Why then should one small group of taxpayers suffer decreased property values because of a project that benefits all Albertans?
The development and ultimate recommendation of a route by the Heartland team will depend on a balancing of factors, involving a selection of the route with the least overall impact. The AUC recently stated that when considering a facilities application for a transmission line, the Commission is obliged by section 17 of the Alberta Utilities Commission Act to consider whether the proposed project is in the public interest having regard to its social and economic effects and its effect on the environment. The Commission stated that assessment of the public interest requires it to balance the benefits associated with the upgrades to the transmission system with the associated impacts, having regard to the legislative framework for transmission development in Alberta. The Commission stated that this exercise necessarily requires the Commission to weigh the impacts that will be experienced on a provincial basis, such as improved system performance, reliability and access, with specific rout
