives to review the Glacier Power Dunvegan project based on an agreement that describes the process and scope of the assessment. At the hearing proponents and opponents of the project can offer evidence to either support or oppose the project before the panel. The joint review by the three agencies (NRCB, AUC, and federal Ministry of Environment) is intended to remove redundancy and confusion in reviewing the project.

The public input period ended in May 2008 and persons seeking to intervene had to apply to intervene and present their opinion and evidence of their position to the panel. Submissions from interveners were due by September 10, 2008. Government of Canada provided intervener funding to those who applied, including Alberta Wilderness Association who was awarded such funding and is one intervener on the case.

For the project to proceed, the project is subject to an assessment under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act (CEAA). An environmental impact assessment under Alberta's Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act was complete in January 2008. This hearing is a part of the assessment under the CEAA. Glacier Power will require approvals under more than one legal document:

Natural Resources Conservation Board Act (Natural Resources Conservation Board)
Alberta Utilities Commission Act (Alberta Utilities Commission)
Hydro and Electric Energy Act

For information during the hearing, a public registry will be maintained at the offices of the AUC and will be available during the review.

Project description

The run-of-the-river project would be located approximately 2 kilometres west of the Highway 2 bridge crossing at Dunvegan Historic Park (Dunvegan). Dunvegan is located 80 kilometres north of Grande Prairie and 20 kilometres south of Fairview.

The project will involve construction of a spillway and powerhouse across the width of the Peace River, so as to increase the water level by on average 6.6 metres. This structure will create a "headpond" (or reservoir) approximately 26 kilometres upstream of the structure. The structure will not store the water but will collect the kinetic energy of the moving water as it moves through 40 turbine units. These turbines will be constructed side by side along the length of the powerhouse (288 metres), from the north to the south banks of the river.

To maintain access to navigate the river, a boat lock will be created for boat movement across the structure. A boat ramp upstream of the structure will provide access to the "headpond". Fish ladders will be placed on each bank to allow upstream fish movement, and ten fish sluices between the powerhouse units will allow downstream fish movement.

To move the electricity to users, a 144 kV transmission line of 4.3 kilometres would be would be necessary to interconnect the existing ATCO 144 kV line.

What will the joint review panel consider?

According to the Agreement to Establish a Joint Panel for the Glacier Power Dunvegan Hydroelectric Project (the Agreement), the scope of the review involves:

Environmental impacts of the project in general, as a result of malfunctions or incidents, and the significance of the impacts
Comments from the public received during the review
Measures that would mitigate the impacts
Purpose of the project
Alternative means of carrying out the project
Capacity of renewable resources that will be affected by the project and impact present and future generations
Need for project
Alternatives to it
Aboriginal traditional knowledge received during the review
Measures to enhance any beneficial environmental effects
Spatial and temporal environmental effects

Of course, the joint review panel will have to determine whether the new proposal addresses the reasons it was first rejected in March 2003.

See the Joint Review Panel's Decision Report, March 2003.

What are run-of-the-river developments?

In contrast to traditional large dams that impound rivers in reservoirs, run-of-the-river projects are constructed purely for the electricity they produce. Dams with reservoirs can be used for electricity production as well as water supply for urban and irrigation supply and flood mitigation.

Run-of-the-river projects do not impound the rivers. Instead they redirect the water through a pipe called a penstock within which the moving water pushes turbines. These turbines translate the kinetic energy of the moving water into electrical energy, which can then be transmitted through transmission lines to where the electricity will be used. Run-of-the river projects require a consistent flow of water year round and a gradient in the river to keep the water flowing. Traditional dams impound the river as a reservoir and turbines collect the kinetic energy as water is released from behind the dam wall. These dams do not require consistent flow or a gradient in the river because the dam wall holds back the water until electricity is needed.

Impact of run-of-the-river developments?

Run-of-the-river developments theoretically have far less impact than dams because they do not impound the river and do not disrupt stream flow to the extent that a dam would. A dam that impounds a river creates ecological and social problems by flooding large tracts of land upstream of the dam.

However, the size of each project can vary considerably. Some projects merely redirect a small portion of the river's flow through the penstock. Some projects involve a dam across the breadth of the river so as to take full advantage of the river's kinetic energy. Because there is a dam, a reservoir is created. But because there is no flooding, it can be considered a run-of-the-river project.

From the project description, the Dunvegan project will likely be of the latter type, where a dam spans the width of the river, creating a reservoir.

What are some of the impacts that need to be assessed?

Reduction of water flow and alteration to natural flow regime
Blockage of fish migration
Increased erosion and landslides due to land disturbance
Loss of forests and other natural areas
Impact to local residents, as well as upstream and downstream residents (e.g. recreation, cultural and historic sites, property damage)
Cumulative impact of other projects on the same river or watershed
Water temperature changes, turbidity, nutrients
Impacts of both construction and operation

Examples of run-of-the-river projects

Sources

Enmax. Run-of-river.

Foundation for Water and Energy Education. How a hydroelectric river can affect a river.

Petts, Judith. 1999. Handbook of Environmental Impact Assessment. Blackwell Publishing.

Wikipedia. Run-of-the-river hydroelectricity.