Alberta needs to look at efforts to develop hydro power, ATCO official says.

Alberta must energize efforts to develop hydro power, an official with the Calgary-based ATCO Group said Thursday.

While the modular housing and utilities giant announced a $100 million contract to supply pre-fabricated structures in western Australia, the company cited concerns and business opportunities closer to home.

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Local firm to build Atco’s $1.6B eastern transmission line

EDMONTON – Edmonton-based Valard Construction, which has grown from a small family firm into one of Canada’s leading power-line builders, has landed the biggest contract in its history.

Valard was chosen by Atco Electric on Monday to build foundations and towers, and string cables for the $1.6-billion Eastern Alberta Transmission Line, a 485-kilometre, 500-kilovolt, direct current (DC) line between the Gibbons-Redwater region and an area west of Brooks.

Read more: http://tinyurl.com/apacxew

Airdrie natural gas meters to get technology face lift from ATCO Gas

ATCO Gas is upgrading local natural gas meters with a new automated meter reading (AMR) system. The new devices will use small, battery-powered radio transmitters that attach to existing meters and will allow readings to be to be captured with a vehicle-mounted computer system.

Graeme Feltham, ATCO Gas vice president technical services and chief engineer, said there are two primary reasons for the upgrade.

Read more: http://tinyurl.com/bagal8v