Town of Fort Macleod approves electricity sale to Fortis

Jeremy Appel
Westwind Weekly News

Fort Macleod council approved the sale of the town’s electricity distribution system to FortisAlberta for $4.77 million at its Jan. 22 meeting.
Fortis CEO Karl Bomhof expressed his gratitude to the town in a statement.
“We are pleased to have this opportunity to partner with the Town of Fort Macleod in this endeavour, and we thank the council and the residents for the time and energy they devoted to the consultation and communitu engagement process,” he said.
“Moving forward, our priority is to continue to work with the town and residents to ensure a seamless transition of ownership.
“We are excited to welcome the residents of Fort Macleod as FortisAlberta customers and we look forward to becoming part of the community.”
Fort Macleod Mayor Brent Feyter defended the sale, saying that it was in the town’s best long-term interests.
“FortisAlberta has been providing electricity service in Alberta, including the area surrounding Fort Macleod for over a century and we are confident that this sale is in the interests of Fort Macleod.
“They have the expertise and resources to ensure the long-term reliability of our system and to provide the safe, cost-effective service our residents require,” said Feyter.
Fortis owns and operates more than 60 per cent of Alberta’s total electricity distribution network, which includes upwards of 200 communities.
Council came to the decision after a public consultation process, Feyter added.
“Throughout the consultation process it was important to Council that we provide open, transparent communication and engagement with our residents,” he said.
“FortisAlberta was an effective partner in this process and they demonstrated respect for our community as we worked towards this important decision.
“At the end of the day, it is the right thing for us to do financially and we look forward to the benefits our community will receive as a result of the sale.”
The transfer of the town’s electricity distribution to Fortis ownership is subject to regulatory approval by the Alberta Utilities Commission.