The Jasper Interconnection Project is an electricity transmission project that connects Jasper to Alberta’s grid, allowing for safe and reliable electricity for the 5,000 permanent residents and 20,000 daily summer visitors. The line consists of 45 km of 69-kilovolt (kV) transmission line within the Park, connected to another new 69-kV transmission line located outside of the Park. It also includes a planned new substation to be located within the existing Palisades Power Plant site, just outside of the Town of Jasper. 

This project posed numerous topographical, geological and environmental challenges. We were unable to directly embed poles due to the rocky ground conditions and electrical grounding targets. We leveraged our decades of expertise in line design and construction to develop out-of-the-box solutions that met all stakeholder requirements. The line is also the first in North America to use a covered conductor "tree wire” design at 69 kV that allows narrower rights of way by removing the risk of electrical flashover to vegetation.

From a vegetation management perspective, ATCO undertook targeted activities to meet Parks Canada’s rigorous expectations for weed and invasive plant control. Access matting was the primary strategy to minimize the spread of noxious and non-native plant species. Other initiatives included vehicle and machinery cleaning standards to avoid introducing invasive weeds; detailed pre- and post-construction assessments and mapping of plant communities to detect the introduction and spread of invasive species to new sites; and mapping and operational avoidance of riparian protection and herbicide-free zones.

BACKGROUND

UNESCO world heritage site Jasper National Park is an international vacation and exploration destination, renowned as a remote but accessible mountain park and townsite. Jasper was isolated from the province’s electrical power distribution grid and has relied on diesel- and gas-powered generation at the Palisades Power Plant in Jasper. 

The Palisades Power Plant was nearing the end of its life, presenting an opportunity to evaluate the options of replacing the existing power plant or connecting Jasper to Alberta’s electric grid. We found the latter to be a better option to build a cleaner, more reliable energy future in Jasper and Alberta.