Town of Fort Macleod agrees to sale of electricity distribution system to FortisAlberta Inc.

FORT MACLEOD, AB, Feb. 7, 2018 /CNW/ - On Jan. 22, 2018, the Council of the Town of Fort Macleod approved the sale of the Town's electricity distribution system to FortisAlberta Inc. for $4.77 million.

"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 community engagement process. Moving forward, our priority is to continue to work with the Town and residents to ensure a seamless transition of ownership," says Karl Bomhof, President and CEO, FortisAlberta.

"We are excited to welcome the residents of Fort Macleod as FortisAlberta customers and we look forward to becoming a part of their community," adds Mr. Bomhof.

"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," says Brent Feyter, Mayor, Fort Macleod.

"Throughout the consultation process it was important to Council that we provide open, transparent communication and engagement with our residents. 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," adds Mayor Feyter.

The transfer and sale of the distribution system is subject to regulatory approval by the Alberta Utilities Commission. This transfer will allow the residents of Fort Macleod to receive the benefit of the Company's 24/7 customer care centre; centralized Operations Control Centre; and FortisAlberta's robust storm and outage response services.

About FortisAlberta
As owner and operator of more than 60 per cent of Alberta's total electricity distribution network, FortisAlberta's focus is delivering safe and reliable electricity to more than half a million residential, farm and business customers. The Company serves more than 200 communities with 122,000 kilometres of distribution power lines across Alberta.

About Town of Fort Macleod
Fort Macleod is a vibrant community of 3,000, located within breathtaking sight of the Canadian Rockies. This town is a magnet for those who are seeking a relaxed rural life style, proximity to the Rocky Mountains, a strong sense of community, access to high speed internet and a short drive to Western Canada's corporate capital, Calgary. And of course, it's only an hour drive to the scenic wonders of the Rocky Mountains!

SOURCE FORTISALBERTA INC