Jumbo
Battery

AltaLink, the designated transmission facility owner for Jumbo BESS, is responsible for the permitting and engineering of the interconnection scope of work, including transmission design and associated infrastructure. A separate process and AUC application will be prepared and submitted by AltaLink at the appropriate time. 

Jumbo BESS is planned to interconnect to the existing 240kV high-voltage transmission line 1037L via the proposed Stowe 1133S switching station. The interconnection point is located approximately 80 meters east of the project site boundary.

In May 2024, the Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO) released its Long-term Outlook report, projecting significant growth in Alberta’s energy demand over the next 20 years. This increase is driven by the electrification of transportation, heating, and industrial activities, along with emerging sectors such as data centers and AI-related computing. Energy storage is highlighted as a supplementary solution in the early phase of the forecast. 

To support the grid, AESO plans to procure up to 800 MW of power from battery energy storage systems (BESS) by 2026. 

Batteries provide a host of important services to improve the grid: 

• Frequency support: Batteries can react in microseconds to stabilize the grid in real time, thereby preventing grid failures 

• In case of exceptional events such as sudden spike in demand in winter, batteries can support the network 

• Battery facilities smoothens the intermittency of renewables. As more cheap renewable power comes on grid, batteries balance the production profile.

The proposed site satisfies the conditions necessary to host a battery facility, including landowner willingness, minimal environmental constraints, relatively flat terrain, proximity to transmission that can accommodate the facility, proximity to demand, construction feasibility, and site accessibility.

Jumbo Battery is expected to be in operation for 20 to 30 years.

Jumbo Battery will charge and discharge electricity based on market signals and system needs, as managed by the Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO). Since Alberta operates a provincially interconnected electricity grid, it is not possible to trace the specific source of energy that the battery stores or where the discharged power will be used. The battery facility will draw electricity from the grid when charging and inject power back into the grid when discharging, contributing to overall system reliability, energy balancing, and market efficiency. Ultimately, the energy mix in Alberta is determined by the generation sources feeding into the grid at any given time.

Construction of a battery facility typically takes 1.5 to 2 years to complete, with civil construction activities, such as excavation, lasting between six and 12 months. Construction duration is affected by factors such as weather and supply chain.

Battery facility construction activities include: 

• installation of site temporary fencing 

• equipment mobilization 

• ground clearing and grading 

• shallow excavation and pouring of concrete slabs or drilling of helical piles 

• hoisting of battery containers and substation equipment 

• erection of steel or wood transmission structures and transmission lines 

• electrical connection work 

• acoustic barrier wall installation (if required) 

• permanent fence installation 

• final landscaping 

In addition to construction activities, daily deliveries and truck activity along haul routes can be expected. At peak construction, approximately 100 people can be expected on-site each day. 

It will take four fours to complete a charge and four hours to complete a discharge. There may also be periods where the facility is unstaffed. The battery facility is remotely monitored 24/7.

Yes. Under the terms of its lease agreement, Jumbo Battery is subject to a decommissioning and reclamation security obligation. Specifically, the lease requires that—no later than five years before the end of the operational term, and if decommissioning security is not otherwise required by regulators—Neoen must provide financial security (such as a cash bond, letter of credit, or corporate parent guarantee) to ensure fulfillment of its decommissioning and reclamation obligations. These obligations must be carried out in accordance with applicable laws and regulations in force at the time, including AUC Rule 007 and, if applicable, Alberta’s Conservation and Reclamation Regulation and Directive for Renewable Energy Operations.

The lease further requires Neoen to restore the leased lands to substantially the same condition as at the start of the agreement—this includes soil quality reclamation and the removal of infrastructure to defined depths (e.g., complete removal of pilings), subject to reasonable wear and tear, acts of God, and seasonal limitations.

In addition to these lease obligations, Neoen has made a more stringent commitment to the MD of Willow Creek No. 26 to adopt a phased approach to posting reclamation security:  

• 25% of the security (net of salvage value) within 5 years of commercial operation,  

• 50% within 10 years, and  

• 100% within 15 years.

This phased commitment exceeds the lease requirements by advancing the timeline for posting security. The beneficiary of the security will remain the hosting landowner.

These commitments are also in addition to any further reclamation security requirements that may be introduced by the Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC) or the Government of Alberta. Neoen is committed to complying fully with all applicable regulatory and policy measures once finalized.

Yes, Jumbo Battery is subject to the Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC) Rule 007: Applications for Power Plants, Substations, Transmission Lines, Industrial System Designations, Hydro Developments and Gas Utility Pipelines. As part of the AUC application, Neoen must complete an Environmental Evaluation and Environmental Protection Plan that will assess and report on any potential impacts to the environment and any associated mitigation measures. Alberta Environment and Protected Areas (AEPA) will provide feedback on the Environmental Evaluations and Environmental Protection Plan. The Environmental Evaluation for Jumbo BESS was completed on June 23, 2025. 

No significant impact to surrounding wetlands is expected.

The project footprint does not encroach on any seasonal or higher-class wetland setbacks, and it has not been sited within any Class II or greater wetlands or any watercourses. While the site does intersect three ephemeral waterbodies—which are shallow, short-duration features with no water-altered soils or dominant wetland vegetation—these have no apparent connectivity to larger wetlands or watercourses based on the desktop assessment.

As long as all regulatory requirements and proposed mitigation measures outlined in the Environmental Protection Plan (EPP) are followed, the project’s potential effects on surface waterbodies and overall hydrology are expected to be negligible.

Yes, benefits will be outlined in Jumbo Battery’s community benefits agreement.

Neoen’s framework for community benefits includes a community benefits fund to support initiatives aligned with Neoen’s values and Sustainability Framework, including clean energy, environmental, biodiversity, educational, social, cultural and Indigenous-specific initiatives. Proposals to the fund will be reviewed by a local advisory committee and disbursed annually.

Additionally, on projects greater than 50 MW, Neoen commissions a local art installation.

Jumbo Battery will generate significant local employment and supplier opportunities for the community.