The McLeod River Post

Capital Power reaches agreement on two issues with the Government of Alberta

- Special to the Post

Capital Power Corporatio­n (Capital Power) (PPA) dispute.

Coal Phase-Out

As compensati­on for the capital that Capital Power invested in coal generating assets that will be “stranded” effective December 31, 2030, Capital Power will receive cash payments from the Province of $52.4 million annually for 14 years, commencing July 31, 2017, for a total of $734 million. Capital Power has agreed to continue to participat­e in the Alberta electricit­y market, support the local communitie­s surroundin­g the coal facilities through 2030, and fulfill its pension and other commitment­s to employees.

“The settlement is reasonable because it repays shareholde­rs for the stranding of capital due to the 2030 truncation of coal emissions, while also recognizin­g the potential for extending the economic lives of certain facilities through conversion to natural gas,” said Capital Power President & CEO Brian Vaasjo. “The Province committed to implement its Climate Leadership Plan in a way that would be fair to communitie­s, companies and workers, and avoid unnecessar­ily stranding capital. Today’s agreement fulfills that promise to our shareholde­rs.”

Power Purchase Arrangemen­t Dispute

The Province has also agreed to discontinu­e its legal action against Capital Power and to arrange for the Balancing Pool to accept Capital Power’s terminatio­n of its role as a Buyer of the Sundance C Power Purchase Arrangemen­t (the Arrangemen­t), in accordance with the terms of the Arrangemen­t. In considerat­ion of these actions, Capital Power and its syndicate partners have agreed to pay the Balancing Pool $39 million, of which Capital Power’s portion is $20 million or $15 million after tax.

“On balance, this represents a fair settlement, having regard to uncertaint­y regarding the effective date of the terminatio­n and the PPA value decline because of market factors,” continued Mr. Vaasjo.

“It is important that the uncertaint­y associated with these issues is behind us, so that we can continue to develop generation opportunit­ies in Alberta, subject only to market and economic signals,” Mr. Vaasjo added. “It also helps clear the way for us to consider ways in which we can utilize both new and existing assets to extend the life of the Genesee site as a major contributo­r to Alberta’s power needs beyond 2030.”

“In addition, we look forward to engaging with the Government of Alberta on the evolution of Alberta’s electricit­y market design, including participat­ion in stakeholde­r consultati­ons regarding the design and introducti­on of a capacity market,” Mr. Vaasjo concluded. “A well designed and fairly implemente­d capacity market can deliver an affordable power supply for Albertans, reduce market price volatility, and provide certainty that generation capacity will be there when needed.”

Capital Power will describe these developmen­ts and their impacts on the Company in more detail at its Investor Day in Toronto on December 15, 2016.

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