ATCO, a Canadian energy company, is awaiting final regulatory approval to begin construction on a $2.9 billion, 235-kilometer natural gas pipeline designed to fuel massive industrial and residential growth in the province.

The underground, 36-inch-diameter steel Yellowhead pipeline will transport more than 1.1 billion cubic feet of natural gas daily from west-central Alberta to the Industrial Heartland near Edmonton.

ATCO senior manager Brad Cann presented the project update on Tuesday to the Yellowhead County council.

Cann said the pipeline's daily capacity could power Alberta’s entire electricity grid. ATCO seeks to meet surging demand for power generation, petrochemical processing, manufacturing, and residential use.

The project submitted its final application to the Alberta Utilities Commission in November 2025. A decision is expected within the next few months, allowing construction to begin as early as September.

The pipeline will run from a new compression site in Peers, Alberta, traveling parallel to Highway 16 before cutting north of Spruce Grove and St. Albert to reach Fort Saskatchewan.

ATCO altered the route in early 2025 to follow pre-existing infrastructure corridors rather than undisturbed wilderness.

The change followed community pushback, including a 1,000-signature petition organized by local landowners like Steven Bell, 58, whose property sat along the initial route.

"If it has to happen, it’s better that the pipeline follow a pre-established route where environmental damage has already been done," Bell said.

The project will cross 61 roads and directly impact 400 landowners. ATCO has finalized 90% of its land agreements. Holdouts will face the Land and Property Rights Tribunal process.

Yellowhead County Mayor Wade Williams supported the project, citing massive economic gains.

Officials estimate the pipeline will create 2,000 construction jobs and 12,000 downstream jobs between 2026 and 2030, eventually adding $3.9 billion annually to Alberta's GDP.

ATCO expects to select a general contractor within the month. Construction is slated for completion in November 2027, with environmental reclamation to follow.