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U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
Washington, D.C. 20549

Form 40-F

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2011        Commission File Number 1-31690

TRANSCANADA CORPORATION
(Exact Name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

Canada
(Jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)

4922, 4923, 4924, 5172
(Primary Standard Industrial Classification Code Number (if applicable))

Not Applicable
(I.R.S. Employer Identification Number (if applicable))

TransCanada Tower, 450 – 1 Street S.W.
Calgary, Alberta, Canada, T2P 5H1
(403) 920-2000
(Address and telephone number of Registrant's principal executive offices)

TransCanada PipeLine USA Ltd., 717 Texas Street,
Houston, Texas, 77002-2761; (832) 320-5201
(Name, address (including zip code) and telephone number (including area code)
of agent for service in the United States)

Securities registered pursuant to section 12(b) of the Act:

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None
Securities for which there is a reporting obligation pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Act: None

Indicate the number of outstanding shares of each of the issuer's classes of capital or common stock as of the close of the period covered by the annual report.

At December 31, 2011, 703,861,065 common shares;
22,000,000 Cumulative Redeemable First Preferred Shares, Series 1;
14,000,000 Cumulative Redeemable First Preferred Shares, Series 3; and
14,000,000 Cumulative Redeemable First Preferred Shares, Series 5
were issued and outstanding

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act during the preceding 12 months (or such shorter period that the Registrant was required to file such reports) and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.    Yes ý            No o

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Date File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the Registrant was required to submit and post such files).     Yes o            No o

The documents (or portions thereof) forming part of this Form 40-F are incorporated by reference into the following registration statements under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended:

AUDITED CONSOLIDATED ANNUAL FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND
MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION & ANALYSIS

Except sections specifically referenced below which shall be deemed incorporated by reference herein and filed, no other portion of the TransCanada Corporation Annual Report to Shareholder except as otherwise specifically incorporated by reference in the TransCanada Corporation Annual Information Form shall be deemed filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") as part of this report under the Exchange Act.

A.    Audited Annual Financial Statements

For audited consolidated financial statements, including the auditors' report, see pages 103 through 164 of the TransCanada Corporation 2011 Annual Report to Shareholders included herein. See Note 25 of the Notes to Audited Consolidated Financial Statements on pages 157 through 164 of the TransCanada Corporation 2011 Annual Report to Shareholders, reconciling the significant differences between Canadian and United States generally accepted accounting principles.

B.    Management's Discussion & Analysis

For management's discussion and analysis, see pages 6 through 102 of the TransCanada Corporation 2011 Annual Report to Shareholders included herein under the heading "Management's Discussion & Analysis".

C.    Management's Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

For management's report on internal control over financial reporting, see "Report of Management" that accompanies the Audited Consolidated Financial Statements on page 103 of the TransCanada Corporation 2011 Annual Report to Shareholders included herein.

2

UNDERTAKING

The Registrant undertakes to make available, in person or by telephone, representatives to respond to inquiries made by the Commission staff, and to furnish promptly, when requested to do so by the Commission staff, information relating to: the securities registered pursuant to Form 40-F; the securities in relation to which the obligation to file an Annual Report on Form 40-F arises; or transactions in said securities.

DISCLOSURE CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES

For information on disclosure controls and procedures, see "Controls and Procedures" in Management's Discussion and Analysis on pages 88 and 89 of the TransCanada Corporation 2011 Annual Report to Shareholders.

AUDIT COMMITTEE FINANCIAL EXPERT

The Registrant's board of directors has determined that it has at least one audit committee financial expert serving on its audit committee. Mr. Kevin E. Benson has been designated an audit committee financial expert and is independent, as that term is defined by the New York Stock Exchange's listing standards applicable to the Registrant. The Commission has indicated that the designation of Mr. Benson as an audit committee financial expert does not make Mr. Benson an "expert" for any purpose, impose any duties, obligations or liability on Mr. Benson that are greater than those imposed on members of the audit committee and board of directors who do not carry this designation or affect the duties, obligations or liability of any other member of the audit committee.

CODE OF ETHICS

The Registrant has adopted codes of business ethics for its President and Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Controller, directors, employees and contractors. The Registrant's codes are available on its website at www.transcanada.com. No waivers have been granted from any provision of the codes during the 2011 fiscal year.

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES

For information on principal accountant fees and services, see "Corporate governance — Audit committee — Pre-approval policies and procedures" and "Corporate governance — Audit committee — External auditor service fees" on pages 32 and 33 of the TransCanada Corporation Annual Information Form.

OFF-BALANCE SHEET ARRANGEMENTS

The Registrant has no off-balance sheet arrangements, as defined in this Form, other than the guarantees and commitments described in Note 24 of the Notes to the Audited Consolidated Financial Statements attached to this Form 40-F and incorporated herein by reference.

TABULAR DISCLOSURE OF CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS

For information on Tabular Disclosure of Contractual Obligations, see "Contractual Obligations" in Management's Discussion and Analysis on pages 67 and 68 of the TransCanada Corporation 2011 Annual Report to Shareholders.

3

IDENTIFICATION OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE

The Registrant has a separately-designated standing Audit Committee. The members of the Audit Committee are:

FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

This document contains certain information that is forward looking and is subject to important risks and uncertainties. The words "anticipate", "expect", "believe", "may", "should", "estimate", "project", "outlook", "forecast", "intend", "target", "plan" or other similar words are used to identify such forward-looking information. Forward-looking statements in this document are intended to provide TransCanada security holders and potential investors with information regarding TransCanada and its subsidiaries, including management's assessment of TransCanada's and its subsidiaries' future plans and financial outlook. Forward-looking statements in this document may include, but are not limited to, statements regarding:

•

anticipated business prospects;



•

financial performance of TransCanada and its subsidiaries and affiliates;



•

expectations or projections about strategies and goals for growth and expansion;



•

expected cash flows;



•

expected costs;



•

expected costs for projects under construction;



•

expected schedules for planned projects (including anticipated construction and completion dates);



•

expected regulatory processes and outcomes;



•

expected outcomes with respect to legal proceedings, including arbitration;



•

expected capital expenditures;



•

expected operating and financial results; and



•

expected impact of future commitments and contingent liabilities.

These forward-looking statements reflect TransCanada's beliefs and assumptions based on information available at the time the statements were made and as such are not guarantees of future performance. By their nature, forward-looking statements are subject to various assumptions, risks and uncertainties which could cause TransCanada's actual results and achievements to differ materially from the anticipated results or expectations expressed or implied in such statements.

Key assumptions on which TransCanada's forward-looking statements are based include, but are not limited to, assumptions about:

•

inflation rates, commodity prices and capacity prices;



•

timing of debt issuances and hedging;



•

regulatory decisions and outcomes;



•

arbitration decisions and outcomes;



•

foreign exchange rates;

4

•

interest rates;



•

tax rates;



•

planned and unplanned outages and utilization of the Company's pipeline and energy assets;



•

asset reliability and integrity;



•

access to capital markets;



•

anticipated construction costs, schedules and completion dates; and



•

acquisitions and divestitures.

The risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include, but are not limited to:

•

the ability of TransCanada to successfully implement its strategic initiatives and whether such strategic initiatives will yield the expected benefits;



•

the operating performance of the Company's pipeline and energy assets;



•

the availability and price of energy commodities;



•

amount of capacity payments and revenues from the Company's energy business;



•

regulatory decisions and outcomes;



•

outcomes with respect to legal proceedings, including arbitration;



•

counterparty performance;



•

changes in environmental and other laws and regulations;



•

competitive factors in the pipeline and energy sectors;



•

construction and completion of capital projects;



•

labour, equipment and material costs;



•

access to capital markets;



•

interest and currency exchange rates;



•

weather;



•

technological developments; and



•

economic conditions in North America.

Additional information on these and other factors is available in the reports filed by TransCanada with Canadian securities regulators and with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Readers are cautioned against placing undue reliance on forward-looking information, which is given as of the date it is expressed in this document or otherwise, and not to use future-oriented information or financial outlooks for anything other than their intended purpose. TransCanada undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking information in this document or otherwise, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

5

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Exchange Act, the Registrant certifies that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form 40-F and has duly caused this Annual Report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereto duly authorized, in the City of Calgary, Province of Alberta, Canada.

DOCUMENTS FILED AS PART OF THIS REPORT

EXHIBITS

TransCanada Corporation

2011 Annual information form
February 13, 2012

Table of Contents

Presentation of information

Unless the context indicates otherwise, a reference in this Annual Information Form ("AIF") to "TransCanada", the "Company", "we", "us" and "our" includes TransCanada Corporation and the subsidiaries of TransCanada Corporation through which its various business operations are conducted. In particular, "TransCanada" includes references to TransCanada PipeLines Limited ("TCPL"). Where TransCanada is referred to with respect to actions that occurred prior to its 2003 plan of arrangement with TCPL, which is described below under the heading TransCanada Corporation – Corporate Structure, these actions were taken by TCPL or its subsidiaries. The term "subsidiary", when referred to in this AIF, with reference to TransCanada means direct and indirect wholly owned subsidiaries of, and legal entities controlled by, TransCanada or TCPL, as applicable.

Unless otherwise noted, the information contained in this AIF is given at or for the year ended December 31, 2011 ("Year End"). Amounts are expressed in Canadian dollars unless otherwise indicated. Information in relation to metric conversion can be found at Schedule A to this AIF. Terms defined throughout this AIF are listed in the Glossary found at the end of this AIF. Financial information is presented in accordance with Canadian generally accepted accounting principles.

Certain portions of TransCanada's Management's Discussion and Analysis dated February 13, 2012 ("MD&A") are incorporated by reference into this AIF as stated below. The MD&A can be found on SEDAR (www.sedar.com) under TransCanada's profile.

Effective January 1, 2012, TransCanada adopted U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("U.S. GAAP") for reporting purposes. For more information regarding TransCanada's adoption of U.S. GAAP, refer to the MD&A under the headings Accounting Changes – Future Accounting Changes – U.S. GAAP.

Forward looking information

This AIF, including the MD&A disclosure incorporated by reference herein, contains certain information that is forward looking and is subject to important risks and uncertainties. The words "anticipate", "expect", "believe", "may", "should", "estimate", "project", "outlook", "forecast", "intend", "target", "plan" or other similar words are used to identify such forward-looking information. Forward-looking statements in this document are intended to provide TransCanada security holders and potential investors with information regarding TransCanada and its subsidiaries, including management's assessment of TransCanada's and its subsidiaries' future plans and financial outlook. Forward-looking statements in this document may include, but are not limited to, statements regarding:

•

anticipated business prospects

•

financial performance of TransCanada and its subsidiaries and affiliates

•

expectations or projections about strategies and goals for growth and expansion

•

expected cash flows

•

expected costs

•

expected costs for projects under construction

•

expected schedules for planned projects (including anticipated construction and completion dates)

•

expected regulatory processes and outcomes

•

expected outcomes with respect to legal proceedings, including arbitration

•

expected capital expenditures

•

expected operating and financial results, and

•

expected impact of future commitments and contingent liabilities.

These forward-looking statements reflect TransCanada's beliefs and assumptions based on information available at the time the statements were made and as such are not guarantees of future performance. By their nature, forward-looking statements are subject to various assumptions, risks and uncertainties which could cause TransCanada's actual results and achievements to differ materially from the anticipated results or expectations expressed or implied in such statements.

2    TransCanada Corporation

Key assumptions on which TransCanada's forward-looking statements are based include, but are not limited to, assumptions about:

•

inflation rates, commodity prices and capacity prices

•

timing of debt issuances and hedging

•

regulatory decisions and outcomes

•

arbitration decisions and outcomes

•

foreign exchange rates

•

interest rates

•

tax rates

•

planned and unplanned outages and utilization of the Company's pipeline and energy assets

•

asset reliability and integrity

•

access to capital markets

•

anticipated construction costs, schedules and completion dates, and

•

acquisitions and divestitures.

The risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include, but are not limited to:

•

the ability of TransCanada to successfully implement its strategic initiatives and whether such strategic initiatives will yield the expected benefits

•

the operating performance of the Company's pipeline and energy assets

•

the availability and price of energy commodities

•

amount of capacity payments and revenues from the Company's energy business

•

regulatory decisions and outcomes

•

outcomes with respect to legal proceedings, including arbitration

•

counterparty performance

•

changes in environmental and other laws and regulations

•

competitive factors in the pipeline and energy sectors

•

construction and completion of capital projects

•

labour, equipment and material costs

•

access to capital markets

•

interest and currency exchange rates

•

weather

•

technological developments, and

•

economic conditions in North America.

Additional information on these and other factors is available in the reports filed by TransCanada with Canadian securities regulators and with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC").

Readers are cautioned against placing undue reliance on forward-looking information, which is given as of the date it is expressed in this AIF, or the MD&A disclosure incorporated by reference herein, and not to use future-oriented information or financial outlooks for anything other than their intended purpose. TransCanada undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking information in this AIF or the MD&A disclosure incorporated by reference herein whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

TransCanada Corporation

Corporate structure

Our head office and registered office are located at 450 - 1st Street S.W., Calgary, Alberta, T2P 5H1. TransCanada was incorporated pursuant to the provisions of the Canada Business Corporations Act ("CBCA") on February 25, 2003 in connection with a plan of arrangement which established TransCanada as the parent company of TCPL. The arrangement was approved by TCPL common shareholders on April 25, 2003 and, following court approval and the filing of Articles of Arrangement, the arrangement became effective May 15, 2003. Pursuant to the arrangement, the common shareholders of TCPL exchanged each of their

2011 Annual information form    3

TCPL common shares for one common share of TransCanada. The debt securities and preferred shares of TCPL remained obligations and securities of TCPL. TCPL continues to carry on business as the principal operating subsidiary of the TransCanada group of entities. TransCanada does not hold any material assets directly, other than the common shares of TCPL and receivables from certain of TransCanada's subsidiaries.

Intercorporate relationships

The following diagram presents the name and jurisdiction of incorporation, continuance or formation of TransCanada's principal subsidiaries as at Year End. Each of the subsidiaries shown has total assets that exceeded 10 per cent of the total consolidated assets of TransCanada or revenues that exceeded 10 per cent of the total consolidated revenues of TransCanada as at Year End. TransCanada beneficially owns, controls or directs, directly or indirectly, 100 per cent of the voting shares in each of these subsidiaries, with the exception of TransCanada Keystone Pipeline, LP in which TransCanada indirectly holds 100 per cent of the partnership interests.

The above diagram does not include all of the subsidiaries of TransCanada. The assets and revenues of excluded subsidiaries in the aggregate did not exceed 20 per cent of the total consolidated assets or total consolidated revenues of TransCanada as at Year End.

General development of the business

Our reportable business segments are "Natural Gas Pipelines", "Oil Pipelines" and "Energy". Natural Gas Pipelines and Oil Pipelines are principally comprised of the Company's respective natural gas and oil pipelines in Canada, the U.S. and Mexico and our regulated natural gas storage operations in the U.S. Energy includes the Company's power operations and the non-regulated natural gas storage business in Canada. Further information regarding our Natural Gas Pipelines, Oil Pipelines and Energy businesses is available in this AIF under the heading Business of TransCanada.

Summarized below are significant developments that have occurred in TransCanada's Natural Gas Pipelines, Oil Pipelines and Energy businesses, respectively, and the significant acquisitions, dispositions, events or conditions which have had an influence on that development, during the last three financial years.

4    TransCanada Corporation

Developments in the Natural Gas Pipelines business

2011 Annual information form    5

6    TransCanada Corporation

Further information about developments in the Natural Gas Pipelines business can be found in the MD&A under the headings TransCanada's Strategy,Natural Gas Pipelines – Highlights,Natural Gas Pipelines – Financial Analysis and Natural Gas Pipelines – Opportunities and Developments.

Developments in the Oil Pipelines business

Further information about developments in the Oil Pipelines business can be found in the MD&A under the headings TransCanada's Strategy,Oil Pipelines – Highlights,Oil Pipelines – Financial Analysis and Oil Pipelines – Opportunities and Developments.

2011 Annual information form    7

Developments in the Energy business

8    TransCanada Corporation

Further information about developments in the Energy business can be found in the MD&A under the headings TransCanada's Strategy,Energy – Highlights,Energy – Financial Analysis and Energy – Opportunities and Developments.

Business of TransCanada

We are a leading North American energy infrastructure company focused on Natural Gas Pipelines, Oil Pipelines and Energy. At Year End, Natural Gas Pipelines accounted for approximately 49 per cent of revenues and 48 per cent of TransCanada's total assets, Oil Pipelines accounted for approximately 9 per cent of revenues and 19 per cent of TransCanada's total assets and Energy accounted for approximately 42 per cent of revenues and 29 per cent of TransCanada's total assets. The following table shows TransCanada's revenues from operations by segment, classified geographically, for the years ended December 31, 2011 and 2010.

The following is a description of each of TransCanada's three main areas of operations.

Natural Gas Pipelines business

TransCanada has substantial Canadian and U.S. natural gas pipeline and related holdings, including those listed below. The following natural gas pipelines are owned 100 per cent by TransCanada unless otherwise stated.

2011 Annual information form    9

TransCanada has the following natural gas pipelines and related holdings in Canada:

•

The Canadian Mainline is a 14,101 km (8,762 miles) pipeline system in Canada that extends from the Alberta/Saskatchewan border east to the Québec/Vermont border and connects with other natural gas pipelines in Canada and the U.S.



•

The Alberta System is a 24,373 km (15,145 miles) pipeline system in Alberta and northeast British Columbia ("B.C.") which gathers natural gas for use within the province of Alberta and delivers it to provincial boundary points for connection with the Canadian Mainline and Foothills and with third party natural gas pipelines. During the past three completed financial years, TransCanada has enhanced the operating capacity of the Alberta System as follows:



•

the North Central Corridor, which extends the northern section of the Alberta System, was completed in March 2010;



•

the Groundbirch pipeline was completed in December 2010, connecting the Alberta System to natural gas supplies from the Montney shale gas formation in northeast B.C.; and



•

TransCanada continues to advance further pipeline development in B.C. and Alberta to transport unconventional shale gas supply as follows:



•

in January 2011, TransCanada received approval from the NEB to construct the proposed Horn River pipeline, an extension of the Alberta System to serve production from the new shale gas supply in the Horn River basin north of Fort Nelson, B.C. The Horn River pipeline is expected to be operational in the second quarter 2012. The Company has executed an agreement to extend the Horn River pipeline by approximately 100 km (62 miles), and an application requesting approval to construct and operate this extension was filed with the NEB in October 2011. This extension is projected to commence in 2014; and



•

the Company has filed applications with the NEB requesting approval for expansions to the Alberta System to accommodate requests for additional natural gas transmission service throughout the northwest and northeast portions of the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin. These new requests are expected to result in the need for further extensions and expansions of the Alberta System.



•

Foothills is a 1,241 km (771 miles) pipeline system in Western Canada which carries natural gas for export from central Alberta to the U.S. border to serve markets in the U.S. Midwest, Pacific Northwest, California and Nevada.



•

TransCanada Pipeline Ventures LP owns a 161 km (100 miles) pipeline and related facilities that supply natural gas to the oil sands region near Fort McMurray, Alberta as well as a 27 km (17 miles) pipeline that supplies natural gas to a petrochemical complex at Joffre, Alberta.



•

TQM is a 572 km (355 miles) pipeline system that connects with the Canadian Mainline near the Québec/Ontario border and transports natural gas to markets in Québec, and connects with the Portland system. TransCanada has a 50 per cent ownership interest in TQM and operates this pipeline.



•

The Mackenzie Gas Project is a proposed pipeline extending 1,196 km (743 miles) that would connect northern onshore natural gas fields with North American markets. TransCanada has the right to acquire an equity interest in the project.

TransCanada has the following natural gas pipelines and related holdings in the U.S.:

•

ANR is a 16,656 km (10,350 miles) pipeline system which transports natural gas from producing fields located in the Texas and Oklahoma panhandle regions, from the offshore and onshore regions of the Gulf of Mexico, and from the U.S. midcontinent region to markets located mainly in Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio. ANR also connects with other natural gas pipelines, providing access to diverse sources of North American supply, including Western Canada, and the mid-continent and Rocky Mountain supply regions, and a variety of markets in the Midwestern and Northeastern U.S.

10    TransCanada Corporation

•

Underground gas storage facilities owned and operated by American Natural Resources Company and ANR Storage Company provide regulated gas storage services to customers on the ANR and Great Lakes systems in upper Michigan. The ANR business unit owns and operates natural gas storage facilities throughout the State of Michigan with total natural gas storage capacity of 250 billion cubic feet ("Bcf").



•

GTN is TransCanada's 2,178 km (1,353 miles) pipeline system that transports Western Canada Sedimentary Basin and Rocky Mountain sourced natural gas to third party natural gas pipelines and markets in Washington, Oregon and California, and connects with the Tuscarora Gas Transmission Company's pipeline ("Tuscarora"). TransCanada operates GTN and effectively owns 83.3 per cent of the system through the combination of its direct ownership and its 33.3 per cent interest in TC PipeLines, LP which owns a 25 per cent interest in the pipeline.



•

Great Lakes is a 3,404 km (2,115 miles) natural gas pipeline system connecting to the Canadian Mainline and serving markets primarily in Eastern Canada and the Northeastern and Midwestern U.S. TransCanada operates Great Lakes and effectively owns 69.0 per cent of the system through its 53.6 per cent ownership interest and its indirect ownership, which it has through its 33.3 per cent interest in TC PipeLines, LP.



•

Bison is a 487 km (303 miles) pipeline from the Powder River Basin in Wyoming connecting to the Northern Border pipeline in Morton County, North Dakota. Bison became operational in January 2011. TransCanada operates Bison and effectively owns 83.3 per cent of the system through the combination of its direct ownership interest and its indirect ownership, which it has through its 33.3 per cent interest in TC PipeLines, LP.



•

Northern Border is 50 per cent owned by TC PipeLines, LP and is a 2,265 km (1,407 miles) natural gas pipeline system, which serves the U.S. Midwest. TransCanada operates Northern Border and effectively owns 16.7 per cent of the system through its 33.3 per cent interest in TC PipeLines, LP.



•

Tuscarora is 100 per cent owned by TC PipeLines, LP. TransCanada operates Tuscarora, a 491 km (305 miles) pipeline system transporting natural gas from GTN at Malin, Oregon to Wadsworth, Nevada, with delivery points in northeastern California and northwestern Nevada. TransCanada effectively owns 33.3 per cent of the system through its 33.3 per cent interest in TC PipeLines, LP.



•

North Baja is 100 per cent owned by TC PipeLines, LP. TransCanada operates North Baja, a pipeline system which extends 138 km (86 miles) from Ehrenberg, Arizona to a point near Ogilby, California on the California/Mexico border and connects with a third party natural gas pipeline system in Mexico. TransCanada operates North Baja and effectively owns 33.3 per cent of the system through its 33.3 per cent interest in TC PipeLines, LP.



•

Iroquois is a pipeline system that connects with the Canadian Mainline near Waddington, New York, and delivers natural gas to customers in the northeastern U.S. TransCanada has a 44.5 per cent ownership interest in this 666 km (414 miles) pipeline system.



•

Portland is a 474 km (295 miles) pipeline that connects with TQM near East Hereford, Québec and delivers natural gas to customers in the northeastern U.S. TransCanada has a 61.7 per cent ownership interest in Portland and operates this pipeline.



•

TransCanada holds a 33.3 per cent interest in TC PipeLines, LP, a publicly held limited partnership of which a subsidiary of TransCanada acts as the general partner. The remaining interest of TC PipeLines, LP is widely held by the public. TC PipeLines, LP owns a 50 per cent interest in Northern Border, 46.4 per cent interest in Great Lakes, 25 per cent interest in GTN, 25 per cent interest in Bison, 100 per cent of Tuscarora and 100 per cent of North Baja.



•

The Alaska Pipeline Project is a proposed natural gas pipeline and treatment plant. The pipeline would extend 2,737 km (1,700 miles) from the natural gas treatment plant at Prudhoe Bay, Alaska to Alberta, or an alternative pipeline to Valdez, Alaska. The Alaska Pipeline Project is a joint effort between TransCanada and ExxonMobil Corporation.

2011 Annual information form    11

TransCanada has the following natural gas pipeline and related holdings in Mexico and South America:

•

TransGas is a 344 km (214 miles) natural gas pipeline system which runs from Mariquita in the central region of Colombia to Cali in the southwest of Colombia. TransCanada holds a 46.5 per cent ownership interest in this pipeline.



•

Owned 30 per cent by TransCanada, Gas Pacifico is a 540 km (336 miles) natural gas pipeline extending from Loma de la Lata, Argentina to Concepción, Chile. TransCanada also has a 30 per cent ownership interest in INNERGY, an industrial natural gas marketing company based in Concepción that markets natural gas transported on Gas Pacifico.



•

Tamazunchale is a 130 km (81 miles) natural gas pipeline in east central Mexico which extends from the facilities of Pemex Gas near Naranjos, Veracruz to an electricity generating station near Tamazunchale, San Luis Potosi.



•

The Guadalajara pipeline was completed in June 2011, and extends 310 km (193 miles), transporting natural gas from a liquefied natural gas terminal near Manzanillo on Mexico's Pacific coast to Guadalajara in Mexico.

Further information about the Company's pipeline holdings, developments and opportunities and significant regulatory developments which relate to Natural Gas Pipelines can be found in the MD&A under the headings Natural Gas Pipelines,Natural Gas Pipelines – Opportunities and Developments and Natural Gas Pipelines – Financial Analysis.

Oil Pipelines business

The Company's Keystone pipeline system and other opportunities in TransCanada's Oil Pipelines business are described below.

Keystone is a 3,467 km (2,154 miles) crude oil pipeline extending from Hardisty, Alberta, to U.S. markets at Wood River and Patoka in Illinois, and from Steele City, Nebraska to Cushing, Oklahoma. The Wood River/Patoka and Cushing Extension sections commenced commercial operations in June 2010 and February 2011, respectively. In January 2012, the U.S. Department of State denied TransCanada's application to construct Keystone XL, a 2,673 km (1,661 miles) extension and expansion of the pipeline to the U.S. Gulf Coast. The Company intends to re-apply for a Presidential Permit for Keystone XL.

Further information about the Company's pipeline holdings, developments and opportunities and significant regulatory developments which relate to Oil Pipelines can be found in the MD&A under the headings Oil Pipelines, Oil Pipelines – Opportunities and Developments and Oil Pipelines – Financial Analysis.

Regulation of the Natural Gas and Oil Pipelines businesses

Canada

Natural Gas Pipelines
Under the terms of the National Energy Board Act (Canada), the Canadian Mainline, TQM, Foothills, and the Alberta System (collectively, the "Systems") are regulated by the NEB. The NEB sets tolls that provide TransCanada the opportunity to recover costs of transporting natural gas, including the return of capital (depreciation) and return on the average investment base for each of the Systems. In addition, new facilities are approved by the NEB before construction begins and the NEB regulates the operations of each of the Systems. Net earnings of the Systems may be affected by changes in investment base, the allowed return on equity, and any incentive earnings.

Oil Pipelines
The NEB regulates the terms and conditions of service, including rates, and the physical operation of the Canadian portion of the Keystone system. NEB approval is also required for facility additions. The rates for

12    TransCanada Corporation

transportation service on the Keystone system are calculated in accordance with a methodology agreed to in transportation service agreements between Keystone and its shippers, and approved by the NEB.

United States

Natural Gas Pipelines
TransCanada's wholly owned and partially owned U.S. pipelines, including the ANR, Bison, GTN, Great Lakes, Iroquois, Portland, Northern Border, North Baja and Tuscarora systems, are considered "natural gas companies" operating under the provisions of the Natural Gas Act of 1938 and the Natural Gas Policy Act of 1978, and are subject to the jurisdiction of the FERC. The Natural Gas Act of 1938 grants the FERC authority over the construction and operation of pipelines and related facilities. The FERC also has authority to regulate rates for natural gas transportation and interstate commerce.

Oil Pipelines
The FERC also regulates the terms and conditions of service, including transportation rates, on the U.S. portion of the Keystone system. Certain states in which Keystone has rights of way also regulate construction and siting of Keystone.

Energy business

The Energy segment of our business includes the acquisition, development, construction, ownership and operation of electrical power generation plants, the purchase and marketing of electricity, the provision of electricity account services to energy and industrial customers, and the development, construction, ownership and operation of non-regulated natural gas storage in Alberta.

The electrical power generation plants and power supply that TransCanada has an interest in, including those under development, in the aggregate, represent more than 10,800 MW of power generation capacity. Power plants and power supply in Canadian power account for approximately 65 per cent of this total, and power plants in U.S. power account for the balance, being approximately 35 per cent.

TransCanada owns and operates the following facilities:

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Ravenswood generating station, a 2,480 MW power plant located in Queen's, New York which consists of multiple units employing dual fuel-capable steam turbine, combined-cycle and combustion turbine technology.



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Halton Hills, a 683 MW natural gas-fired combined-cycle power plant in Halton Hills, Ontario which is contracted under a 20 year Clean Energy Supply contract with the OPA.



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Kibby Wind, a 132 MW wind farm located in the Kibby and Skinner Townships in Maine.



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TC Hydro, TransCanada's hydroelectric facilities located in New Hampshire, Vermont and Massachusetts on the Connecticut and Deerfield Rivers, consists of 13 hydroelectric facilities, including stations and associated dams and reservoirs, with a total generating capacity of 583 MW.



•

Ocean State Power, a 560 MW natural gas-fired, combined-cycle facility in Burrillville, Rhode Island.



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Bécancour, a 550 MW natural gas-fired cogeneration power plant located near Trois-Rivières, Québec. The entire power output is supplied to Hydro-Québec which is contracted under a 20 year power purchase agreement expiring in 2026.



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Natural gas-fired cogeneration plants in Alberta at Carseland (80 MW), Redwater (40 MW), Bear Creek (80 MW) and MacKay River (165 MW).



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Grandview, a 90 MW natural gas-fired cogeneration power plant located on the site of the Irving Oil Limited oil refinery in Saint John, New Brunswick. Irving Oil Limited is under a 20 year tolling arrangement that expires in 2025, to supply fuel for the plant and to contract 100 per cent of the plant's heat and electricity output.

2011 Annual information form    13

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Cancarb, a 27 MW facility located in Medicine Hat, Alberta fuelled by waste heat from TransCanada's adjacent thermal carbon black facility.



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Edson, an underground natural gas storage facility connected to the Alberta System near Edson, Alberta.



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Coolidge, a 575 MW simple-cycle, natural gas-fired peaking power generation station in Arizona. Coolidge, which was placed in service in May 2011, operates under a 20 year power purchase agreement with the Salt River Project Agricultural Improvement and Power District.

TransCanada has the following long-term power purchase arrangements in place:

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TransCanada has the rights to 100 per cent of the generating capacity of the 560 MW Sundance A coal-fired power generation facility under a power purchase arrangement that expires in 2017. TransCanada also has a 50 per cent interest in ASTC Power Partnership, which has a power purchase arrangement that expires in 2020, in place for 100 per cent of the production from the 706 MW Sundance B power facility. The Sundance facilities are located in south-central Alberta.



•

The Sheerness facility, which consists of two coal-fired thermal power generating units, is located in Southeastern Alberta. TransCanada has the rights to 756 MW of generating capacity from the Sheerness power purchase arrangement that expires in 2020.

TransCanada has interests in the following:

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Bruce Power is a nuclear power generation facility located northwest of Toronto, Ontario and comprises Bruce A and Bruce B. Bruce A has four 750 MW reactors, two of which are being refurbished. The two units being refurbished are expected to resume commercial operations in first and third quarter 2012, respectively. Bruce B has four operating reactors with a combined capacity of 3,200 MW. Bruce A subleases Units 1 to 4 from Bruce B, and Bruce B consists of Units 5 to 8. TransCanada owns a 48.8 per cent interest in Bruce A and a 31.6 per cent interest in Bruce B.



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A 60 per cent ownership in CrossAlta, which is a 68 Bcf underground natural gas storage facility connected to the Alberta System near Crossfield, Alberta. The facility's central processing system is capable of maximum injection and withdrawal rates of 550 MMcf/d of natural gas. TransCanada owns 60 per cent of CrossAlta and, through an agreement made effective July 1, 2011, is now the operator of the facility.



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A 62 per cent interest in the Cartier Wind energy project. The Carleton (109 MW), Anse-à-Valleau (101 MW) and Baie-des-Sables (110 MW) commenced commercial operation in November 2008, November 2007 and November 2006, respectively. Montagne-Sèche (58 MW) and the first phase of Gros-Morne (101 MW) commenced commercial operation in November 2011. The second phase of Gros-Morne (111 MW) is expected to be operational in December 2012. All of the power produced by Cartier Wind is sold to Hydro-Québec Distribution under a 20 year power purchase agreement.



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Portlands Energy, a 550 MW, combined-cycle natural gas power plant located in Toronto, Ontario, is 50 per cent owned by TransCanada, and is operated by TransCanada under a 20 year Accelerated Clean Energy Supply contract with the OPA.

Further information about the Company's energy holdings and significant developments and opportunities in relation to Energy can be found in the MD&A under the headings Energy, Energy – Highlights, Energy – Financial Analysis and Energy – Opportunities and Developments.

14    TransCanada Corporation

General

Employees

At Year End, TransCanada's principal operating subsidiary, TCPL, had approximately 4,300 full time active employees, substantially all of whom were employed in Canada and the U.S., as set forth in the following table.

Social and environmental policies

Health, safety and environment ("HSE") are top priorities in all of TransCanada's operations and business activities. These areas are guided by our HSE Commitment Statement, which outlines guiding principles for a safe and healthy environment for TransCanada's employees, contractors and the public, and for our commitment to protect the environment. All employees are responsible for TransCanada's HSE performance. We are committed to being an industry leader in conducting our business so that it meets or exceeds all applicable laws and regulations, and minimizes risk to the public, and the environment. We are committed to continually improving our HSE performance, and to promoting safety on and off the job, in the belief that all occupational injuries and illnesses are preventable. We endeavour to do business with companies and contractors that share our perspective and expectation on HSE performance and influence them to improve their collective performance. We are committed to respecting the diverse environments and cultures in which we operate and to support open communication with our stakeholders.

The Health, Safety and Environment Committee of our Board of Directors (the "Board") monitors compliance with the Company's HSE corporate policy through regular reporting. TransCanada's integrated HSE management system is modeled after the International Organization for Standardization standard for environmental management systems, ISO 14001; and the Occupational Health and Safety Assessment Series (OHSAS 18001) for occupational health and safety. Our HSE management system conforms to external industry consensus standards and voluntary regulatory programs and complies with applicable legislated requirements and various other internal management systems. Resources are focused on the areas of significant risk to the organization's HSE business activities. Management is informed regularly of all important and/or significant HSE operational issues and initiatives through formal reporting and incident management processes. TransCanada's HSE management system and performance are assessed by an independent outside firm every three years. The most recent assessment occurred in 2009 and did not identify any material issues. The HSE management system is subject to ongoing internal and external review to ensure that it remains effective as circumstances change.

As one of TransCanada's priorities, safety is an integral part of the way our employees work. In 2011, one of our objectives was to sustain health and safety performance year over year. Overall, TransCanada's safety frequency rates in 2011 continued to be better than most industry benchmarks.

The safety and integrity of our existing and newly-developed infrastructure is also a top priority. All new assets are designed, constructed and commissioned with full consideration given to safety and integrity, and are brought in service only after all necessary requirements have been satisfied. We expect to spend approximately $322 million in 2012 for pipeline integrity on pipelines we operate, an increase of approximately

2011 Annual information form    15

$78 million over 2011 primarily due to increased levels of in-line pipeline inspection on all systems. Under the approved regulatory models in Canada, non-capital pipeline integrity expenditures on our NEB-regulated pipelines are treated on a flow-through basis and, as a result, these expenditures have no impact on TransCanada's earnings. Under the Keystone transportation contracts, pipeline integrity expenditures are recovered through the tolling mechanism and, as a result, these expenditures have no impact on TransCanada's earnings. Our pipeline safety record in 2011 continued to be better than industry benchmarks. We experienced two pipeline breaks in 2011 on pipelines we operate. The first break occurred in a remote part of Northern Ontario on the Canadian Mainline pipeline system. The second break occurred in a remote part of Wyoming on the Bison pipeline system. Spending associated with public safety on the Energy assets is focused primarily on the Company's hydro dams and associated equipment and is slightly higher than previous years due to increased spending to repair damage from the high flow events of 2011 caused by Hurricane Irene.

Environmental controls including physical design, programs, procedures and processes are in place to effectively manage TransCanada's environmental risk factors. With respect to physical risks arising from climate change, we have in place a set of procedures to manage our response to natural disasters such as forest fires, tornadoes, earthquakes, floods, volcanic eruptions and hurricanes regardless of cause. These procedures are included in TransCanada's Operating Procedures and are part of the Company's Incident Management System. The procedures are in place to protect the health and safety of our employees and to limit the impact to the environment of any operational upsets caused by a natural disaster.

With respect to business opportunities, the Company has well established processes and criteria for assessing new business opportunities including those that may arise as a result of climate change policies. These processes have been and continue to be key contributors to our financial strength and success. Governments in North America are developing long-term plans for limiting greenhouse gas ("GHG") emissions. These plans, combined with a shift in consumer attitude and demand for low-emissions fuels, will require changes in energy supply and infrastructure. With the Company's experience in pipeline transmission and power generation, TransCanada is well-positioned to participate in these opportunities.

Aboriginal, Native American and stakeholder engagement

We recognize that an enhanced level of engagement of a wide variety of stakeholders in our business activities can have a significant impact on the Company's ability to obtain approvals for new assets and to maintain our social licenses to operate. TransCanada has a number of policies, guiding principles and practices in place to help manage stakeholder engagement. TransCanada has adopted a code of business ethics which applies to our employees that is based on the Company's four core values of integrity, collaboration, responsibility and innovation, which guide the interaction between and among the Company's employees and serve as a standard for TransCanada in our dealings with all stakeholders. The code may be viewed on our website (www.transcanada.com).

Our approach to stakeholder engagement is based on building relationships, mutual respect and trust while recognizing the unique values, needs and interests of each community. Key principles that guide TransCanada's engagement include: the Company's respect for the diversity of Aboriginal/Native American communities and recognition of the importance of the land to these communities; and our belief in engaging stakeholders from the earliest stages of our projects, through the project development process and into operations.

Environmental protection

TransCanada's facilities are subject to stringent federal, state, provincial, and local environmental statutes and regulations governing environmental protection, including, but not limited to, air emissions and GHG emissions, water quality, wastewater discharges and waste management. Such laws and regulations generally require facilities to obtain or comply with a wide variety of environmental registrations, licences, permits and other approvals and requirements. Failure to comply with these laws and regulations may result in the assessment of administrative, civil or criminal penalties, the imposition of remedial requirements and/or

16    TransCanada Corporation

the issuance of orders respecting future operations. We have ongoing inspection programs designed to keep all of our facilities in compliance with environmental requirements.

At December 31, 2011, TransCanada recorded liabilities of approximately $69 million (2010 – $84 million) for remediation obligations and compliance costs associated with certain environmental regulations. We believe that the Company has considered all necessary contingencies and established appropriate reserves for environmental liabilities; however, there is the risk that unforeseen matters may arise requiring us to set aside additional amounts.

TransCanada is not aware of any material outstanding orders, claims or lawsuits against it in relation to the release or discharge of any material into the environment or in connection with environmental protection.

The Company owns assets in four regions, Alberta, Québec, B.C., and the Northeastern U.S., where regulations exist to address industrial GHG emissions. We have procedures in place to comply with these regulations. In Alberta, under the Specified Gas Emitters Regulation, industrial facilities emitting GHG emissions over an intensity threshold level are required to reduce the intensity of GHG emissions by 12 per cent below an average baseline. Our Alberta-based facilities are subject to this regulation, as are the Sundance and Sheerness coal-fired power facilities with respect to which TransCanada has certain rights under power purchase arrangements. TransCanada has a program in place to manage the compliance costs incurred by these assets as a result of the regulation. Compliance costs on the Alberta System are recovered through tolls paid by customers. Some of the compliance costs from the Company's power generation facilities in Alberta are recovered through market pricing and contract flow-through provisions. TransCanada has estimated and recorded GHG emissions related costs of $13 million for 2011 (2010 – $22 million), after contracted cost recovery.

In Québec, the natural gas distributor collects the hydrocarbon royalty on behalf of the provincial government through a green fund contribution charge on gas consumed. In 2011, the cost pertaining to the Bécancour facility arising from the hydrocarbon royalty was less than $1 million as a result of an agreement between TransCanada and Hydro-Québec to temporarily suspend the facility's power generation.

The carbon tax in B.C., which came into effect in mid-2008, applies to carbon dioxide ("CO₂ ") emissions from fossil fuel combustion. Compliance costs for fuel combustion at the Company's compressor and meter stations in B.C. are recovered through tolls paid by customers. Costs related to the carbon tax in 2011 were approximately $3 million (2010 – $4 million). The cost per tonne of CO₂ will be increased in July 2012 to $30.00 from $25.00.

States in the northeastern U.S. that are members of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative ("RGGI") implemented a CO2 cap-and-trade program for electricity generators effective in January 2009. Under the RGGI, both the Ravenswood and Ocean State Power generation facilities were required to submit allowances following the end of the first compliance period on December 31, 2011. TransCanada participated in the quarterly auctions of allowances for the Ravenswood and Ocean State Power generation facilities and incurred related costs of $4 million in 2011 (2010 – $5 million). These costs were generally recovered through the power market and the net impact on TransCanada was not significant.

Risk factors

Environmental risk factors

Environmental risks

Environmental risks from our operating facilities typically include: air emissions and GHG emissions; potential impacts on land, including land reclamation or restoration following construction; the use, storage and release of hydrocarbons or other chemicals; the generation, handling and disposal of wastes and hazardous wastes; and water impacts such as uncontrolled water discharge.

TransCanada's assets are located throughout North America and the Company's facility design must deal with different geographical areas. In northern regions, changing permafrost distribution due to warmer temperatures have been experienced, however, very few kilometers of our pipeline systems are currently in

2011 Annual information form    17

permafrost regions. If we build new facilities in northern areas, the Company's facility designs will take into account the potential for changing permafrost distribution.

As mentioned above, our operations are subject to various environmental laws and regulations that establish compliance and remediation obligations. Compliance obligations can result in significant costs associated with installing and maintaining pollution controls, fines and penalties resulting from any failure to comply, and potential limitations on operations. Remediation obligations can result in significant costs associated with the investigation and remediation of contaminated properties, and with damage claims arising from the contamination of properties. It is not possible for TransCanada to estimate the amount and timing of all future expenditures related to environmental matters due to:

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uncertainties in estimating pollution control and clean up costs, including at sites where only preliminary site investigation or agreements have been completed



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the potential discovery of new contaminated sites or additional information at existing contaminated sites



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the uncertainty in quantifying the Company's liability under environmental laws that impose joint and several liability on all potentially responsible parties



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the evolving nature of environmental laws and regulations, including the interpretation and enforcement of them, and



•

the potential for litigation on existing or discontinued assets.

Changing legislation and regulations

The impact of new or proposed federal, state, and/or provincial safety and environmental laws, regulations, guidelines and enforcement in Canada and the U.S. on our business is not yet certain. We make assumptions about possible expenditures for safety and environmental matters based on current laws and regulations and interpretations thereof. If the laws or regulations or the interpretation thereof changes, the Company's assumptions may change. Incremental costs may or may not be recoverable under existing rate structures or commercial agreements. Proposed changes in environmental policy, legislation or regulation are routinely monitored by TransCanada, and where the risks are potentially large or uncertain, the Company works independently or through industry associations to comment on proposals.

In April 2010, the Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA") published an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to solicit comments with respect to EPA reassessment of current regulations under the Toxic Substances Control Act, governing the authorized use of polychlorinated biphenyls in certain equipment. Following a review of comments, the EPA has indicated that the use authorization for pipelines will likely remain in place but that requirements to use the authorization may become more strict. These changes would likely result in increased costs for our impacted pipelines. Proposed EPA rules are expected in 2012.

In Canada, development of the major elements of an Air Quality Management System ("AQMS") continued in 2011 following endorsement of the AQMS in October 2010 by the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment. Two key aspects of the AQMS are of particular interest to us: the Base Level Industry Emissions Standards, which assumes that all significant industrial sources of emissions in Canada should be expected to meet, base-level of environmental performance; and air zone management, which is intended to address the sources of air pollution and the actions that are required to ensure that a specified level of air quality is improved or maintained in a specified region. While our Canadian based facilities would likely be impacted by AQMS, the potential financial impact of this initiative is currently unknown.

Regulation of air pollutant emissions under the U.S. Clean Air Act and state regulations continue to evolve. A number of EPA initiatives could lead to impacts ranging from requirements to install enhanced emissions control equipment, to additional administrative and reporting requirements. At this time, there is insufficient detail to accurately determine the potential impacts of these initiatives. While the majority of the proposals are not expected to be material to TransCanada, we anticipate additional future costs related to the monitoring and control of air emissions.

18    TransCanada Corporation

In addition to those climate change policies already in place, there are also federal, regional, state, and provincial initiatives currently in development. While recent political and economic events may significantly affect the scope and timing of new policies, we anticipate that most of the Company's facilities in Canada and the U.S. are or will be subject to federal and/or regional climate change regulations to manage industrial GHG emissions.

In August 2011, the Canadian government published the first sector specific draft regulation that will impact industrial GHG emissions. This proposed regulation is focused on the coal-fired generation of electricity and requires a natural gas performance standard for all coal-fired facilities reaching the end of their economic life. The draft regulation is expected to come into effect in July 2015. This process is not expected to pose a significant risk or financial impact to our existing facilities and may present opportunities for new power generation investment. Additional sectors, including the natural gas-fired generation of electricity and upstream oil and gas facility sectors, are expected to begin consultations with Environment Canada.

The Western Climate Initiative ("WCI") continues to work toward implementing a regional cap-and-trade program. California and Québec are the only WCI members with cap-and-trade regulations. In December 2011, the Government of Québec adopted the "Regulation respecting the cap-and-trade system for greenhouse gas emission allowances". The initial phase of the cap-and-trade system will begin January 1, 2013. The regulation will have a limited impact on TransCanada's Bécancour power generation facility and natural gas pipeline assets. With respect to California, the Air Resources Board adopted a cap-and-trade regulation in October 2011. The regulation is divided into two phases: the first, beginning in 2013, will include all major industrial sources and electricity utilities; the second, starting in 2015, will cover distributors of transportation fuels, natural gas and other fuels. The regulation may impact the Company's importation of electricity into the state.

TransCanada monitors climate change policy developments and, when warranted, participates in policy discussions in jurisdictions where we have operations. We are also continuing our programs to manage GHG emissions from our facilities and to evaluate new processes and technologies that result in improved efficiencies and lower GHG emission rates. For example, in 2011 TransCanada participated in a number of multi-stakeholder expert groups that were established to develop equipment standards in Canada. TransCanada participated both independently and through industry associations.

Other risk factors

A discussion of the Company's risk factors can be found in the MD&A under the headings Natural Gas Pipelines – Opportunities and Developments, Natural Gas Pipelines – Business Risks, Natural Gas Pipelines – Outlook, Oil Pipelines – Opportunities and Developments, Oil Pipelines – Business Risks, Oil Pipelines – Outlook, Energy – Opportunities and Developments, Energy – Business Risks, Energy – Outlook and Risk Management and Financial Instruments.

Dividends

The Board has not adopted a formal dividend policy. The Board reviews the financial performance of TransCanada quarterly and makes a determination of the appropriate level of dividends to be declared in the following quarter. Currently, TransCanada's payment of dividends is primarily funded from dividends it receives as the sole common shareholder of TCPL. Provisions of various trust indentures and credit arrangements to which TCPL is a party restrict TCPL's ability to declare and pay dividends to TransCanada under certain circumstances and, if such restrictions apply, they may, in turn, have an impact on TransCanada's ability to declare and pay dividends. In the opinion of TransCanada's management, such provisions do not currently restrict or alter TransCanada's ability to declare or pay dividends.

Holders of cumulative redeemable first preferred shares, series 1 ("Series 1 Preferred Shares") are entitled to receive fixed cumulative dividends, at an annual rate of $1.15 per share, payable quarterly, as and when declared by the Board, for the initial five year period ending December 31, 2014. For the period from issuance on September 30, 2009 to December 31, 2009, dividends in the amount of $0.29 per share were declared and paid on the Series 1 Preferred Shares. For the period January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2010, dividends in the

2011 Annual information form    19

amount of $1.15 per share were declared and paid on the Series 1 Preferred Shares. For the period January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2011, dividends in the amount of $1.15 per share were declared and paid on the Series 1 Preferred Shares. The dividend on the Series 1 Preferred Shares will reset on December 31, 2014 and every five years thereafter to a rate equal to the sum of the then five year Government of Canada bond yield and 1.92 per cent. The holders of Series 1 Preferred Shares have the right to convert their shares into cumulative redeemable first preferred shares, series 2 (the "Series 2 Preferred Shares") as set out under the heading First preferred shares below.

Holders of cumulative redeemable first preferred shares, series 3 ("Series 3 Preferred Shares") are entitled to receive fixed cumulative dividends, at an annual rate of $1.00 per share, payable quarterly, as and when declared by the Board, for the initial five year period ending June 30, 2015. For the period from issuance on March 11, 2010 to December 31, 2010, dividends in the amount of $0.80 per share were declared and paid on the Series 3 Preferred Shares. For the period January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2011, dividends in the amount of $1.00 per share were declared and paid on the Series 3 Preferred Shares. The dividend on the Series 3 Preferred Shares will reset on June 30, 2015 and every five years thereafter to a rate equal to the sum of the then five year Government of Canada bond yield and 1.28 per cent. The holders of Series 3 Preferred Shares have the right to convert their shares into cumulative redeemable first preferred shares, series 4 (the "Series 4 Preferred Shares") as set out under the heading First preferred shares below.

Holders of cumulative redeemable first preferred shares, series 5 ("Series 5 Preferred Shares") are entitled to receive fixed cumulative dividends, at an annual rate of $1.10 per share, payable quarterly, as and when declared by the Board, for the initial five and a half year period ending January 30, 2016. For the period from issuance on June 29, 2010 to December 31, 2010, dividends in the amount of $0.65 per share were declared and dividends in the amount of $0.37 per share were paid, on the Series 5 Preferred Shares. For the period January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2011, dividends in the amount of $1.10 per share were declared and paid on the Series 5 Preferred Shares. The dividend on the Series 5 Preferred Shares will reset on January 30, 2016 and every five years thereafter to a rate equal to the sum of the then five year Government of Canada bond yield and 1.54 per cent. The holders of Series 5 Preferred Shares have the right to convert their shares into cumulative redeemable first preferred shares, series 6 (the "Series 6 Preferred Shares") as set out under the heading First preferred shares below.

The dividends declared per common share of TransCanada during the past three completed financial years are set forth in the following table:

Description of capital structure

Share capital

TransCanada's authorized share capital consists of an unlimited number of common shares, of which 703,861,065 were issued and outstanding at Year End, and an unlimited number of first preferred shares and second preferred shares, issuable in series, of which 22,000,000 Series 1 Preferred Shares, 14,000,000 Series 3 Preferred Shares and 14,000,000 Series 5 Preferred Shares are issued and outstanding. The following is a description of the material characteristics of each of these classes of shares.

Common shares

The common shares entitle the holders thereof to one vote per share at all meetings of shareholders, except meetings at which only holders of another specified class of shares are entitled to vote, and, subject to the rights, privileges, restrictions and conditions attaching to the first preferred shares and the second preferred shares, whether as a class or a series, and to any other class or series of shares of TransCanada which rank prior to the common shares, entitle the holders thereof to receive (i) dividends if, as and when declared by the Board out of the assets of TransCanada properly applicable to the payment of the dividends in such amount

20    TransCanada Corporation

and payable at such times and at such place or places as the Board may from time to time determine and (ii) the remaining property of TransCanada upon a dissolution.

TransCanada has a Shareholder Rights Plan (the "SR Plan") that is designed to ensure, to the extent possible, that all shareholders of TransCanada are treated fairly in connection with any take-over bid for the Company. The SR Plan creates a right attaching to each Common Share outstanding and to each Common Share subsequently issued. Each right becomes exercisable ten trading days after a person has acquired, or commences a take-over bid to acquire, 20 per cent or more of the common shares, other than by an acquisition pursuant to a take-over bid permitted under the terms of the SR Plan. Prior to a flip-in event (as described below), each right permits registered holders to purchase from the Company common shares of TransCanada at the exercise price equal to three times the market price of such shares, subject to adjustments and anti-dilution provisions (the "exercise price"). The beneficial acquisition by any person of 20 per cent or more of the common shares, other than by way of a take-over bid permitted under the terms of the SR Plan, is referred to as a "flip-in event". Ten trading days after a flip-in event, each TransCanada right will permit registered holders to receive, upon payment of the exercise price, the number of common shares with an aggregate market price equal to twice the exercise price. The SR Plan was reconfirmed at the 2010 annual and special meeting of shareholders and must be reconfirmed every third annual meeting thereafter.

TransCanada has a Dividend Reinvestment and Share Purchase Plan which permits common and preferred shareholders of TransCanada and preferred shareholders of TCPL, to elect to reinvest their cash dividends in additional common shares of TransCanada. Commencing with dividends declared in April 2011, common shares purchased with reinvested cash dividends were satisfied with shares acquired on the open market at 100 per cent of the weighted average purchase price. Previously, common shares were provided to the participants at a discount to the average market price in the five days before dividend payment. The discount was set at three per cent in 2009 and 2010, and was reduced to two per cent commencing with the dividends declared in February 2011. In February 2012, the Board approved an increase in the quarterly common share dividend payment by 5 per cent to $0.44 per share from $0.42 per share, for the quarter ending March 31, 2012. Participants may also make additional cash payments of up to $10,000 per quarter to purchase additional common shares, which optional purchases are not eligible for any discount on the price of common shares. Participants are not responsible for payment of brokerage commissions or other transaction expenses for purchases made pursuant to the Dividend Reinvestment and Share Purchase Plan.

TransCanada also has stock-based compensation plans (the "SOPs") that allow some employees to purchase common shares of TransCanada. Option exercise prices approximate the market price for the common shares on the date the options were issued. Options granted under the SOPs are generally fully exercisable after three years and expire seven years after the date of grant.

First preferred shares

Subject to certain limitations, the Board may, from time to time, issue first preferred shares in one or more series and determine for any such series, its designation, number of shares and respective rights, privileges, restrictions and conditions. The first preferred shares as a class have, among others, the provisions described below.

The first preferred shares of each series rank on a parity with the first preferred shares of every other series, and are entitled to preference over the common shares, the second preferred shares and any other shares ranking junior to the first preferred shares with respect to the payment of dividends, the repayment of capital and the distribution of assets of TransCanada in the event of a liquidation, dissolution or winding up of TransCanada.

Except as provided by the CBCA or as referred to below, the holders of the first preferred shares will not have any voting rights nor will they be entitled to receive notice of or to attend shareholders' meetings. The holders of any particular series of first preferred shares will, if the directors so determine prior to the issuance of such series, be entitled to such voting rights as may be determined by the directors if TransCanada fails to pay dividends on that series of preferred shares for any period as may be so determined by the directors.

2011 Annual information form    21

The provisions attaching to the first preferred shares as a class may be modified, amended or varied only with the approval of the holders of the first preferred shares as a class. Any such approval to be given by the holders of the first preferred shares may be given by the affirmative vote of the holders of not less than sixty-six and two-thirds per cent of the first preferred shares represented and voted at a meeting or adjourned meeting of such holders.

The Series 1 Preferred Shares are entitled to the payment of dividends as set out above under the heading Dividends. The Series 1 Preferred Shares are redeemable by TransCanada in whole or in part on or after December 31, 2014, by the payment of an amount in cash for each share to be redeemed equal to $25.00 plus all accrued and unpaid dividends thereon. The holders of Series 1 Preferred Shares have the right to convert their shares into cumulative redeemable Series 2 Preferred Shares, subject to certain conditions, on December 31, 2014 and on December 31 of every fifth year thereafter. The holders of Series 2 Preferred Shares will be entitled to receive quarterly floating rate cumulative dividends, as and when declared by the Board, at a rate equal to the sum of the then 90-day Government of Canada treasury bill rate and 1.92 per cent. In the event of liquidation, dissolution or winding up of TransCanada, the holders of Series 1 Preferred Shares shall be entitled to receive $25.00 per Series 1 Preferred Share plus all accrued and unpaid dividends thereon in preference over the common shares or any other shares ranking junior to the Series 1 Preferred Shares.

The Series 3 Preferred Shares are entitled to the payment of dividends as set out above under the heading Dividends. The rights, privileges, restrictions and conditions attaching to the Series 3 Preferred Shares are substantially identical to those attaching to the Series 1 Preferred Shares, except as outlined below. The Series 3 Preferred Shares are redeemable by TransCanada in whole or in part on or after June 30, 2015, by the payment of an amount in cash for each share to be redeemed equal to $25.00 plus all accrued and unpaid dividends thereon. The holders of Series 3 Preferred Shares have the right to convert their shares into cumulative redeemable Series 4 Preferred Shares, subject to certain conditions, on June 30, 2015 and on June 30 of every fifth year thereafter. The holders of Series 4 Preferred Shares will be entitled to receive quarterly floating rate cumulative dividends, as and when declared by the Board, at a rate equal to the sum of the then 90-day Government of Canada treasury bill rate and 1.28 per cent. In the event of liquidation, dissolution or winding up of TransCanada, the holders of Series 3 Preferred Shares shall be entitled to receive $25.00 per Series 3 Preferred Share plus all accrued and unpaid dividends thereon in preference over the common shares or any other shares ranking junior to the Series 3 Preferred Shares.

The Series 5 Preferred Shares are entitled to the payment of dividends as set out above under the heading Dividends. The rights, privileges, restrictions and conditions attaching to the Series 5 Preferred Shares are substantially identical to those attaching to the Series 1 Preferred Shares, except as outlined below. The Series 5 Preferred Shares are redeemable by TransCanada in whole or in part on or after January 30, 2016, by the payment of an amount in cash for each share to be redeemed equal to $25.00 plus all accrued and unpaid dividends thereon. The holders of Series 5 Preferred Shares have the right to convert their shares into cumulative redeemable Series 6 Preferred Shares, subject to certain conditions, on January 30, 2016 and on January 30 of every fifth year thereafter. The holders of Series 6 Preferred Shares will be entitled to receive quarterly floating rate cumulative dividends, as and when declared by the Board, at a rate equal to the sum of the then 90-day Government of Canada treasury bill rate and 1.54 per cent. In the event of liquidation, dissolution or winding up of TransCanada, the holders of Series 5 Preferred Shares shall be entitled to receive $25.00 per Series 5 Preferred Share plus all accrued and unpaid dividends thereon in preference over the common shares or any other shares ranking junior to the Series 5 Preferred Shares.

Except as provided by the CBCA, the respective holders of the Series 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 Preferred Shares are not entitled to receive notice of, attend at, or vote at any meeting of shareholders unless and until TransCanada shall have failed to pay eight quarterly dividends, whether or not consecutive, in which case the respective holders of Series 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 Preferred Shares shall have the right to receive notice of and to attend each meeting of shareholders at which directors are to be elected and which take place more than 60 days after the date on which the failure first occurs, and to one vote with respect to resolutions to elect directors for each Series 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 Preferred Share, respectively, until all arrears of dividends have been paid. Subject to the CBCA, the series provisions attaching to the Series 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 Preferred Shares may be amended with the written approval of all the holders of such series of shares outstanding or by at least two-thirds of the votes cast at a meeting of the holders of such shares duly called for the purpose and at which a quorum is present.

22    TransCanada Corporation

Second preferred shares

The rights, privileges, restrictions and conditions attaching to the second preferred shares are substantially identical to those attaching to the first preferred shares, except that the second preferred shares are junior to the first preferred shares with respect to the payment of dividends, repayment of capital and the distribution of assets of TransCanada in the event of a liquidation, dissolution or winding up of TransCanada.

Credit ratings

Although TransCanada has not issued debt to the public, it has been assigned credit ratings by Moody's Investors Service, Inc. ("Moody's") and Standard & Poor's ("S&P"). Moody's has assigned an issuer rating of Baa1 with a stable outlook and S&P has assigned a long-term corporate credit rating of A- with a stable outlook. TransCanada does not presently intend to issue debt securities to the public in its own name and any future debt financing requirements are expected to continue to be funded primarily through its subsidiary, TCPL. The following table sets out the current credit ratings assigned to those outstanding classes of securities of TCPL which have been rated by DBRS Limited ("DBRS"), Moody's and S&P:

Credit ratings are intended to provide investors with an independent measure of credit quality of an issue of securities. Credit ratings are not recommendations to purchase, hold or sell securities and do not address the market price or suitability of a specific security for a particular investor. There is no assurance that any rating will remain in effect for any given period of time or that any rating will not be revised or withdrawn entirely by a rating agency in the future if, in its judgment, circumstances so warrant.

The Company paid fees to each of DBRS, Moody's and S&P for the credit ratings rendered on each of the outstanding classes of securities noted above. No additional payments were made to DBRS, Moody's and S&P in respect of any other services provided to the Company during the past two years.

The information concerning the Company's credit ratings relates to the Company's financing costs, liquidity and operations. The availability of TransCanada's funding options may be affected by certain factors, including the global capital market environment and outlook as well as the Company's financial performance. TransCanada's access to capital markets at competitive rates is dependent on its credit rating and rating outlook, as determined by credit rating agencies such as DBRS, Moody's and S&P, and if TransCanada's ratings were downgraded the Company's financing costs and future debt issuances could be unfavorably impacted. A description of the rating agencies' credit ratings listed in the table above is set out below.

DBRS Limited (DBRS)

DBRS has different rating scales for short- and long-term debt and preferred shares. "High" or "low" grades are used to indicate the relative standing within all rating categories other than AAA and D. The absence of either a "high" or "low" designation indicates the rating is in the "middle" of the category. The R-1 (low) rating assigned to TCPL's short-term debt is in the third highest of ten rating categories and indicates good credit quality. The overall strength is not as favourable as higher rating categories, but any qualifying negative factors that exist are considered manageable. The A rating assigned to TCPL's senior unsecured debt is in the third highest of ten categories for long-term debt. Long-term debt rated A is good credit quality. The capacity

2011 Annual information form    23

for the payment of interest and principal is substantial, but of lesser credit quality than that of AA rated securities. Long-term debt rated A may be vulnerable to future events but qualifying negative factors are considered manageable. The BBB (high) rating assigned to junior subordinated notes is in the fourth highest of the ten categories for long-term debt. Long-term debt rated BBB is of adequate credit quality. The capacity for the payment of interest and principal is considered acceptable, but it may be vulnerable to future events. The Pfd-2 (low) rating assigned to TCPL's and TransCanada's preferred shares is in the second highest of six rating categories for preferred shares. Preferred shares rated Pfd-2 are of satisfactory credit quality. Protection of dividends and principal is still substantial; however, earnings, the balance sheet and coverage ratios are not as strong as Pfd-1 rated companies. In general, Pfd-2 ratings correspond with long-term debt rated in the A category.

Moody's Investors Service, Inc. (Moody's)

Moody's has different rating scales for short- and long-term obligations. Numerical modifiers 1, 2 and 3 are applied to each rating classification from Aa through Caa, with 1 being the highest and 3 being the lowest. The A3 rating assigned to TCPL's senior unsecured debt is in the third highest of nine rating categories for long-term obligations. Obligations rated A are considered upper medium grade and are subject to low credit risk. The Baa1 and Baa2 ratings assigned to TCPL's junior subordinated debt and preferred shares, respectively, are in the fourth highest of nine rating categories for long-term obligations, with the junior subordinated debt ranking slightly higher within the Baa rating category with a modifier of 1 as opposed to the modifier of 2 on the preferred shares. Obligations rated Baa are subject to moderate credit risk, are considered medium-grade, and as such, may possess certain speculative characteristics.

Standard & Poor's (S&P)

S&P has different rating scales for short- and long-term obligations. Ratings from AA through CCC may be modified by the addition of a plus (+) or minus (-) sign to show the relative standing within a particular rating category. The A- rating assigned to TCPL's senior unsecured debt is in the third highest of ten rating categories for long-term obligations. An A rating indicates the obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment is strong; however, the obligation is slightly more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher rated categories. As guarantor of a U.S. subsidiary's commercial paper program, TCPL has been assigned a commercial paper rating of A-2 which is the second highest of nine rating categories for short-term debt obligations. A short term debt rated A-2 is somewhat more susceptible to adverse effects of changes in economic conditions than higher rated categories; however, the capacity to meet all financial commitments remains satisfactory. The BBB and P-2 ratings assigned to TCPL's junior subordinated notes and TCPL's and TransCanada's preferred shares exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.

Market for securities

TransCanada's common shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange ("TSX") and the New York Stock Exchange ("NYSE") under the symbol "TRP". TransCanada's Series 1 Preferred Shares, Series 3 Preferred Shares and Series 5 Preferred Shares have been listed for trading on the TSX since September 30, 2009, March 11, 2010 and June 29, 2010, under the symbols "TRP.PR.A", "TRP.PR.B", and "TRP.PR.C", respectively. The following tables set forth the reported monthly high, low, and month-end closing trading prices and monthly trading volumes of the common shares of TransCanada on the TSX and the NYSE, and the

24    TransCanada Corporation

respective Series 1 Preferred Shares, Series 3 Preferred Shares and Series 5 Preferred Shares on the TSX, for the period indicated:

Common shares

Series 1 Preferred Shares

Series 3 Preferred Shares

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