Brazeau

The Brazeau facility is located near Drayton Valley, Alberta. It is one of two TransAlta hydro plants on the North Saskatchewan River System in Alberta.

Brazeau is is TransAlta’s largest hydro plant. It generates an average of 397,000 megawatt hours.

The plant was named for Joseph Brazeau, a linguist and employee of the historic Hudson Bay Company. Brazeau helped with the Palliser Expedition, which completed the first major survey of the prairies.

TransAlta’s hydroelectric plants, like Brazeau, primarily provide electricity during periods of peak electrical demand and ensure system stability. Their operating flexibility means they can start quickly to introduce hydro power within minutes, balancing out shortages due to unexpected outages, or providing power at times of high demand.

Environmental highlights

Protection of the environment is an important part of our hydro power business, as is responsible water use. We continually work with environmental and community groups to ensure habitats are protected, and that all users’ needs are heard.

The Brazeau facility has a UL ECOLOGO® Certification for Renewable Energy. The facility is also certified in the CA RPS Program.