TransAlta
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| Type | Public |
|---|---|
| Traded as | TSX: TA NYSE: TAC |
| Industry | Electricity |
| Founded | 1911 |
| Headquarters | Calgary, AB, Canada |
| Key people | Dawn Farrell, President & CEO, Ambassador Gordon D. Giffin (Board Chair) |
| Products | Natural Gas, Coal, Wind, Hydro, Geothermal |
| Revenue | $2.8 billion CAD (2010) |
| Total assets | $9 billion CAD (2010) |
| Employees | 2,400+ (2011) |
| Website | www.transalta.com |
TransAlta Corporation (TSX: TA, NYSE: TAC; formerly Calgary Power) is an electricity power generator and wholesale marketing company headquartered in Calgary, Alberta. It operates over 70 power plants in Canada, the United States and Australia. TransAlta's focus is to efficiently operate its geothermal, wind, hydro, natural gas and coal facilities in order to provide its customers with a reliable, low-cost source of electricity. For 100 years, TransAlta has been a contributor to communities in which in operates. The company is also recognized for its leadership on sustainability by the Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index, the FTSE4Good Index and the Jantzi Social Index. TransAlta is Canada's largest investor-owned renewable energy provider.
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[edit] Early History
When the province of Alberta was four years old, the company began its journey with the planning and construction of the Horseshoe Falls Hydro Plant in Seebe. Two years later, it flipped the switch and Calgary Power Company, Limited was born.
That first dam was built by a crew of about 200 with picks, shovels and wheelbarrows. Its second dam was commissioned in 1913 at Kananaskis Falls and was built by close to 500 workers.
At the time, streetcars were responsible for a significant share of Calgary’s electrical load. Residential power was just being introduced, and many homes were lit for the first time with electrical lamps because of Calgary Power.
Notable leaders from the company’s early years included W. Max Aitken, formally known as Lord Beaverbrook, and R.B. Bennett, who went on to become Canada’s Prime Minister from 1930 to 1935.
In 1981, the company changed its name to what is it known today – TransAlta Corporation.
[edit] Operations
TransAlta is helping meet the growing demand for electricity. Generating power for over 100 years, it is a global energy leader delivering operational excellence through a diverse and expanding portfolio of fuel sources, and the active pursuit of world-leading technology for a clean energy future.
Generation summary:
- 8,245 megawatts (MW) of net capacity in operation.
- 48,614 gigawatt hours (GWh) were produced at an average plant availability of 88.9 per cent for the year ended December 31, 2010.
- Over 70 facilities in three geographies: Canada, U.S., Australia
- One surface coal mine in operation: Highvale in Alberta, Canada
Net Capacity Owned by Fuel Type
(in operation and in development)
| Type | Net Capacity |
|---|---|
| Coal | 52% |
| Gas | 22% |
| Wind | 13% |
| Hydro | 11% |
| Geothermal | 2% |
Net Capacity Owned by Geography
(in operation and development)
| Geography | Net Capacity |
|---|---|
| Canada | 74% |
| United States | 23% |
| Australia | 3% |
At the end of 2010, TransAlta became the first company to own and operate more than 1,000 MW of installed wind capacity in Canada - almost 30 per cent of the country's total.
[edit] References
- TransAlta QuickFacts
- TransAlta 2010 Report on Sustainability
- TransAlta History: Celebrating 100 Years
- Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC)
- Market Surveillance Administrator (MSA)
- Powering Generations: The TransAlta Story, 1911-2011
