By Ron Collins
Calgary Transit
Calgary, AL
C-Train light rail customers in Calgary will being "Riding the Wind!" in
September, when Calgary Transit becomes the first public transit system in North America
to power its light rail transit system with wind-generated electricity. This program,
being developed in partnership with Vision Quest Windelectric and Enmax, will provide 100
percent pollution-free operation on the system.
Under the new, innovative program, Vision Quest has installed 12 additional turbines at
its wind farm in southern Alberta and is selling wind-generated power to Enmax, Calgary
Transit's supplier of electricity. The entire 100 car C-Train fleet will be driven by wind
power, resulting in no pollutants being released into the environment.
The elimination of emissions from the C-Train system is expected to contribute
significantly to the city of Calgary's goal to reduce its corporate carbon dioxide
emissions.
"We are a leader in this area, and proud of the fact that our customers can ride
the C-Train knowing we have taken this significant step towards reducing the environmental
impact of urban transportation," said Calgary Transit General Manager John Hubbell.
In May, Calgary Transit's "Ride the Wind" project received a Federation of
Canadian Municipalities CH2M HILL Sustainable Community Award for leadership in renewable
energy.
The use of wind-generated electricity to power the C-Train system will avoid the annual
generation of 26,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide that would have been produced by the burning
of coal or natural gas for the generation of electricity for the system. This is
equivalent to eliminating 7.5 million vehicle trips in Calgary annually. Levels of other
pollutants, such as sulfur dioxide and nitrous oxide, will also be reduced.
The program also is expected to provide greater budget stability for Calgary Transit by
establishing a 10-year price structure for C-Train traction power. This structure will
significantly reduce uncertainty that has resulted from the recent volatility in the Power
Power Pool price of electricity.
Operational costs of using wind-powered generation may increase at a nominal premium of
one-half of 1 percent per passenger. However, when compared to the environmental benefits,
Calgary Transit believes this is a small price to pay.
Travel via C-Train provides an environmentally friendly alternative to private
vehicles, with a three-car C-Train carrying the passenger equivalent of 545 private
vehicles.
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