Electricity Statistics

Electricity Supply

An important objective of electricity restructuring is the development of a competitive generation market. Access for all power producers to Alberta's interconnected transmission grid is integral to the success of electricity generation.

Alberta's restructured electricity industry has encouraged efficiencies and allowed new generation supply to come on-line to keep pace with one of the fastest growing economies in North America.

Over 5,000 megawatts (MW) of new generation was added to the Alberta power supply since 1998.

Over 15,000 MW of Thermal and Hydro power, and nearly 12,000 MW of Wind power, has been proposed by industry for future development.

At present, Alberta has more than 12,500 MW of installed generating capacity.  Peak demand in 2008 (climatic year) was 9,806 – up from 9,701 MW in 2007.

 

Alberta Existing Generation Capacity1

 

Alberta Generating Capacity (MW)

Coal

5919

Gas

5014

Hydro

900

Wind

525

Biomass

184

Fuel Oil

13

Subtotal

12,555

Interconnections

 

British Columbia

750

Saskatchewan

150

Subtotal

900

Grand Total

13,455

Generation Additions 1998-20082

Developer

Location

Installed Capacity (MW)

Type

Year On-line

CNRL & ATCO Power

Primrose

85

Cogeneration

1998

Dow / TransAlta

Fort Saskatchewan

120

Cogeneration

1999

Alberta Pacific Forest Ind.

Boyle

82

Biomass

1999

Syncrude Aurora

Fort McMurray

80

Cogeneration

1999

ATCO Power

Poplar Hill

47

Gas Turbine

1999

ATCO Power

Rainbow Lake 4

45

Cogeneration

1999

BC Hydro

Fort Nelson

45

Gas Turbine

1999

Drayton Valley Power

Dapp

17

Biomass

1999

BP Canada Energy

Various

10

Natural Gas

1999

Maxim Energy Corp.

Gold Creek

7

Waste Heat

1999

Altec Power

Willesden Green

1

Flare Gas

1999

ATCO / NOVA / EPCOR

Joffre

416

Cogeneration

2000

Air Liquide

Scotford

80

Cogeneration

2000

Vision Quest (TransAlta)

Castle River Exp.

10

Wind

2000

TransCanada

Medicine Hat

27

Cogeneration

2000

Canadian Hydro Developers

Taylor Chute Hydro

14

Hydro

2000

Devon Canada Corp.

Devon

12

Natural Gas

2000

Canadian Hydro Developers

Drywood

6

Natural Gas

2000

Mercury Electric Corp.

Alberta

3

Natural Gas

2000

Vision Quest (TransAlta)

Waterton area

3

Wind

2000

Canadian Hydro Developers

Cowley Ridge Exp.

2

Wind

2000

TransAlta

Poplar Creek

360

Cogeneration

2001

EnCana

Cavalier

120

Cogeneration

2001

EnCana/Nexen

Balzac

106

Cogeneration

2001

TransCanada

Carseland

80

Cogeneration

2001

ATCO Power

Rainbow Lake 5

45

Cogeneration

2001

TransCanada

Redwater

40

Cogeneration

2001

Vision Quest (TransAlta)

Castle River Exp.

29

Wind

2001

Canadian Hydro Developers

Cowley North

20

Wind

2001

TransCanada

Medicine Hat/Cancarb

11

Cogeneration

2001

Maxim Energy Corp.

APP-Taber

8

Natural Gas

2001

Canadian Hydro Developers

Sinnott

7

Wind

2001

Maxim Energy Corp.

APP-Burdette

7

Natural Gas

2001

Maxim Energy Corp.

APP-Coaldale

6

Natural Gas

2001

Penn West

Buck Lake

6

Cogeneration

2001

Maxim Energy Corp.

APP-Fort MacLeod

4

Natural Gas

2001

EPCOR/ Peigan First Nation

Pincher Creek

1

Wind

2001

Lundbreck Developments

Lundbreck

1

Wind

2001

Maxim Energy Corp.

Gift Lake

1

Waste Heat

2001

ATCO Power

Albian Muskeg River

170

Cogeneration

2002

Imperial Oil

Cold Lake

169

Cogeneration

2002

TransCanada

Bear Creek

80

Co-gen & Biomass

2002

ATCO Power

Valleyview

45

Natural Gas

2002

TransAlta

Sundance #6 exp.

35

Coal

2002

Northstone Power Corp.

Elmworth Area

12

Natural Gas

2002

Permolex

Red Deer

4

Cogeneration

2002

Maxim Energy Corp.

EVI

3

Natural Gas

2002

Calpine

Calgary

300

Natural Gas

2003

ATCO Power

Scotford

179

Cogeneration

2003

TransCanada

McKay River

165

Cogeneration

2003

EnCana

Foster Creek

80

Cogeneration

2003

Vision Quest (TransAlta)

McBride Lake

75

Wind

2003

ATCO Power

Oldman River 1, 2

32

Hydro

2003

ATCO Power

Albian Muskeg River (ph. 2)

30

Cogeneration

2003

SAIT

Calgary

3

Cogeneration

2003

Vision Quest (TransAlta)

McBride Lake East

1

Wind

2003

Vision Quest (TransAlta)

Summerview

68

Wind

2004

Suncor / Enbridge / EHN

Magrath

30

Wind

2004

Irrican

St. Mary River

7

Hydro

2004

ATCO Power

Scotford

2

Cogeneration

2004

EPCOR

Genesee 3

450

Coal

2005

Canadian Hydro Developers

Grande Prairie

25

Biomass

2005

Talisman

Edson

12

Cogeneration

2005

EnCana / Nexen

Balzac

9

Cogeneration

2005

EPCOR

Clover Bar

5

Biogas

2005

Highmark Renewables

Vegreville

1

Biogas

2005

Syncrude Canada

Aurora

80

Cogeneration

2006

GW Power/ Nexen

Soderglen

68

Wind

2006

Suncor

Chin Chute

30

Wind

2006

ATCO Power

Sheerness #1 exp.

12

Coal

2006

ATCO Power

Sheerness #2 exp.

12

Coal

2006

Kettle Hills Wind Energy

Pincher Creek

9

Wind

2006

Canadian Hydro Developers

Taylor

3

Wind

2006

Enmax Purple Springs

Taber

81

Wind

2007

Suncor

Fire Bag

80

Cogeneration

2007

Syncrude Mildred Lake

Aurora

80

Cogeneration

2007

Kettle Hills Wind Energy

Pincher Creek

54

Wind

2007

City of Medicine Hat Upgrade

Medicine Hat

10

Gas

2007

CNRL Horizon Phase 1

Fort McMurray

103

Cogeneration

2008

Constellation Northern Prairie

County of Grande Prairie

93

Gas

2008

ATCO Valleyview #2

ValleyView

47

Gas

2008

TransAlta SD4 Upgrades

Wabamun

45

Coal

 2007

OPTI/Nexen

Anzac

180

Cogeneration

 2008

EPCOR

Clover Bar

45

Gas

 2008

Shell Canada

Caroline

20

Steam Turbine

 2008

AltaGas

Bantry

7

Gas

 2008

AltaGas

Parkland

7

Gas

 2008

 

 

 

 

 

Total New Generation On-line (1998-2008)

 

5,022

 

 

Proposed Generation3

Type

Number of Projetcs

Total Capacity (MW)

Thermal and Hydro

64

15,011

Wind

83

11,880

Total

147

26,891

For a complete listing of Proposed Generation projects visit AESO's website at:

1) Long Term Adequacy Metrics - February 2009

2) AESO Generation Interconnection Queue

 

Current Generation Decommissions 1998-20084

 

Developer

Location

Installed Capacity (MW)

Type

Decommissioning Date

ATCO Power

Battle River 1, 2

56

Coal

1998

TransAlta

Wabamun 3

140

Coal

2003

TransAlta

Wabamun 1,2

128

Coal

2005

EPCOR

Clover Bar

629

Gas

2005

Total Decommissioned Generation (1998-2008)

953

Imports / Exports3

 

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

Exports volume (MWh)

1,061,083

1,038,074

489,465

973,217

558,759

Exports value ($ million)

$36.30

$37.90

$19.40

$37.10

$25.38

Imports volume (MWh)

1,491,661

1,534,574

1,517,027

1,467,221

2,248,118

Imports value ($ million)

$111.20

$164.50

$193.30

$147.40

$266.00

Operations3,5

 

 

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

Peak demand (MW)

9,236

9,580

9,661

9,701

9,806

Average Pool Price ($/MWh)

54.66

70.36

80.79

66.95

89.95

Maximum Pool price ($/MWh)

998.01

999.99

999.99

999.99

999.99

Minimum Pool price ($/MWh)

0

4.66

5.42

0

0

Total energy produced (GWh)

65,260

66,267

69,371

69,661

69,947

Number of Power Pool participants

244

222

222

209

213

Customer Usage Estimates4,6

 

 

Number of Customers 

Usage (GWh)

 

2007

2008

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

Residential

 1,224,178

1,257,346

7,580.5

7,769.1

8,253.5

8,561.1

8,832.8

Farm

 79,217

80,048

1,734.6

1,705.1

1,768.5

1,806.8

1,803.4

Commercial

 145,210

149,728

11,689.6

12,080.5

12,733.2

13,132.2

13,526.2

Industrial

 35,917

36,246

28,530.6

29,054.6

29,225.0

28,427.0

27,878.2

Total

 1,484,522

1,523,368

49,535.3

50,609.3

51,980.2

51,927.1

52,040.6

 

 

1. The Energy Resources Conservation Board (ERCB) and Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO).

2. Based on ERCB data to 2008, AESO and industry information for 2009.

3. AESO data.

4. ERCB data.

5. Peak demand is based on the climatic year (October to September).

6. Does not include electricity generated on-site and used on-site.

 

This document is updated regularly.

 

 

Last reviewed/revised: 2009-03-24