Switch thrown on open houses to glean input on Alta. power line project

The Alberta Electric System Operator, the agency that operates the province's electricity system, says the first information session will be held June 2 in Olds, Alta.

The former Alberta Energy and Utilities Board was disbanded by the provincial government last year after it was learned that the board had hired private detectives to watch landowners opposed to the project.

Joe Anglin, a landowner who led the charge against the power line, says they'll have to see whether the operator acts on their concerns to determine whether the open houses have any integrity.

Dick Way, a spokesman for the operator, says they hope to present information on the need for such a project and to get public input.

Last year, the Alberta government created two new regulatory bodies - the Alberta Energy Resources Conservation Board and Alberta Utilities Commission - a move landowners say will leave them with fewer options to complain about such projects.