Latest news with #Bill52
National Post
05-05-2025
- Business
- National Post
AltaLink Supports Alberta Government Transmission Policy Designed to Maintain Affordability for Electricity Ratepayers
Article content CALGARY, Alberta — AltaLink is supportive of ensuring reliable and affordable electricity for Albertans through the proposed Government of Alberta legislation. Bill 52, the Energy and Utilities Statutes Amendment Act, 2025, includes prioritizing the use of existing transmission infrastructure while capturing opportunities to reduce costs to ratepayers for the construction of new transmission lines when needed. Article content 'We support the Government of Alberta's changes to align transmission policy with today's electricity grid, including the implementation of solutions to optimize the existing system and maximize its value before building new transmission lines,' said Gary Hart, AltaLink President and Chief Executive Officer. 'The transmission system is the backbone of our economy. The updated direction sets a clear path for responsible transmission growth while prioritizing reliable and affordable service to our customers.' Article content By the end of 2025, AltaLink will be the only Alberta utility to keep its revenue requirement below the 2018 level of $904 million for seven consecutive years, excluding recovery costs incurred during Alberta's historic 2023 wildfire season and other adjustments as directed by the Alberta Utilities Commission. The company has strived to meet or beat inflation in its controllable operating costs to support affordability for customers. Article content 'We understand that rising costs of living have put pressure on households, farms and businesses throughout our province,' said Mr. Hart. 'Our commitment to carefully manage costs while improving our top quartile safety and reliability performance drives our continuous improvement culture, benefitting every Albertan.' Article content Today, AltaLink, L.P. announced net and comprehensive income of $80.2 million for the three months ended March 31, 2025, compared to $82.6 million for the same quarter in 2024. Our net and comprehensive income for the three months ended March 31, 2025, decreased by $2.4 million compared to the same period in 2024. The decrease is primarily due to decreased revenue from a lower approved return on equity of 8.97% in 2025 versus 9.28% in 2024 and lower interest expense recovery. Article content For the three months ended March 31, 2025, our revenue from operations decreased by $13.2 million compared to the same period in 2024. The decrease is primarily due to lower revenue as a result of lower recovery of salvage expenses and lower equity returns on rate base. On June 19, 2024, the AUC approved the collection of costs of site preparation for capital replacement projects over the average useful lives of the related replacement assets effective January 1, 2024. Article content As a partnership, AltaLink, L.P. reports its net income before income taxes; therefore, its results are not directly comparable with net income reported by corporations that recognize income taxes in their financial statements. Article content AltaLink's full financial results and management's discussion and analysis can be found on AltaLink's website at or on SEDAR+ at Headquartered in Calgary, with offices in Edmonton, Red Deer and Lethbridge, AltaLink is Alberta's largest electricity transmission provider, with more than 13,400 kilometres of transmission lines and more than 310 substations. AltaLink is partnering with its customers to provide innovative solutions to meet the province's demand for reliable and affordable energy. Article content AltaLink's first quarter of 2025 results highlight ongoing focus on safety, reliability and customer satisfaction: Article content We achieved a customer satisfaction average score of 9.83 out of 10 compared to 9.66 for the same quarter in 2024. We had zero employee injuries matching our performance for the same quarter in 2024. Our customer average outage duration increased to two minutes compared to one minute for the same quarter in 2024. This increase was primarily due to an equipment malfunction at a remote site. On March 5, 2025, the AUC issued a permit and licence to proceed with AltaLink's 799L Transmission Line Rebuild project. This project includes the rebuild of a 62-kilometre portion of the 138-kilovolt transmission line that spans across Woodlands, Lac St. Anne, Yellowhead, and Parkland Counties. The current forecasted investment in the project is $43.3 million. On March 27, 2025, we borrowed $37.6 million from the Canada Infrastructure Bank, with a maturity date of June 30, 2056, to fund the Central East Transfer-Out project. The fixed 31-year interest rate of 2.17% is approximately 227 basis points lower than a conventional 30-year AltaLink bond offering. As a result, AltaLink customers will receive estimated interest rate savings of approximately $60 million related to financing of the Central East Transfer-Out project over the life of the long-term debt. On March 28, 2025, we energized a reconfigured 610L transmission line, which is part of the Vauxhall Area Transmission Development project. The other part of this project was completed in November 2024 with the energization of our 879L transmission line. Reclamation work continues and the project will be completed in the second quarter of 2025. The current forecasted investment in the project is $23.3 million. On May 1, 2025, S&P reaffirmed its issuer credit rating and senior secured rating on AltaLink at 'A-' with a stable outlook. An 'A-' rating allows us to keep debt financing costs low for our customers. We earned net and comprehensive income of $80.2 million compared to $82.6 million for the same quarter in 2024. Our income decreased mainly due to decreased revenue from a lower approved return on equity of 8.97% in 2025 versus 9.28% in 2024 and lower interest expense recovery. We invested $103.6 million in capital assets compared to $69.6 million for the same quarter in 2024 to ensure continued electric transmission system safety and reliability, and to connect customers. Article content This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy AltaLink's securities in any jurisdiction, including but not limited to, the United States. AltaLink's securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the 'U.S. Securities Act'), or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold in the United States except in certain transactions exempt from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws. Article content Except for the historical and present factual information contained herein, the matters set forth in this news release, including words such as 'expects', 'intends', 'projects', 'plans', 'anticipates', and similar expressions, are forward looking information that represents management of AltaLink's internal projections, expectations or beliefs concerning, among other things, future operating results and various components thereof or the economic performance of AltaLink. The projections, estimates and beliefs contained in such forward-looking statements necessarily involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which may cause AltaLink's actual performance and financial results in future periods to differ materially from any projections of future performance or results expressed or implied by such forward looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, among other things, those described in AltaLink's filings with the Canadian securities authorities. Accordingly, holders of AltaLink securities and potential investors are cautioned that events or circumstances could cause results to differ materially from those predicted. AltaLink disclaims any responsibility to update these forward-looking statements. Article content Article content Article content Article content Article content Contacts Article content For more information please contact: Article content Investor Relations Chris Lomore Vice President, Treasurer AltaLink Management Ltd. Phone: 403.828.1521 E-mail: Article content Article content Article content
Business Wire
05-05-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
AltaLink Supports Alberta Government Transmission Policy Designed to Maintain Affordability for Electricity Ratepayers
CALGARY, Alberta--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AltaLink is supportive of ensuring reliable and affordable electricity for Albertans through the proposed Government of Alberta legislation. Bill 52, the , includes prioritizing the use of existing transmission infrastructure while capturing opportunities to reduce costs to ratepayers for the construction of new transmission lines when needed. 'We support the Government of Alberta's changes to align transmission policy with today's electricity grid, including the implementation of solutions to optimize the existing system and maximize its value before building new transmission lines,' said Gary Hart, AltaLink President and Chief Executive Officer. 'The transmission system is the backbone of our economy. The updated direction sets a clear path for responsible transmission growth while prioritizing reliable and affordable service to our customers.' By the end of 2025, AltaLink will be the only Alberta utility to keep its revenue requirement below the 2018 level of $904 million for seven consecutive years, excluding recovery costs incurred during Alberta's historic 2023 wildfire season and other adjustments as directed by the Alberta Utilities Commission. The company has strived to meet or beat inflation in its controllable operating costs to support affordability for customers. 'We understand that rising costs of living have put pressure on households, farms and businesses throughout our province,' said Mr. Hart. 'Our commitment to carefully manage costs while improving our top quartile safety and reliability performance drives our continuous improvement culture, benefitting every Albertan.' AltaLink announces 2025 first quarter financial results Today, AltaLink, L.P. announced net and comprehensive income of $80.2 million for the three months ended March 31, 2025, compared to $82.6 million for the same quarter in 2024. Our net and comprehensive income for the three months ended March 31, 2025, decreased by $2.4 million compared to the same period in 2024. The decrease is primarily due to decreased revenue from a lower approved return on equity of 8.97% in 2025 versus 9.28% in 2024 and lower interest expense recovery. For the three months ended March 31, 2025, our revenue from operations decreased by $13.2 million compared to the same period in 2024. The decrease is primarily due to lower revenue as a result of lower recovery of salvage expenses and lower equity returns on rate base. On June 19, 2024, the AUC approved the collection of costs of site preparation for capital replacement projects over the average useful lives of the related replacement assets effective January 1, 2024. As a partnership, AltaLink, L.P. reports its net income before income taxes; therefore, its results are not directly comparable with net income reported by corporations that recognize income taxes in their financial statements. AltaLink's full financial results and management's discussion and analysis can be found on AltaLink's website at or on SEDAR+ at Headquartered in Calgary, with offices in Edmonton, Red Deer and Lethbridge, AltaLink is Alberta's largest electricity transmission provider, with more than 13,400 kilometres of transmission lines and more than 310 substations. AltaLink is partnering with its customers to provide innovative solutions to meet the province's demand for reliable and affordable energy. Significant highlights during the first quarter of 2025 AltaLink's first quarter of 2025 results highlight ongoing focus on safety, reliability and customer satisfaction: We achieved a customer satisfaction average score of 9.83 out of 10 compared to 9.66 for the same quarter in 2024. We had zero employee injuries matching our performance for the same quarter in 2024. Our customer average outage duration increased to two minutes compared to one minute for the same quarter in 2024. This increase was primarily due to an equipment malfunction at a remote site. On March 5, 2025, the AUC issued a permit and licence to proceed with AltaLink's 799L Transmission Line Rebuild project. This project includes the rebuild of a 62-kilometre portion of the 138-kilovolt transmission line that spans across Woodlands, Lac St. Anne, Yellowhead, and Parkland Counties. The current forecasted investment in the project is $43.3 million. On March 27, 2025, we borrowed $37.6 million from the Canada Infrastructure Bank, with a maturity date of June 30, 2056, to fund the Central East Transfer-Out project. The fixed 31-year interest rate of 2.17% is approximately 227 basis points lower than a conventional 30-year AltaLink bond offering. As a result, AltaLink customers will receive estimated interest rate savings of approximately $60 million related to financing of the Central East Transfer-Out project over the life of the long-term debt. On March 28, 2025, we energized a reconfigured 610L transmission line, which is part of the Vauxhall Area Transmission Development project. The other part of this project was completed in November 2024 with the energization of our 879L transmission line. Reclamation work continues and the project will be completed in the second quarter of 2025. The current forecasted investment in the project is $23.3 million. On May 1, 2025, S&P reaffirmed its issuer credit rating and senior secured rating on AltaLink at 'A-' with a stable outlook. An 'A-' rating allows us to keep debt financing costs low for our customers. We earned net and comprehensive income of $80.2 million compared to $82.6 million for the same quarter in 2024. Our income decreased mainly due to decreased revenue from a lower approved return on equity of 8.97% in 2025 versus 9.28% in 2024 and lower interest expense recovery. We invested $103.6 million in capital assets compared to $69.6 million for the same quarter in 2024 to ensure continued electric transmission system safety and reliability, and to connect customers. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy AltaLink's securities in any jurisdiction, including but not limited to, the United States. AltaLink's securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the 'U.S. Securities Act'), or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold in the United States except in certain transactions exempt from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws. Except for the historical and present factual information contained herein, the matters set forth in this news release, including words such as 'expects', 'intends', 'projects', 'plans', 'anticipates', and similar expressions, are forward looking information that represents management of AltaLink's internal projections, expectations or beliefs concerning, among other things, future operating results and various components thereof or the economic performance of AltaLink. The projections, estimates and beliefs contained in such forward-looking statements necessarily involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which may cause AltaLink's actual performance and financial results in future periods to differ materially from any projections of future performance or results expressed or implied by such forward looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, among other things, those described in AltaLink's filings with the Canadian securities authorities. Accordingly, holders of AltaLink securities and potential investors are cautioned that events or circumstances could cause results to differ materially from those predicted. AltaLink disclaims any responsibility to update these forward-looking statements.
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Honolulu Council adopts ban on wheelies for e-bikes, motorcycles
JAMM AQUINO / JUNE 14 A young man performs a wheelie on an electric bike on Lagoon Drive in Honolulu. JAMM AQUINO / JUNE 14 A young man performs a wheelie on an electric bike on Lagoon Drive in Honolulu. A measure targeting the riders of electric bicycles, mopeds and motorcycles who perform stunts on public streets or roadways has successfully steered its way through the Honolulu City Council. The Council voted unanimously Wednesday to adopt Bill 61, which is aimed at curbing wheelies—when, the measure states, the front wheel of an e-bike, moped or motorcycle is raised so that the vehicle is balanced for a moment on its rear wheel or wheels—while riding in public on Oahu. The bill would, however, allow such stunts to be performed as part of a parade, tournament or other activity permitted by the city. The anti -wheelies legislation does not include human-powered, non-motorized bicycles, city officials say. But before the vote, the new measure received criticism from at least one member of the public—namely, due to Honolulu Police Department already having the power to cite for reckless driving violations on city streets. 'So it seems like this bill is actually unnecessary, ' Hawaii Kai resident Natalie Iwasa told the panel. 'And I'm a bit concerned that if you pass it, then what about other types of reckless driving ?' 'Do we have to have a separate bill for those types of issues as well, like swerving, or whatever people are doing out on the roadways that is dangerous ?' she added. 'I'm not so sure this is really needed.' Don 't miss out on what 's happening ! Stay in touch with breaking news, as it happens, conveniently in your email inbox. It 's FREE ! Email 28141 Sign Up By clicking to sign up, you agree to Star-Advertiser 's and Google 's and. This form is protected by reCAPTCHA. Council Vice Chair Matt Weyer—who co-sponsored Bill 61 with Radiant Cordero—said the new measure would be 'a tool in the toolkit that came from our community conversations, particularly those involved in Neighborhood Security Watch, and doing a lot of work with our law enforcement.' Responding that it will help improve the situation, he said, 'This isn't going to solve all of our e-bike issues. Whether it's in this particular bill—or any criminal (or ) civil type violation law that we look at—I think are useful approaches, ' he said, along with making sure the laws passed are easy to enforce and easy to move through the judiciary.' In a written statement after the meeting, Cordero said, 'E-bike accidents have become increasingly common across the island, and many concerned constituents have contacted me about the growing and dangerous trend of performing wheelies on our streets.' 'This bill prohibiting wheelies aims to directly address these reckless behaviors and sends a strong message that the safety of our community is an absolute priority, ' she added. Bill 61 is similar to another Council measure that promotes greater e-bike regulation. Bill 52—sponsored last year by Council members Augie Tulba and Tyler Dos Santos-Tam—was largely aimed at e-bike usage on Oahu streets, often by underage children. The bill asserts e-bikes exceeding 750 watts are prohibited on public roads, highways, alleys, paths or trails. The measure mandates that riders under 18 years of age wear a helmet. The measure—like Bill 61—requires riders to keep both wheels on the ground, remain properly seated, and avoid dangerous maneuvers. And, like Bill 61, the legislation prohibits exhibition riding, such as wheelies and standing on handlebars, unless part of an authorized event. On Feb. 18, Mayor Rick Blangiardi signed Bill 52 into law. These related measures come as more e-bike accidents and fatalities occur on Oahu. An underage e-bike rider died from her injuries after colliding with a car in Ewa Beach on Feb. 27. At about 4 p.m. that day, the 7-year-old girl was rushed to the hospital in critical condition following a collision that occurred at the intersection of Kauwili and Laupapa streets, HPD's Traffic Division stated. The girl was traveling westbound on Laupapa, and attempted to make a left turn with an e-bike onto Kauwili when she turned into the path of a motorist and was struck by the car. She was not wearing a helmet, police said. According to the Hawaii Bicycling League, Hawaii law requires the operator of a low-speed e-bike to be at least 15 years old.
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
New law to better regulate e-bikes on Oahu signed by Mayor Blangiardi
HONOLULU (KHON2) — As the use of e-bikes grows, so does the number of injuries. A new law in place on Oahu aims to make our streets signing of Bill 52 hopes to better regulate e-bike use and keep people out of hospitals. Honda recalls more than 290,000 vehicles over possible engine issue 'You think it's a lot of fun until you end up in the emergency room. You think it's a lot of fun, until your parents find out you got killed,' stated Honolulu Mayor, Rick Blangiardi. 'This piece of legislation is designed to try to help people from hurting themselves.' E-bikes exceeding 750 watts are now prohibited from operating on public streets, highways, alleys, paths or trails on Oahu. 'It's an electric version of a gas-powered car. Basically, letting [kids] ride a Surron, you're letting them ride a motorcycle,' said Honolulu Police Department Major James Slayter. 'These things go over 50 miles per hour or more. They're very dangerous.' The new law states anyone under 18 must wear a helmet when riding an e-bike. 'While people may still get injured with a helmet, you're protecting the brain. You're protecting against a future disability and death,' said Dr. Jim Ireland, Honolulu EMS director. Riders must keep both wheels on the ground, sit properly on the seat and avoid reckless maneuvers like wheelies or standing on the handlebars. 'The officers had to take risk assessments into account, like how are they going to do the traffic stop or possibly even get into a pursuit [in] high populated areas. So, for enforcement, we'll just continue doing what we have been doing,' Slayter said. Honolulu EMS responded to 348 e-bike incidents and crashes in 2024. 'That comes out to just about one a day. So far in 2025, we're on the same track. Injuries we see, not only do they include fractures, chest, and abdominal injuries, but they also include critical facial and head injuries that have also been unfortunately fatal,' Ireland said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Ban on wheelies under Council consideration
Riders of electric bicycles, mopeds and motorcycles will no longer be able to perform stunts on any public street or roadway if a measure targeting such behavior is able to steer its way through the Honolulu City Council. Introduced in November, Council Bill 61 is supposedly aimed at curbing wheelies—in which, the measure states, the front wheel of an e-bike, moped or motorcycle is raised so that the vehicle is balanced for a moment on its rear wheel or wheels—while riding in public on Oahu. The measure would, however, allow such stunts to be performed as part of a parade, tournament or other activity permitted by the city. The anti-wheelies legislation does not include human-powered, nonmotorized bicycles, city officials say. Bill 61—which passed its first reading before the full Council in December—is similar to another Council measure that also promotes greater e-bike regulation in Honolulu. During its Jan. 29 meeting, the panel voted unanimously to adopt Bill 52, which requires helmets for those who ride e-bikes and seeks to stop unsafe riding practices while operating the machines. The mayor has formally approved Bill 52. At the Council's Committee on Planning, Infrastructure and Transportation meeting Wednesday, Vice Chair Matt Weyer—who co-sponsored Bill 61 with Radiant Cordero—offered verbal amendments to the latest measure. Don 't miss out on what 's happening ! Stay in touch with breaking news, as it happens, conveniently in your email inbox. It 's FREE ! Email 28141 Sign Up By clicking to sign up, you agree to Star-Advertiser 's and Google 's and. This form is protected by reCAPTCHA. In part, Weyer requested to incorporate data gleaned from the state Department of Health 'that relates to increased accidents and impacts from electric bicycles ' and was information originally presented in Bill 52. DOH asserts the average number of reported e-bike incidents statewide more than doubled to an average of 24 per month in 2024 from 10 per month in 2022. Oahu experienced a nearly threefold increase, from an average of 19 per month in 2024 to seven per month in 2022, the data indicates. Oahu also accounted for 75 % of the statewide e-bike incidents, with most of the injured patients—65 %—transported by city Emergency Medical Services ambulances to local hospitals, according to DOH. Helmet use among e-bike riders has steadily declined, too, during the study period, to 29 % in 2024 from 51 % in 2022, the data shows. Helmeted riders were older, on average, and experienced fewer traumatic brain injuries than unhelmeted riders—13 % versus 32 %, DOH data indicates. Additionally, unhelmeted riders were more likely to require hospitalization, with head injuries being most common among this group. The financial impact of e-bike-related injuries is significant, too, with average medical costs reaching $16, 162 for emergency department visits and $121, 445 for hospitalizations, according to DOH. Hospitalized patients often required extended care, including discharge to skilled nursing or rehabilitation facilities. Under Hawaii law, all kids under age 16 must wear a helmet while riding a bicycle. A person must be at least 15 years old to ride a 'low-speed electric bicycle ' registered to an adult household member. At the meeting, city Transportation Director-designate Roger Morton told the committee his agency is 'strongly in favor of pedestrian safety.' To that end he asserted existing state law offers 'a section that allowed counties to have temporary regulations for emergency or special conditions ' related to the growing number of injurious or fatal incidents involving e-bikes. 'We think that the proliferation of these bikes does constitute a special situation, so there's some relief in that area, too, ' Morton said. He also alluded to state lawmakers still trying to forge legislation to deal with the issue. 'I would also say that there are something like 10 bills in the Legislature right now that are discussing definitions or regulations of e-bikes in one form or another, ' he added. 'We welcome those state efforts as well, and we're going to monitor those state efforts as we go forward.' Later, Council member Tyler Dos Santos-Tam asked Morton to clarify whether Bill 61 would prohibit wheelies only on e-bikes, mopeds or motorcycles rather than on 'traditional bicycles.' 'In your experience … the really problematic behavior is with these motorized devices, right ?' Dos Santos-Tam asked. 'Kids aren't cracking their heads open on traditional bikes doing wheelies.' Morton replied, 'The proliferation of these motorized devices have created unsafe behaviors on the street, and that's certainly been the department's direction : to target the motorized versions of the bicycles.' 'On a public street there's really no purpose to do a wheelie, even on a bicycle, ' he added. 'Kids can be kids in parks, but our focus has been on the motorized versions of these (bikes ), where we think that there is a special problem.' During public testimony, Kaneohe resident Donald Sakamoto said he supported the anti-wheelies measure. It's 'very dangerous with these kinds of vehicles, especially for the blind and disabled, ' he added. Council member Andria Tupola also questioned a city attorney over the 'caveat ' Morton alluded to in state law that allows the City Council 'to propose regulation of mopeds and motorcycles if there's an emergency.' In response, city Deputy Corporation Counsel Brian Ancheta said Hawaii Revised Statute 291C-163 A 22—also known as the Statewide Traffic Code—'shall not be deemed to prevent counties, with respect to streets and highways under their jurisdiction, from adopting and enforcing temporary or experimental regulations that may be necessary to cover emergencies for special conditions.' Bill 61 as amended could be used 'to show to any reasonable leader that (the city ) has issues with regards to wheelies from ' e-bikes, mopeds and motorcycles, he said. Tupola also wanted to know whether the city's definition of a moped and a motorcycle matched the language found in state laws. Ancheta confirmed the city and state definitions of those powered vehicles 'had no conflict.' Under further Council questioning, Morton claimed the city could look to see whether individual counties in Hawaii have additional regulations that could be 'more stringent ' when it comes to e-bike, moped and motorcycle violations. 'We'll research that at the department level, ' he said, adding that DTS will track the current flurry of state-level legislation on e-bikes. 'We'll research what the many bills do and try to figure out which ones are going to be supported by the majority at the Legislature and which ones are probably just piled and being filed.' As the planning panel's chair, Cordero successfully recommended Weyer's committee draft of Bill 61 be passed on to the full Council for possible second reading review and adoption. The Council's next meeting is scheduled for Feb. 26.
