Road trip to FortisAlberta Training Centre.

 

The Training Centre was the site of the October road trip and all who attended were able to learn more about the centre, the role of Fortis and go on a tour of the facility.  Todd Dettling, Vice President of Customer and Stakeholder Engagement explained that Fortis doesn't sell electricity but brings it to our doors.  They currently employ 1300 employees and maintain 1 million poles and 120 000 km of wire. At the training centre they train power line technicians.  200 applications are received each year for only 8 positions. The facility allows the acquisition of necessary skills to be obtained and practiced in a safe environment that is not affected by weather or climate- much better than being up a high pole in a snowstorm! 

Todd discussed the need for planning for the future with increased demands being placed on the grid during the move away from traditional energy sources such as fossil fuels and toward more electrification in our daily lives.  He shared info re the EV Smart Charge Pilot which focuses on determining the effect on the grid with different practices when charging EV vehicles.